Mathematics with a Professional Placement Year (MMath)

at Cardiff University

Course structure

In each year of the Programme, you will take Modules to the value of 120 credits. The first two years are spent studying Mathematics. The third year is spent on industrial placement and you return to complete your degree in years four and five. 

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2022/2023 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2022.

Year one
You will take 120 credits in Mathematics. Most modules are compulsory but there is an element of choice allowing you to select between modules in Mechanics or Finance. The modules in Mathematics cover the foundational areas of Calculus, Algebra, Analysis, Computing, Statistics and Probability.

You’ll be required to pass all first year modules to be able to continue on the Professional Placement degree scheme.

Year two
There is a core of modules in Year Two that continue to build foundational knowledge in the areas of Calculus, Algebra and Analysis. There is a greater choice of optional modules in Year Two, including pure and applied mathematics, statistics and finance. Additionally the subject of operational research is introduced. The modules you select will inform the choices available to you in Years Four and Five.

You are required to achieve at least a 55% average to continue your studies onto Year Three of the MMath with Professional Placement scheme. Students who fail to achieve the 55% average will be transferred onto the BSc Mathematics with Professional Placement degree scheme.

To undertake a placement there is no additional requirement other than you must have passed at least 100 credits in Year Two before commencing a Placement.

You will have support to apply for a placement and they can be undertaken with a wide range of providers across industry and government including many in the professional and financial services, the pharmaceutical industry and organisations such as the Office for National Statistics. The responsibility for securing a placement rests with the student and a placement cannot be guaranteed. If a student does not obtain a placement, they will be transferred to the four year MMath Mathematics degree i.e. without placement.

Year three: Sandwich year
Year three is spent in salaried employment, working as a mathematician at an organisation in the UK or Europe.

When you are on placement, your work will be directly supervised by your placement provider. You will be working on real problems and using mathematics to produce results. You will also have close contact with our placement coordinators so they can discuss your progress and ensure you get the most out of the year. This will include visits as well as regular email contact.

Year four
The modules in year four are closely aligned to the research interests of the School. 120 credits of optional module are chosen. There are a broad range of modules available, enabling you to focus on areas of particular interest. There is a compulsory module in Functional and Fourier Analysis and your options are wide-ranging.

Year five
In year five the course develops research training and enhanced mathematical skills. There is also a major piece of project work, in which you will apply the knowledge and skills learnt in the first four years of the degree to tackle some practical or theoretical problems. There are a range of optional modules available in Pure and Applied Mathematics as well as some options in Statistics and Operational Research.

This gives you the opportunity to develop presentation and communication skills, in addition to applying your mathematical skills to a research topic of your choice

GCSE
Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.

IELTS (academic)
At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.

TOEFL iBT
At least 90 overall with minimum scores of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading and 20 for speaking.

PTE Academic
At least 62 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.

Trinity ISE II/III
II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits.
III: at least a Pass in all components.

Tuition fees for 2022 entry

Fees for home status

• £9,000    

Fees for overseas status

• £23,450

You can use your MMath as a pathway to the workforce where you may meet our alumni working in a variety of fields such as data science, operational research, internet technology, medicine, banking, logistics, risk management, and marketing. Or, you might choose to widen your career options to include a range of related fields by completing a PhD in mathematics, the sciences, computing or engineering.

Maths Careers Support

In the Spring semester of your first year, there is a range of masterclasses available to you to help support your future career prospects. The classes cover work experience, CV and covering letters, application forms, interview techniques, and an introduction to LinkedIn.

We have a regularly-updated student jobs board featuring a range of volunteering, internship, placement, and graduate opportunities. Plus, we organise a full programme of student and employer presentations every year with employers, such as Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, PwC, Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, Sainsburys, Network Rail, GSK, Office of National Statistics, Welsh Government, the MOD, Welsh Water, and the Met Office.

The School of Mathematics also has a Careers Management Skills Programme, presentations by students returning from industry and a range of sponsored prizes awarded for academic achievement.