Mathematics MA (Honours) 2022 entry

The MA (Hons) in Mathematics will teach you to understand complex patterns and structures, and develop the tools with which to analyse them. Whether these patterns relate to physical or biological phenomena or the structure of mathematics itself, the primary aim is to describe, categorise, and understand the processes involved.

Mathematics students will acquire the analytical techniques, clear logical thinking and deductive reasoning necessary to explore some of these fascinating areas of research.

Mathematics is studied up to Honours level in both Faculty of Arts (MA) and the Faculty of Science (BSc). Students who have a background in the Arts or who wish to study Mathematics alongside Arts subjects at St Andrews should apply for the MA. For those interested in studying Mathematics alongside science subjects, the BSc in Mathematics may be of interest instead. The BSc and MA degree programmes are mathematically identical.

Accreditation

The MA in Mathematics is accredited by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

How to apply Register your interest

UCAS code

G102

Course type

Master of Arts (single Honours degree)

Course duration

Four years full time

Start date: 5 September 2022
End date: 30 June 2026

Entry requirements

These grades are the overall standards required to consider you for entry. Find out more about Standard and Minimum entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.

- Standard entry grades: AAAAB, including A in Mathematics
- Minimum entry grades: AABB, including A in Mathematics
- Standard entry grades: A*A*A, including A* in Mathematics
- Minimum entry grades: A*AB, including A* in Mathematics
- Standard entry grades: 38 (HL 6,6,6), including HL6 in Mathematics
- Minimum entry grades: 36 (HL 6,5,5), including HL6 in Mathematics

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes, please see our entry requirements for more information.

For degrees combining more than one subject, the subject with the higher entry requirements determines the grades you need. You will also need to meet any further subject-specific entrance requirements as outlined on their pages.

International applicants

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. Find out more about English language requirements.

How to apply

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

Yes, applicants are expected to have studied Mathematics at SQA Higher, GCE A-Level, or equivalent.

General entry requirements

All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.

SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computing science
- Geography
- Lifeskills Mathematics (A grade)
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology.
GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computing Science
- Geography
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology.

Other qualifications

More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.

Applying for a mathematics or statistics degree

Mathematics and Statistics at St Andrews is very popular, and the University is unable to make an offer to every applicant who meets or exceeds the entry requirements. The University seeks to recruit students who are enthusiastic about mathematics and possess the demonstrated potential to be successful.

Entry requirements are the same for all single Honours degrees in mathematics and statistics, and the chance of receiving an offer does not depend on the degree or entry point applied for.

Decisions are primarily based on mathematical ability and potential, as demonstrated by school qualifications and position in class or year. The School of Mathematics and Statistics does not use results from MAT or STEP.

Applicants should, therefore, include as much detail about their mathematics results as possible on their application if available:

Highers: band attained as well as the grade, and ideally the percentage attained for Higher Mathematics.
A-Levels: grades obtained in each of the mathematics modules taken to date, if any.
For guidance on other entry qualifications, please see entry requirements.

If possible, applicants should include their rank within their year and any awards they have won at school. Applicants should ask their referees to also include this information in their reference.

Applicants should also include any extra-curricular mathematical and scientific accomplishments. This can include, for example, competition results (for example, Maths Challenge and Olympiads) or previous university-level experience (for example, from summer programmes).

Reputation

The School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of St Andrews has a reputation for the high quality of its teaching. It was ranked first in Scotland for Mathematics in the Guardian University Guide 2022 and in the Complete University Guide 2022.

The School is ranked second in Scotland for research, with more than 91% of the research output by staff in the School rated as internationally excellent or world-leading in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.

The University of St Andrews as a whole was voted top in the UK for student academic experience in The National Student Survey 2021. More than 93% of St Andrews final-year students gave the University top marks for the quality of the learning and teaching experience.

Video transcript

- If you're thinking of applying to St Andrews, you definitely should.

It's so rewarding. There are so many things you can do here.

Although it's a small town, the opportunities are completely endless.

>>FIONA: St Andrew's location is stunning. A small seaside town on the east coast of Scotland.

>>PROFESSOR JUDITH WOLFE: Close enough to places like Edinburgh, and frankly to all of Europe. We are connected while also being our own place.

>>HENRY: For me, the best thing about St Andrews is the fact that it's such a small town, but yet it's got so many different opportunities within it.

>>THOMAS: Whether it's the societies or the sports clubs that you can get involved with. It's so much more than just academia.

>>DR JAMES RAE: St Andrews is a fantastic place to study because you get a university that has a strong research focus, but it's also a university that really values its teaching. We do that through having small class sizes, and through, I think, a really, a kind of strong community feel.

>>AABIYAH: The lecturers are really, really helpful. There's not this kind of hierarchy or anything. Everyone's really, really friendly and everyone's really trying to help out.

>>PROFESSOR KISHAN DHOLAKIA: Why does a person go to University? They want to expand their mind. They want to push the boundaries of what they know from a personal level and an academic level. It's not just education, it's research. Because they want to go to a place that is pushing the frontiers of human knowledge.

>>DR DHARINI BALASUBRAMANIAM: We look for people who are willing to question what they are taught and willing to explore their subject in depth.

- We want people who are curious, who are motivated, who want to understand the world around them, and then apply that to make ideally the world a better place.

>>PROFESSOR CLARE PEDDIE: The University degree at St Andrews reflects the Scottish degree system. Students coming into first and second year can take subjects outside their intended degree specialisation and then specialise in their degree subjects in third, and fourth, and possibly fifth year.

- It just offers an opportunity to explore new subjects and it's kind of changed my way of thinking.

>>MARKUS: It really helped me to just explore different things and try out everything.

- St Andrews has a really big feel.

-You really get to know everyone. You see a lot of people that you know and you recognise.

>>RACHEL: Hall life plays such a big part in St Andrews. Living in halls has such a wonderful atmosphere.

>>SHUTONG: It is a really tight community.

- You get a lot of different students, you get to meet a lot of different people which you normally wouldn't meet.

- We come from very different educational backgrounds, so, therefore, we're all gonna have a different point of view. So, you know, you're not gonna have people that agree with you all the time or they're gonna pick up on things that you don't necessarily pick up on.

>>DR STEPHEN TYRE: With a St Andrews degree you can almost do anything because the skills that you learn here are attractive to employers.

>>PROFESSOR FRANK LORENZ MULLER: Our students go into all kinds of professional careers, whether that's the law, whether that's financial services, whether that's civil service or government. Many of them also go into further study.

- Our students tend to be in great demand from employers. We have companies that see character in graduates.

- The skills that students get here allow our students to be successful at getting jobs, and they seem to be equipped very well for a wide range of jobs.

- If you're thinking of applying, do it. Absolutely do it. It's been one of the best decisions that I've made.

>>SARA: St Andrews really isn't a place to be afraid of, but going to college is scary, because you don't know what you're gonna have when you get there, but it's really great here because it's so easy to feel like you have everything.

Course information

The MA (Hons) in Mathematics is a four-year course run by the School of Mathematics and Statistics. The School also offers a BSc in Mathematics; the mathematics element within both the MA and BSc degree programmes is exactly the same.

In the first two years, you will develop and reinforce your basic mathematical skills and refresh familiar material (for example, complex numbers, matrices, vectors, differential equations) in preparation for more specialist study at Honours level.

Alongside Mathematics, in the first year of your studies, you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year you will usually carry on at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about how academic years are organised.

At Honours level, students may select modules from a range of options on advanced and specialist specific topics. Specialist subject areas may include:

abstract analysis
fluid dynamics
group theory
history of mathematics
mathematical biology
statistical ecology
statistical inference.

Final-year students must also complete a project on a topic chosen in consultation with teaching staff at the School of Mathematics and Statistics.

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure web page.

Modules

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours) you will take the required modules in Mathematics alongside modules in at least one other subject.

Typically, you will take a total of three or four modules per semester during your first two years, and four modules per semester during your third and fourth year (known as Honours).

Find out more about the modular Scottish degree system.

Students will take between one and three first-year modules in mathematics. There is one core compulsory module, 'Mathematics', that can be studied in either semester.

Mathematics: introduces the ideas and techniques required for further study of mathematics or applications to other sciences.

Students who do not possess at least a B at Advanced Higher or A-Level Mathematics will need to take 'Introductory Mathematics' in their first semester before taking the compulsory 'Mathematics' module. This option is popular for students on different degree routes who wish to study Mathematics.

Introductory Mathematics: designed for students who do not meet the entry requirements for the first-year 'Mathematics' module. Provides a secure base in elementary calculus.

First-year students can, in addition, take one or both of the optional modules in Pure and Applied Mathematics as well the module 'Statistics in Practice':

Mathematics and Statistics sub-honours (1000 and 2000 level) modules 2020-21 (PDF)

Students will take between four and eight modules from the following selection depending on their chosen degree path.

Abstract Algebra: explores the key concepts of modern abstract algebra: groups, rings and fields.
Analysis: introduces key concepts of real analysis: limit, continuity and differentiation.
Combinatorics and Probability: introduces counting techniques for finite structures and the behaviour of random variables.
Linear Mathematics: introduces the theory of vector spaces, linear independence, linear transformations and diagonalisation.
Mathematical Modelling: investigates the translation of physical problems into mathematics.
Multivariate Calculus: extends the techniques of calculus in a single variable to the setting of real functions of several variables.
Statistical Inference: introduces techniques for drawing inferences about population characteristics from observed data.
Vector Calculus: introduces the theory of scalar and vector fields and associated techniques for the modelling of problems arising in the physical world.

Mathematics and Statistics sub-honours (1000 and 2000 level) modules 2020-21 (PDF)

In the third and fourth years, you choose from a wide variety of advanced options. Here is a sample of Honours modules which have been offered in previous years:

Bayesian Inference
Classical Mechanics
Fractal Geometry
Groups
Linear and Nonlinear Waves
Real and Abstract Analysis
Sampling Theory
Solar Theory

In your third and fourth (Honours) years, you will choose from a range of 3000-level, 4000-level and (optionally) 5000-level modules. Here are the modules offered in previous years:

In your final year, you also undertake a project on a topic chosen in consultation with the teaching staff at the School of Mathematics and Statistics. You will be required to investigate the topic, submit a report and give a presentation.

The compulsory modules listed here must be taken in order to graduate in this subject. However, most students at St Andrews take additional modules, either in their primary subject or from other subjects they are interested in. For Honours level, students choose from a range of Honours modules, some of which are listed above. A full list of all modules appropriate to the programme for the current academic year can be found in the programme requirements.

Teaching

Teaching format

In first year, teaching for each module centres on a daily lecture (100 to 300 students) and a weekly small group tutorial (8 to 12 students) where students undertake exercises and discuss each week’s topics. In addition, computer labs (25 to 60 students) are held once a week for each module to assist with both computing and problem-solving skills.

In second year, each module typically comprises five lectures (100 to 300 students), one tutorial (8 to 12 students), and one examples class (25 to 60 students) per fortnight. Half of the modules also feature computer lab sessions (25 to 60 students).

You will develop increasing independence and initiative as you progress through your degree programme so that by third and fourth year the average teaching load drops to around ten hours of lectures and four tutorials per week, supplemented by private study.

When not attending lectures, tutorials and computer labs, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve:

preparing coursework assignments
working on individual and group projects
undertaking research in the library
preparing for examinations.

You will be taught by an experienced teaching team with expertise and knowledge of mathematics. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of tutorials, examples classes and computing classes under the supervision of the module leader.

You can find contact information for all Mathematics staff on the School of Mathematics and Statistics website.

In addition to your studies in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, optional academic support is available through practical study skills courses and workshops hosted within the University.

The University’s student services team can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities web page.

Assessment

Progress is monitored through tutorial assignments, and sub-honours modules are assessed by a balanced combination of coursework and written exams. At Honours level modules may be assessed by written examination alone or a combination of written examination and coursework.

Examinations are held at the end of each semester during a dedicated exam diet with revision time provided beforehand.

The School aims to provide feedback on every assessment within three weeks to help you improve on future assessments.

Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements. Please note that some Schools offer qualified entry to Honours, and this will be clearly specified in the programme requirements. To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.

Meet us online

If you're interested in studying at St Andrews, join us on a visiting day or online information session to find out about our courses, how to apply, and to meet current students.

Virtual visiting days

Fees

Tuition fees for entry

Home-funded	£1820
RUK (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) and Republic of Ireland	£9250
Islands (Channel Islands, Isle of Man)	£9250
EU and overseas	£26350

For overseas students, tuition fees will be fixed at this level for the duration of your programme.

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.

Joint Honours degrees

You can take the Mathematics MA as part of a joint Honours degree alongside one of the following subjects.

Special joint degree notes

The joint option with Psychology can also be taken as a degree programme with British Psychological Society accreditation.

Joint degrees taken with Arabic, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish are also available 'With Integrated Year Abroad'.

In taking a joint degree, you are required to take core modules in all of your subjects. Find out more about joint degrees.

Alternative joint degree options are available for the BSc in Mathematics.

"With" degrees

You can take the Mathematics MA as part of a "with" Honours degree in which the majority of the course deals with the first named subject.

"With" degrees taken with Russian or Spanish are also available 'With Integrated Year Abroad'.

In taking a "with" degree, you are required to take core modules in all of your subjects. Find out more about joint degrees.

Alternative "with" degree options are available for the BSc in Mathematics.

Your future

Careers

Demand for mathematically trained graduates vastly outstrips the supply, and hence career prospects are excellent in a variety of fields.

Recruiters seek numerate graduates who are literate, think logically, write and present well, and can work with relevant technology – St Andrews degrees develop all of these skills.

A mathematics degree is recognised as a substantial achievement in a demanding discipline.

Around 30% of St Andrews graduates continue on to postgraduate study, either in mathematics or related disciplines such as computer science, finance, or physics.

The majority of the remaining graduates gain employment in areas such as:

technology firms or computer consultancies
financial services organisations (for example, Goldman Sachs, KPMG, and PwC)
industry
insurance companies
merchant banks
the civil service
teaching.

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

Study abroad

Mathematics students can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site.

Student life

The University of St Andrews offers an array of events and opportunities which result in a truly unique student experience. Students participate in a range of traditions, notably, the red academic gown and the academic family, where older students adopt first-year students as ‘children’ and help guide them in a system of mentoring. These traditions, and the choice of over 150 sports clubs and student societies to choose from, ensure a community feel amongst students from first year onwards.

Mathematics students may be interested in joining the Mathematical Society (SUMS), a society dedicated to bringing people together who are interested in maths. They hold regular socials and informative talks from guest speakers.

The School of Mathematics and Statistics is currently located across two sites – the Mathematical Institute on the North Haugh and the Scott Lang Building at the Observatory. Most of the mathematics staff and research students can be found at the Mathematical Institute.

The town of St Andrews itself has lots to offer. As University buildings are located throughout the town, walking around you encounter ancient and modern buildings, parks and beaches, providing a rich, beautiful backdrop to learning. Find out more about the town of St Andrews.

Find out more about student life at the University of St Andrews.

“The School provides plenty of opportunities for you to get involved with maths beyond lectures and tutorials. There are optional talks, research scholarships, mentoring and study support schemes and dedicated social events. St Andrews has an impressive number of sports clubs, music groups and societies, which means that there is always something to do when you are taking a break from studying.”

Tom (Dijon, France)

Contact

School of Mathematics and Statistics
University of St Andrews
Mathematical Institute
North Haugh
St Andrews
KY16 9SS

Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 3744
Email: maths@st-andrews.ac.uk

School of Mathematics and Statistics website

Policies

Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our admissions policy.

Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online.

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online.

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