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Swansea University

UCAS Code: G191 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

A,B,B-B,B,B

To include Mathematics

Access to HE (Science): Pass with Distinction overall (to include 24 Distinctions, 15 Merits and 6 Passes), including 18 in Maths

We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a Grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32-34

To include 6 HL Mathematics

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

Plus Grade B in A Level Mathematics

Scottish Higher

A,B,B,B,C

Plus Grade B in Mathematics

Swansea University accepts the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales as fully equivalent to x1 A-Level.

Requirements are as for A levels where you can substitute the same non-subject specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Adanced Level Core Grade

UCAS Tariff

120-135

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time with time abroad | 2025

Subject

Financial mathematics

Mathematics can be seen as the most international of subjects – a global ‘language’ with ancient origins and which is now vitally important in our data-driven world.

As a student on our four-year BSc Mathematics for Finance with a Year Abroad, you will have the opportunity to focus on Mathematics for Finance in addition to the general range of mathematical material that you will cover.

You will be taught in our £32.5m Computational Foundry, a world class centre with state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research, as well as networking and meeting spaces, to help prepare you for a successful and rewarding career.

Employers place great value on the ability to think rationally and to process data clearly and accurately, and Mathematics graduates earn on average 50% more than most other graduates. The most popular careers are the actuarial profession, the financial sector, IT, computer programming and systems administration, and opportunities within business and industry where employers need mathematicians for research and development, statistical analysis, marketing and sales.

On the BSc Mathematics for Finance course you will cover the general range of mathematical material including elements of different aspects of the subject such as Applied Mathematics and Pure Mathematics, but with a particular focus on Mathematics for Finance.

You will have the chance to explore the number theory that Pythagoras studied, the Financial Mathematics that the highest flyers on Wall Street rely on, and a wealth of other topics reflecting our lecturers’ research expertise in probability, analysis, nonlinear partial differential equations, non-commutative geometry and algebraic topology.

The degree will give you a sound grounding in the basic concepts of Mathematics, allowing you to specialise in your chosen areas. It will also develop your ability to use and evaluate logical reasoning and construct rigorous arguments; and develop your oral and written communication skills as well as your ability to use modern communication tools, especially those most appropriate to mathematics.

You will spend your third year at one of our partner institutions abroad. This is a marvellous opportunity to experience a different culture and, depending on the destination, to develop valuable language skills.

**We guarantee that you will be made a conditional offer for a course at Swansea University. Subject requirements will apply. Please come along to our next Open Day or get in touch for further information**

Modules

In Year 1, you will typically have the opportunity to study areas including: applied statistics; computational methods (with Matlab); geometry; introductory analysis; introductory calculus; foundations of algebra; introductory linear algebra; methods of algebra and calculus.

In Year 2, you will typically have the opportunity to study areas including: game theory and optimization; groups and rings; numerical methods (with Matlab); probability; real analysis and metric spaces; vector calculus and measure theory; vector spaces; further methods of algebra and calculus.

You will spend Year 3 at one of our partner institutions abroad. This is a marvellous opportunity to experience a different culture and, depending on the destination, to develop valuable language skills.

In Year 4, you will typically have the opportunity to study areas including: applied algebra: coding theory; biomathematics; complex variables; differential geometry; partial differential equations; financial mathematics; numerical analysis; stochastic processes; analytical dynamics; functional analysis; higher algebra. You will also complete a dissertation in the mathematics of finance.

Assessment methods

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutor-led tutorials and regular (non-assessed) coursework. The final year modules are more student-centred, to reflect a progression in teaching methods appropriate to the subjects taught. Throughout, the learner is encouraged to undertake independent reading both to supplement and consolidate what is being taught/learnt and to broaden knowledge and understanding of the subject. You will be assessed through a combination of unseen written examinations, set assignments, presentations and a dissertation.

Extra funding

The Mathematics Department will offer prizes/scholarships worth up to a total of £3000 for students starting their university studies in September. The prizes will be awarded on the basis of a competitive two and a half hour examination which will be taken during the Spring. Usually, applicants take the exam in their school or college, but this year arrangements will be made to enable applicants to sit the exam remotely. If you would like to take the exam, you will need to make Mathematics at Swansea one of your UCAS selections.

These scholarships can be used in conjunction with our Excellence and Merit scholarships. If you are interested in taking the scholarship exam, then you should complete and return a Mathematics Scholarship Application us via email. https://www.swansea.ac.uk/maths/scholarships/

Note: The University will also award Excellence Bursaries worth £3,000 to students who achieve AAA at A-level (or equivalent) and £2000 to students who achieve AAB at A level (or equivalent). For further details please see https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/scholarships/excellence-bursaries/

The Uni

Course location:

Bay Campus

Department:

Mathematics

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

84%
Financial mathematics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Mathematics

Teaching and learning

76%
Staff make the subject interesting
84%
Staff are good at explaining things
60%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
69%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

77%
Library resources
77%
IT resources
87%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
66%
Male students
34%
Female students
84%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
C

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Mathematics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£22,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
36%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

32%
Business, research and administrative professionals
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
10%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

Want to feel needed? This is one of the most flexible degrees of all and with so much of modern work being based on data, there are options everywhere for maths graduates. With all that training in handling figures, it's hardly surprising that a lot of maths graduates go into well-paid jobs in the IT or finance industries, and last year, a maths graduate in London could expect a very respectable average starting salary of £27k. And we're always short of teachers in maths, so that is an excellent option for anyone wanting to help the next generation. And if you want a research job, you'll want a doctorate — and a really good maths doctorate will get you all sorts of interest from academia and finance — and might secure some of the highest salaries going for new leavers from university.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Mathematics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£26k

£26k

£33k

£33k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
place
University of Sussex | Brighton and Hove
Mathematics with Finance
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UCAS Points: 128-147
Lower entry requirements
place
University of Nottingham | Nottingham
Financial Mathematics
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time with time abroad 2025
UCAS Points: 112-159
Same University
place
Swansea University | Swansea
Mathematics for Finance with a Year in Industry
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with time abroad 2025
UCAS Points: 120-135

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here