Master of Science (Hons) in Mathematics Lancaster University, UK

Mathematics forms the foundations of all science and technology and as such is an extensive and rigorous discipline. Our integrated Master's programme reflects this and offers a comprehensive, detailed study through excellent teaching, taking your academic work to an advanced level.

Maths is difficult to concisely define, but at its core it is the study of change, patterns, quantities, structures and space. This engaging programme, and our reputation for excellence in research, means that we are able to offer high-quality teaching delivered by academics who are leaders in their field. Our four year integrated Master's gives you the opportunity for deeper specialisation in maths and the chance to develop your research skills by undertaking a dissertation or industry research project.

During your first year, you will build on your previous knowledge and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts. Modules cover a wide range of topics from calculus, probability and statistics to logic, proofs and theorems. As well as developing your technical knowledge and statistical skills, you will also enhance your data analysis, problem-solving and quantitative reasoning skills.

In the second year, you will further develop your knowledge in analysis, algebra, probability and statistics. You will also be introduced to Computational Mathematics, exploring the theory and application of computation and numerical problem-solving methods. While studying these topics, you will complete our Project Skills module, which provides you with the chance to enhance your research and employment skills through an individual and group project. Additionally, you will gain experience of scientific writing, and you will practise using statistical software such as R and LaTeX.

Beyond second year, we offer a wide range of specialist optional modules, allowing you to develop and drive the programme to suit your interests and guide you to a specific career pathway. In third year, you will put the skills and knowledge you have gained so far into practice as your study begins to really focus in on advanced topics, such as Combinatorics, Bayesian Inference, Medical Statistics, and Number Theory.

In the fourth year, you will be able to widen your knowledge and skills by selecting from a pool of optional Master's-level modules. Some of these will be familiar from third year, while others will be new to this year. These advanced modules allow you to exercise what you have learnt during the programme, while expanding and evolving your skill set further.

You will also complete a major research project in either pure maths or statistics, guided by your interests and supervised by an active researcher, or undertaken as part of a collaborative industry project. This will cement your learning, provide you with valuable experience and position you for a career in maths or academia and research.