Entry requirements
A level
including Mathematics at grade A. If you place us as your Firm choice we will accept you with one grade lower than this, including accepting a B in Maths at A level. (e.g. BBC with Maths at B or ABD with Maths at either A or B).
Access to HE Diploma
including at least 12 level 3 credits in Mathematics. If you place us as your Firm choice we will accept you with 15 level 3 credits at Distinction and 30 level 3 credits at Merit, including at least 12 level 3 credits in Maths.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
including Mathematics at Grade D3. If you place us as your Firm choice we will accept you with one grade lower than this, including accepting a grade M2 in Maths. (e.g. M2, M2, M3 with Maths at M2).
Extended Project
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification provides to students for University study, we now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer. Eligible applicants would receive two offers, our usual offer plus an alternative offer of a B in the EPQ and one grade lower in their A level subjects.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths C (or 4), English Language or English Literature C (or 4).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
including Mathematics at grade 6 at Higher Level. If you place us as your Firm choice we will accept you with 28 points overall, including accepting Maths at grade 5 at Higher Level.
Scottish Higher
including Mathematics at grade A. If you place us as your Firm choice we will accept you with one grade lower than this, including accepting a B in Maths (e.g. BBBBB with Maths at B).
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Our BSc Mathematics is a well-rounded degree which can be tailored to meet your interests and is a stepping stone to a wide range of careers.
Mathematics plays a key role in many aspects of modern life, from technological development to data analysis. If you enjoy problem-solving, then this could be the ideal course for you. It will also enable you to develop a range of skills that are highly desired by employers, including mathematical computing, communication skills and teamwork.
During the first two years you will study the main aspects of mathematics and develop your knowledge in areas such as algebra, analysis, calculus and differential equations. In the second year you will also take a skills module, which is designed to improve your transferable skills and enhance your employability.
You will receive plenty of support to help you get the most out of your studies, including small group problem-solving tutorials and materials to help you manage the transition to university-level mathematics. You will also benefit from around 20 hours of contact time per week. Additionally, you can get involved with the Department's staff-student liaison committee, which enables you to have a direct input into the student experience.
In the final year of the degree you can develop your knowledge by exploring areas of interest in greater depth. The vast majority of modules in this year are optional and include subjects from subjects from both pure and applied mathematics, and statistics, such as number theory, cryptography, mathematical biology, numerical analysis and multivariate data analysis. During this year you will also carry out a project on a mathematical or statistical topic and produce a report and presentation on it.
This programme will meet the educational requirements of the Chartered Mathematician designation, awarded by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, when it is followed by subsequent training and experience in employment to obtain equivalent competences to those specified by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for taught masters degrees.
Placement
You may choose to carry out a summer placement in an area such as finance, statistics or modelling in order to gain an insight into industry and gain valuable experience.
Alternatively, you can opt to take the four-year version of this course, incorporating a year in industry. You will be given advice and support for finding the ideal placement, as well for writing a CV and improving your interview skills, by our dedicated placements officer.
As a four-year version of this course, you may also choose to study abroad for a year. See our study abroad page for more details.
Careers
Your mathematical knowledge – combined with computing, teamwork and presentation skills – will make you highly desirable to a range of employers.
You may choose to work as a mathematician or statistician for public sector organisations, such as health authorities or the Office for National Statistics, or areas of the private sector, including commerce and information technology. Furthermore, you can move into a range of related careers such as accountancy, financial analysis, engineering, modelling, computing or actuarial work. Recent students have gone on to work for leading organisations from a wide variety of sectors including PepsiCo, the BBC, the Bank of East Asia and BAE Systems.
Alternatively you can choose to further develop your skills by moving into research, teacher training or postgraduate studies.
Modules
Sample modules may include:
* Applied stochastic processes
* Statistical data science and machine learning
* Algebra
* Number theory
* Mathematical and statistical programming
Check our website for more details of the course structure.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Reading
School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences
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.
£25k
£27k
£31k
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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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).
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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