Students

MATH3599 – PACE: Professional Practice for Mathematical Sciences

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Frank Valckenborgh
frank.valckenborgh@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
12WW 613
By appointment
Convenor
Maurizio Manuguerra
maurizio.manuguerra@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
12WW 630
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
20cp from MATH units at 3000 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This PACE unit integrates learning from previous units to prepare students for the workplace through engagement with a partner organisation. Students collaborate with a project sponsor to solve a problem or design a study. They will develop skills in understanding statistical/mathematical problems, discussing the problem-solving cycle, and asking relevant questions for clarification. Students will recognise and apply appropriate techniques, seek alternative methods when necessary, write reports for clients or colleagues, present findings clearly, and discuss the ethical implications of professional statistical/mathematical work.

Visit Employability Connect for important information on this unit including required preparation and closing dates for PACE activities.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Quality Education; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure;

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Critically analyse and describe the client's problem and apply principles, models, tool, techniques, technology and processes to provide a solution.
  • ULO2: Effectively communicate stages and results of the project (in both written and oral form)
  • ULO3: Recognise and address ethical issues when they arise based on an understanding of professional ethic
  • ULO4: Improve ability to work co-operatively as a team member

General Assessment Information

Requirements to pass this unit

Achieve a total mark greater than or equal to 50%.

Attendance and participation

We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

Release

  • Project Plan – Specifications to be released no later than Friday 7th August.
  • Project Report – Specifications to be released no later than Friday 9th October.
  • Project Presentation – Specifications to be released no later than Friday 18th September.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, assignments, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration: https://connect.mq.edu.au.

Late assessments are not accepted in this unit unless a Special Consideration has been submitted and approved.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through https://connect.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Project Plan 15% No 23/08/2026 Individual and Group No Open
Project Presentation 35% No 19/10/2026 Individual No Observed
Project Report 50% No 01/11/2026 Individual and Group No Open

Project Plan

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: 23/08/2026
Weighting: 15%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

The project plan is a document where students outline what they are going to do to address the issues raised by the partner (i.e. designing a study or solving a problem) in a given time frame (i.e. project milestones achieved within the session).
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse and describe the client's problem and apply principles, models, tool, techniques, technology and processes to provide a solution.
  • Effectively communicate stages and results of the project (in both written and oral form)
  • Recognise and address ethical issues when they arise based on an understanding of professional ethic
  • Improve ability to work co-operatively as a team member

Project Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 13 hours
Due: 19/10/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

All members of a group will present a talk on a particular aspect of the project.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse and describe the client's problem and apply principles, models, tool, techniques, technology and processes to provide a solution.
  • Effectively communicate stages and results of the project (in both written and oral form)
  • Recognise and address ethical issues when they arise based on an understanding of professional ethic
  • Improve ability to work co-operatively as a team member

Project Report

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 18 hours
Due: 01/11/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

Written report to demonstrate a solution to a client problem and self reflect on previous learning, group process, technical aspects of the group project and working with partner experience.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically analyse and describe the client's problem and apply principles, models, tool, techniques, technology and processes to provide a solution.
  • Effectively communicate stages and results of the project (in both written and oral form)
  • Recognise and address ethical issues when they arise based on an understanding of professional ethic
  • Improve ability to work co-operatively as a team member

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

Workshops (beginning in Week 1): There is one two-hour class each week.

The timetable for classes can be found on the University website at: https://publish.mq.edu.au/. Enrolment can be managed using eStudent at: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/systems/estudent.

 

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with you via your university email or through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to your lecturers from your university email address.

Unit Schedule

WEEK TOPIC
1 Introduction to consulting in statistical and mathematical sciences, talking to clients and asking the right questions, working in a group (skills required for effective group work) 
2 Choosing the right group and project; project planning
3 Literature Review (Guest lecture from MQ Library)
4 Data preparation for analysis, Statistical Graphics, Writing a report (written communication skills) + Project Work
5 Project Work
6 Statistical and mathematical thinking, ethics in statistics & mathematics + Project Work
7 Human side of consulting (Guest lecture) + Project Work
8 Project Work
  Mid semester break (not holiday)
9 Project Work
10 Project Work
11 Presentations of final projects
12 Presentations of final projects
13 Presentations of final projects

This unit schedule is only tentative and can change due to guest lecturer availability or other reasons.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page.

Student feedback from the previous offering of this unit was very positive overall, with students pleased with the clarity around assessment requirements and the level of support from teaching staff. As such, no change to the delivery of the unit is planned, however we will continue to strive to improve the level of support and the level of student engagement.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
13/07/2026 The submission date for the project plan was updated.

Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook