Mathematics (Computing) with Foundation Year
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 15 at Level 2
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
We encourage you to outline all your qualifications and achievements in your application to provide us a full picture. Your offer will typically be based on your predicted and/or achieved grades from full level 3 qualifications or above e.g. A levels, BTEC Ext Diploma, Access to HE, etc. Any subject specifics are outlined below in the Further Information section, and these specifics are applicable across all equivalent qualifications. A strong application/performance and appropriate experience will be taken into account where typical criteria is not met.
About this course
**Course information**
If you are excited by the idea of using mathematics to make a positive impact on the world, this BSc (Hons) degree could be for you. You will develop your knowledge of mathematical methods and techniques and get the chance to apply these to real problems through projects and placements.
Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.
Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.
**KEY FEATURES OF THE COURSE:**
- **RANKINGS:** Our Mathematics courses are ranked in the top 20 for the subject area (The Guardian University Guide 2022). The subject area is also ranked as 4th in the UK for student experience (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021).
- **WORKING WITH INDUSTRY:** In year two, you’ll work on a real problem set by an employer. You’ll also get the chance to take a year in industry as well as to study and work abroad for a semester, which will broaden your experience and boost your employment prospects.
- **VIBRANT COMMUNITY:** You’ll join a friendly community including our enthusiastic Mathematics Society and research-active lecturers. You’ll have the opportunity to get involved with research projects which our teaching team are working on.
- **PRACTICAL SKILLS:** You will build vital transferable skills such as problem-solving, communication, digital skills, teamwork and networking.
- **OPTIONAL PLACEMENT YEAR:** Gain valuable experience in industry by taking an optional placement year between years two and three.
**WHAT YOU’LL COVER:**
You’ll spend 50% of your time on Mathematics and 50% on Computing. You will develop the skills you need to design, implement and test computer-robust and reliable programmes using the latest software, databases and programming languages.
We will introduce you to the topics of discrete and computational mathematics that support computing, such as set theory, logic and matrices. You will also learn the fundamental theories, concepts and practices of computer programming.
**HOW YOU’LL LEARN:**
Lectures are combined with tutorials to promote discussion, encourage a deeper understanding and develop your problem-solving skills. There is also a weekly drop-in clinic for students to receive one-to-one help and support from dedicated and understanding staff.
**YOUR CAREER:**
Follow in the footsteps of our high-flying graduates who have gone on to work for organisations such as the London Stock Exchange, Microsoft and IBM. Employers recognise and value the problem-solving, analytical and numerical skills and competences that our graduates can offer. You will therefore discover a wide range of career opportunities available to you. Career paths include banking, finance, business, IT or teaching to name but a few.
**STUDY OPTIONS:**
This course is also available without a Foundation Year.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Derby
Department of Computing and Mathematics
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
Mathematical sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£23k
£24k
£28k
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.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (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?
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