Maths

By Emma Prest

Published: 13 August 2004

What do you come out with? BSc generally. At Cambridge, a BA.

Why do it? Because it gives you an instant aura of intelligence, and impresses friends and future employers. Because you were good at it at school. Because you like puzzles. Because there are no troublesome grey areas - you're either wrong or you're not. Because it's so difficult and it sets you apart from the rest of us innumerates.

What's it about? Most courses have a mix of pure maths (lots of theory) and applied (how maths relates to the rest of the world), although some institutions offer these as separate degrees. Generally you'll have to grapple with algebra, analysis, calculus, probability, statistics, logical reasoning, matrices and complex numbers. On the applied side at Keele you can look at areas like theoretical physics and mechanics, fluids, waves and acoustics. Nottingham Trent offers modules on information theory, dynamical system, integrals and operators and medical statistics. Manchester gives you a lot of choice. Only one third of what you study in the second year are compulsory core modules. The third year is completely up to you. If you do a fourth year you will do a large project. Manchester offer 18 different degree programmes. You can study maths with management, statistics and operational research or software engineering to name but a few. York offers the common core along with the chance to learn about mathematical writing

How long is a degree? Three years, or four in Scotland. Four at Keele if you combine it with a language and spend a year abroad. Four at Warwick if you opt for the Maths degree. Three (BSc) or four (MMath) at Manchester, York and most institutions.

What are the students like? Generally they're the sort of people who enjoy a challenge, and like honing their mind to razor-sharp perfection. They also tend to be more rational and logical than most of their peers. Attracts as many females as males at most institutions, although at Cambridge women are outnumbered by men at a ratio or three or four to one.

How is it packaged? Usually taught via a mix of exams and continuous assessment. At Keele, Herriot-Watt and Nottingham Trent you'll do a final year project on anything from the maths of neural networks or spinning tops to work on the genetic code or trying to find a winning formula for the stock market. Manchester is about 20 per cent coursework and 80 per cent exams; at York it's about 90 per cent exams.

How cool is it? Not particularly, especially as it's the subject most readily associated with precocious genius a la Ruth Lawrence. That said, raves have given a certain cachet to fractals and Mandelbrot sets.

What A-levels do you need? Maths, obviously. Another science wouldn't hurt.

What grades? Bath, Cambridge, University College London, Oxford, and Warwick require 3 A's or 360 points or more. Manchester, Southampton and York want ABB with an A in Maths.

Will you be interviewed? Yes at Cambridge and Herriot-Watt. Very likely at Manchester. Not at York.

Will it keep you off the dole? Yes, particularly if your life's ambition is to be an accountant or an actuary. The financial sector soaks up a lot of the more ambitious maths graduates. Also useful as a greencard into the computer industry. Nearly half of all Cambridge graduates go on to further study.

What do students say? Amy Merrill, 22, who studied for Maths BSc at York. "As a whole I really enjoyed it. You could choose if you wanted to do more stats or more mechanics. It wasn't a totally serious atmosphere. You could have a good laugh with the staff! I am now about to do a PGCE to become a maths teacher."

Where's best for teaching? Bath and Birmingham scored 24 out of 24. City, Sheffield Hallam, Bristol, Cambridge, East Anglia, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sussex scored 23. LSE, Oxford Brookes, Queen's Belfast, UMIST, Brighton, Exeter, Keele, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Portsmouth, Reading, Canterbury Christchurch, University College, Chester College of Higher Education and York scored 22.

Where's best for research? In pure maths, Cambridge, Imperial College, Oxford and Edinburgh got a top-rated 5*; Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, East Anglia, King's College, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, UMIST, Newcastle, Nottingham, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, Southampton, UCL, Warwick, York, Aberdeen, Glasgow, St Andrews, Swansea and Cardiff got 5.

In applied maths, Bath, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Imperial and Warwick got a 5*; Birmingham, Brunel, Exeter, Keele, Kent at Canterbury, King's College, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Surrey, Sussex, UCL, York, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot-Watt, St Andrews and Strathclyde got a 5.

Where's the cutting edge? Keele is big on health and medical statistics and geophysical fluid dynamics, looking at the movement of ice caps and oceans and how they affect the environment. Herriot-Watt has a research centre in maths in medicine, and is renowned for its work on computer-assisted learning. At Manchester its biological mathematics.

Who are the stars? Cambridge has Stephen Hawking and John Barrow (cosmology), Tim Gowers, Alan Baker, Richard Borcherds (all field medallists). Warwick boasts Professor Ian Stewart, whose publications include an analysis of the science involved in Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Vassili Kolokoltsov and Professor David Applebaum, (probability theory) at Nottingham Trent. Professor Douglas Quinney (computer aided learning) at Keele. Professor Jonathan Sherratt, (maths in medicine) and Sergei Kuksin (theory of turbulence) at Herriot-Watt. Professors Ed Corrigan, Maurice Dodson, and Tony Sudbery at York.

Related courses: Keele, which worries about turning out people who can only grunt, runs a dual honours system so you can do maths with just about anything else even ancient history; the more canny combine it with commerce or business studies for extra CV clout. At Warwick you can partner it up with physics, statistics, business and computer science, and at Herriot-Watt with physics, computer science, applied mechanics, education, finance, economics or a European language. Nottingham Trent offers maths with engineering or sports science. At York you can study it with linguistics, education, economics etc. They are launching a new degree in maths and finance this October 2004. If you combine it with computer science you can spend a year in industry or alternatively spend a year in Europe on the Maths BSc or Maths and Physics BSc.

Added value: Keele offers a popular option on games theory, which looks at the maths involved in winning and bargaining. Nottingham Trent offers a sandwich year out in industry, taken up by a lot of maths students, particularly those with good computing skills. Warwick will make an offer to any student who applies for maths. After the first year at Warwick you need only do 50 per cent maths you can take your pick of options from other faculties but still come out with a maths single honours degree at the end of it.