BSc (Hons) Mathematics

A Plymouth Mathematics degree opens the door to a rewarding career in many sectors including science, engineering, finance, government, medicine and education. Employers value work experience, and we offer a varied programme of student placements. Our graduates progress to a wide range of interesting jobs or postgraduate study. Recent employers include KPMG, GCHQ, Lloyds Banking Group, the Met Office, Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit, and Siemens.

What can you do with a mathematics degree?

• This course offers modules in all key areas of mathematics, statistics and theoretical physics, including a wide choice of final year options. This allows you to follow your interests and shape your future career.
• You will acquire skills which are highly sought after by employers: problem solving skills, knowledge of computing languages and mathematical software packages as well as presentation and communication skills.
• Enjoy new facilities – state of the art lecture theatres, computer laboratories, study and social spaces – in our £50 million teaching and research building opening in 2023.
  
• Benefit from being part of the close-knit, collaborative and supportive family that is Mathematical Sciences at Plymouth. This includes small group tutorials, study space next to staff offices, our lecturers’ open-door policy, student-led learning sessions and the Maths Society.
  
• Meet the mathematics of sustainability and climate change in our Mathematics of Planet Earth module.
  
• An optional but recommended paid placement year primes you for the career you want. Students who have taken a placement tend to attract multiple job offers.
• You have an opportunity in the final year to carry out an in-depth research project on a mathematical topic of your choice, supervised by an expert in that field. This involves producing a 50 page report and presenting your work at a poster session.

• Year 1

• Learn the underlying mathematics that underpins the rest of your degree and master coding in the industrial software Python, right from the start. You’ll begin by building on the mathematical skills and topics you learnt at school, studying six core modules including calculus, linear algebra, numerical methods, pure mathematics, and probability. We’ve structured the curriculum so that all of our students acquire a common mathematical expertise, so you’ll also have the flexibility to move between courses as you progress.

  Core modules

  • Stage 1 Mathematics Placement Preparation (BPIE113)

    The route to graduate-level employment is found easier with experience. These sessions are designed to assist students in their search for a year-long placement and in their preparation for the placement itself. Such placements are optional but strongly recommended.

  • Calculus (MATH1702)

    Calculus underpins mathematical modelling in science, finance and industry. This module gives students the ability to calculate accurately and efficiently. Key results are proven and calculus is extended to higher dimensions through partial differentiation and multiple integration. The methods covered in this module will be used by students throughout the rest of their degree.

  • Analysis and Group Theory (MATH1704)

    In this module we explore two fundamental areas of pure mathematics. Analysis provides a rigorous foundation of calculus, while group theory introduces important algebraic structures that are used in many branches of pure mathematics and their applications. A rigorous approach will be taken in both topics, with emphasis on proof. Python will be used to illustrate and investigate cutting edge applications.

  • Mathematical Reasoning (MATH1701)

    This module will introduce the basic reasoning skills needed for the development and applications of modern mathematics. It also introduces Python as a new tool for exploring and applying mathematics to real world problems. The importance of logical thinking will be investigated in various mathematical topics. This will include fundamental properties of prime numbers, their random generation and use in cryptography.

  • Linear Algebra (MATH1703)

    Vectors and matrices are fundamental in mathematics, and central to its applications in statistics, physics, data science, and engineering. This module develops practical skills in handling vectors and matrices, explores the mathematical structure of linear spaces, and elucidates their deep connections with analytic geometry.

  • Probability (MATH1705)

    An understanding of uncertainty and random phenomena is becoming increasingly important in daily life and in the modern workplace. The aim of this module is to develop the concept of chance in a mathematical framework. Random variables are introduced, with examples involving some common distributions, and the concepts of expectation, variance and correlation are investigated using mathematical tools.

  • Numerical Methods (MATH1706)

    In mathematics, solving most real world problems requires the use of computers. This module introduces computational mathematics and algorithms . Students will use mathematical software interactively and write programs in Python. The numerical methods which underlie industrial, scientific and financial applications will be studied.

• Year 2

• In Year 2 you'll expand your knowledge with topics including vector calculus, complex analysis, differential equations, transform theory, algebra and mathematical statistics. You will also have a case study-based introduction to operational research, the branch of mathematics developed for better management and decision making, and powerful Monte Carlo methods for simulating complex problems.

  
  

  Core modules:

  • Advanced Calculus
  • Statistical Inference and Regression
  • Algebra and Transforms
  • Differential Equations
  • Operational Research
  • Complex Analysis and Vector Calculus
  • Stage 2 mathematics placement preparation
    

• Optional placement year

• You'll have the opportunity to participate in an optional but highly recommended placement year, providing valuable paid professional experience and helping make your CV stand out. Typically students are paid around £17,000 and placement providers have included the Department for Communities and Local Government, Fujitsu, GSK, Vauxhall Motors, VirginCare, Visteon and Jagex Games Studio.

  Optional modules

  • Mathematics and Statistics Placement (BPIE331)

    A 48-week period of professional training is spent as the third year of a sandwich programme while undertaking an approved placement with a suitable company. This provides an opportunity for the student to gain experience of how mathematics is used in a working environment, to consolidate their previous study and to prepare for the final year and employment after graduation. Recent placement providers include GSK, the Office for National Statistics, NATS (air traffic control) and VW Group.

• Final year

• Choose from a wide range of modules covering pure and applied mathematics, and operational research, as well as theoretical physics and statistics. A choice of small group case studies and the additional option of an individual project offer you the chance to study an interest in depth. You may opt to study a school-based placement module.

  
  

  Optional modules:

  
  

  • Mathematics of Planet Earth
  • Project
  • Industrial Placement
  • School Placement
  • Statistical Data Modelling
  • Financial Statistics
  • Medical Statistics
  • Quantum Computing
  • Relativity and Cosmology
  • Machine Learning
  • Big Data Analytics
  • Partial Differential Equations
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Modelling and Numerical Simulation
  • Optimisation, Networks and Graphs
  • Algebraic Geometry and Cryptography

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

BSc (Hons) Mathematics programme specification_0153

UCAS tariff

112 - 128