This single honours course is for committed mathematicians who also want to become skilled in modern day computing and information systems. Students gain the skills needed to develop their mathematical and statistical knowledge and apply these skills to solve problems in computing, business and other areas.

Approximately two-thirds of the course is devoted to mathematical and statistical subjects and one-third to computer science.

The mathematics course is wide-ranging and covers several application areas. These include finance, statistics, operational research (how maths can be applied to commercial and industrial problems), numerical analysis and mechanics. You will have the opportunity to specialise at Level 3.

The mathematics subjects focus particularly on aspects of modern algebra that relate to computer science, and also include a considerable amount of numerical analysis of mathematical problems. In later years, for example, you could specialise in modern encryption methods as used, for example, in internet transactions. The advanced computing modules include databases and the construction of interactive systems.

You can pursue a career that specifically uses your mathematical, statistical or computing skills, or choose a more general career – such as management or consultancy.

Either way you will possess key skills that are highly sought after by business – in fact any industry that uses modelling, simulation, cryptography, forecasting, statistics, risk analysis and probability.

These are some of the areas where a maths degree is highly valued:

• Finance: banking, accountancy, actuarial, tax, underwriter, pensions, insurance
• Medicine: medical statistics, medical and epidemiological research, pharmaceutical research
• Design: engineering design, computer games
• Science: biotechnology, meteorology, oceanography, pure and applied research and development
• Civil Service: scientists (‘Fast Stream’, DSTL, DESG), GCHQ, security service, statisticians
• Business: logistics, financial analysis, marketing, market research, sales oil industry, management consultancy, operational research
• IT: Systems analysis, research
• Engineering: aerospace, building design, transport planning, telecommunications, surveying.

Level 1

• Transition to Independent Learning of Mathematics (see below for more)
• Fundamentals of Mathematics
• Introductory Programming
• Logic and Computation
• Calculus
• Linear Algebra
• Probability and Statistics I
• Algorithms and Numerical Methods.
  
  

  Find out more information about Level 1

Level 2

• Multivariable Calculus
• Linear Methods
• Elements of Combinatorics
• Probability and Statistics II
• Operational Research
• Employability Skills
• Software Development and Management
• Algorithms and Their Applications

Level 3 compulsory

• Major Project (see below for more)
• Artificial Intelligence
• Software Engineering.

Level 3 options

• Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations
• Encryption and Data Compression
• Statistics III
• Stochastic Models
• Risk and Optimisation for Financial Planning.

Level 3 Major Project

This is a very valuable feature of the Mathematics with Computer Science course – a substantial piece of individual, course-related work, personally supervised by a staff member. Project work accounts for about one third of your Level 3 study load, and will often be connected to staff research areas – it may also be in response to industry demands.

Students usually select from a list of projects offered by staff members. During 2014-15, over 150 project titles were available. These covered a wide range of mathematical areas and applications including, for example:

• The very famous ‘travelling salesman problem’ (also known as ‘the lazy waiter’!)
• Simulations of iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma and game theory
• The mathematics of complex networks such as the web or Facebook
• Applications of statistics to the Premier League, police complaints data and climate change
• Modern theories in quantitative finance – in particular, the highly influential financial derivatives (e.g. options) industry. (The ‘Black-Scholes theory’ is most famous for winning a Nobel Prize, and its misapplication is often blamed, rightly or wrongly, for the recent worldwide financial crisis.)

Students can work to their strengths and emphasise real applications or abstract theory, using theoretical and/or computational tools. Furthermore, students who have completed a work placement may choose to focus on a project associated with their work experience.

Most of our projects can be carried out in ways that suit the student's strengths and interests. For example, it is often possible to choose to emphasise concrete applications or abstract theory, and the project can be carried out using theoretical tools only, or computational tools only, or a mixture of both.

• GPA 5.0 or 80%

75% is required in any specific subjects that are stated in GCE A-level entry requirements above.

• IELTS: 6 (min 5.5 in all areas)
• Pearson: 51 (51 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 60% (min 55% in all areas)