Explore real-world mathematics at QUT before Year 12

If you're excited to learn new things, meet others who share your interests, and grow your passion for numbers, then the QUT Mathematics Summer School program is perfect for you.

Why apply?

  • Go beyond the school curriculum and see how maths applies to real problems in STEM fields.
  • Build confidence before Year 12 by learning in a university environment.
  • Meet other students who share your interest in maths.
  • Experience QUT life through lectures, workshops and campus-based activities.
  • Explore future study pathways in mathematics, science, engineering, technology and data.
QUT Maths Summer School 2023 cohort

Mathematics for the real world

Mathematics students currently in Year 11 studying Specialist Mathematics (or mathematics at an equivalent level) have an opportunity to attend this summer school at QUT’s Garden Point campus during the summer holidays.

If you enjoy mathematics and want to know more about how it can be used to model the real world, this non-residential summer school could be just right for you.

Applications open
1 August 2026
Applications close

30 October 2026

Places offered by
20 November 2026
Event dates
Monday 18 - Thursday 21 January 2027
Registration fee
$140
Support for regional students
Limited financial bursaries are available to support students from regional/remote schools to attend the program. The bursary amount of $500 is intended for use towards the costs associated with attending the program (travel, accommodation, meals etc). In addition, your program fee will also be covered.

Regional/remote schools are defined as being outside the Queensland Education metropolitan area. You can find out if your school meets the regional requirement by checking the 'location' data for your school on My School.

Contact
maths.summerschool@qut.edu.au

What will I do?

Summer school attendees will be taught by staff from QUT’s School of Mathematical Sciences. The planned program includes both lectures and computer practicals. The lectures will introduce new concepts and mathematical examples, as well as give you the broader picture of why they are interesting and important. The practicals will give you an opportunity to explore these new concepts as you develop your scientific programming skills. We will be using the programming language Python, within Google’s Colaboratory platform.

What is the program?

  • The program is hosted at the QUT Gardens Point campus.
  • 18 - 21 January 2027, 9am-3pm each day.
  • You are expected to attend each day of the program in person.
  • Parents and carers will be invited to the summer school closing event on the last day.

What is included?

  • Morning tea is provided each day of the summer school and are covered by the registration fee.
  • Support and guidance by expert staff during the program.
  • Access to QUT facilities- just like a QUT student.

We are planning a set of topics for 2027 that will allow the attendees to develop computational mathematics skills while gaining an insight into a range of modelling techniques and application areas.

When life gives you lemons… think calculus!

Dr Cate Challen
Senior Lecturer in Education (Mathematics and Technologies), School of Teacher Education and Leadership, QUT

Modelling with first-order differential equations

Dr Vivien Challis
Senior Lecturer in Applied and Computational Mathematics, School of Mathematical Sciences, QUT

Mathematics in biology with a scavenger hunt

Dr Jessica Crawshaw
Lecturer, School of Mathematical Sciences, QUT

Introduction to computational mathematics with Python

Ms Georgia Weatherly
PhD student, School of Mathematical Sciences, QUT

Introduction to probability and statistics

Dr Indu Wadhawan 
Lecturer, School of Mathematical Sciences, QUT

Introduction to the Travelling Salesman Problem

Associate Professor Paul Corry
Associate Professor in Operations Research, School of Mathematical Sciences, QUT

The discrete logistic equation and chaos

Professor Tony Roberts
Head of School of Mathematical Sciences, QUT

Dynamics of predator/prey systems: we need derivatives and matrices!

Dr Matthew Adams
Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Sciences, School of Mathematical Sciences, QUT

Step 1: School approval

Request that your School Mathematics Teacher complete and sign the School Approval Proforma and provides you with a copy.

Download the School Approval Proforma (PDF file, 92.9 KB)

Step 2: Apply

To apply, you must have:

  • an email address that we can use to contact you about your application
  • a copy of your most recent school report
  • the completed and signed School Approval Proforma.

Apply via the online application form.

When to apply

Applications will open 1 August 2026

If you have any question, contact maths.summerschool@qut.edu.au

What happens next?

  • At QUT we want to ensure all students prosper, regardless of their background. To foster diversity and inclusion across the Maths Summer School program, the assessment of applications will consider merit, motivations behind attending the program, and the applicant's background.
  • If your application is successful, we’ll send you an email offering you a place in the Maths Summer School.
  • To confirm your place you will be required to pay the registration fee within 5 business days.  If you are experiencing financial hardship, a waiver of this registration fee may be granted.
  • If you are eligible to receive the Regional Student Bursary, you will be notified in your program offer.
  • If your application is unsuccessful, we’ll also email you to let you know.

Maths Summer School 2025

Congratulations to the January 2025 cohort.

Dr David Warne, Director of the QUT Mathematics Summer School

Dr Warne is a Lecturer in Statistical Data Science at QUT. He will be introducing students to probability for statistics and stochastic modelling.

Maths Summer School 2023

Congratulations to the January 2023 cohort.

Equations related to real world phenomena

Here are some examples of equations that are related to phenomena in the real world. Students will use some of these equations during the summer school.

Examples of how to model cell proliferation using probabilities

Cells in our body proliferate randomly and we can model this like we do other probabilities, such as how many times we expect to roll a 5 if we roll a 6-sided die 30 times.

Using mathematical games to understand cancer treatments

We model cancer cells and the effect drugs have on them using what's known as agent-based models.

Spirals are related to the Fibonacci sequence in mathematics

Attendees at the summer school will gain an appreciation for how mathematics can be used to model and understand the world around us.

Each stripe shows the average daily temperature in Queensland from 1901 to 2020

Mathematics can help us understand the changes we're seeing in our climate. Image credit: Ed Hawkins, showyourstripes.info

Mathematics Summer School highlights

Students get a taste for how mathematics can be used in the real world over multiple days in the school holidays.

Questions

Contact maths.summerschool@qut.edu.au with any queries you have about the Mathematics Summer School, and we will get back to you within three business days.