MA Philosophy and Mathematics

Year 1

Philosophy

You will study:

• Morality and Value
• Logic 1

These courses introduce you to key topics in morality and ethics and the nature of argument.

Mathematics

You will also take:

• Introduction to Linear Algebra
• Calculus and its Applications
• Proofs and Problem Solving

These will allow you to build on your knowledge of pure mathematics and will introduce you to the more rigorous ways of mathematical thinking required at university level.

Option courses

You can also choose to take one of:

• Greats: From Plato to the Enlightenment
• Philosophy of Science 1
• Introduction to Data Science

Some students will also take our online course, Fundamentals of Algebra and Calculus. This introductory course provides extra preparation in key topics from more advanced high school-level mathematics and supports the transition to university.

Support

You will receive support from the MathsBase, our popular walk-in help centre, and from our Mathematics Student Support Team.

Year 1 students will also have the option of taking part in the peer-assisted learning scheme, MathPALs.

Year 2

Philosophy

In philosophy, you will take two courses:

• Mind, Matter and Language
• Knowledge and Reality

Mathematics

You will also take:

• Several Variable Calculus and Differential Equations
• Fundamentals of Pure Mathematics

Option courses

You can also choose to take other philosophy or mathematics courses, or further courses related to the field.

Support

From this year onwards you can use the MathsHub, our student-run facility in the James Clerk Maxwell Building, which is both a social centre and a work space.

Year 3

You will start to specialise. You will choose from a range of courses linked to our areas of expertise.

Philosophy

In philosophy, courses include topics related to the major areas of the subject.

Mathematics

You will study two compulsory mathematics Honours courses, and will have the option to start to specialise within your degree.

You will be able to choose from:

• Honours Algebra
• Honours Analysis
• Honours Complex Variables
• Honours Differential Equations

Our Honours mathematics courses provide an excellent grounding in advanced mathematics, and will prepare you for the options available later in your programme.

Each of these Honours courses contain a skills component, enabling you to develop valuable employability skills such as:

• programming
• group work
• presentation skills

Current optional mathematics courses include:

• Financial Mathematics
• Introduction to Number Theory
• Statistical Computing

Year 4

You will choose another four to six courses from a wide variety available.

You will also complete either a project in mathematics or a dissertation in philosophy.

Philosophy

In philosophy, the dissertation can be taken as either:

• an independent dissertation on a philosophy topic of your choice, or
• a coursework dissertation through two extended essays in philosophy

Mathematics

Our mathematics course selection is influenced by our varied research interests in the School. As a result, we offer a large selection of courses in:

• pure mathematics
• applied mathematics
• statistics
• operational research
• financial mathematics
• mathematical biology
• mathematical education

You will be able to follow a programme that suits your particular interests and career aspirations.

Current courses include:

• General Topology
• Symmetry and Geometry
• Stochastic Modelling
• Mathematical Education
• Entrepreneurship in the Mathematical Sciences

Our facilities

The majority of philosophy teaching takes place at facilities located within the University's Central Area.

In Year 1, mathematics classes typically take place in the University's Central Area. In subsequent years, mathematics teaching will take place at the King's Buildings campus, often in the James Clerk Maxwell Building where the School of Mathematics is located.

Please note that your subjects will be taught on different campuses from Year 2 onwards, and so you may need to travel between campuses for classes.

MathsBase and MathsHub

In addition to the University's extensive libraries and computer facilities, you will have access to the School of Mathematics’ facilities, MathsBase and MathsHub.

MathsBase is a large study space in the Central Area for students studying mathematics in Year 1. As well as lots of desk space and whiteboard walls, it is home to our walk-in help centre where you can get help from a tutor, as well as our peer-assisted learning scheme, MathPALS.

MathsHub is in the James Clark Maxwell Building and is for mathematics students in Years 2 and above. It is a suite of three rooms, including a common room style space and a kitchen, as well as more traditional study space.

Take a closer look at all our facilities on the University’s Virtual Visit site

Study abroad

There are opportunities to study abroad in Year 3 through international exchange programmes.

What are my options for going abroad?

How will I learn?

Philosophy

Philosophy courses are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials.

Mathematics

Lectures

In Year 1, mathematics lectures are usually interactive: lecturers use online voting systems and encourage small group discussion to improve your understanding of core material.

Lectures in later years follow a more 'traditional' lecturing style but do occasionally incorporate the voting system.

Workshops

Mathematics lectures are also supported by workshops, our small-group teaching sessions.

These sessions are to give you an opportunity to practise applying the concepts learnt in lectures and develop your understanding further.

You will work with 5-6 other students, and a tutor will be on hand to answer questions and support you.

Collaborative work outside of lectures

We encourage students to work collaboratively outside of lectures as well. We provide spaces such as the MathsBase and MathsHub to enable this.

First year students also have the option of taking part in our peer-assisted learning scheme, MathPALS, and of making use of our drop-in tutor sessions in the MathsBase.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed by a mixture of coursework and exams.

In Year 4, you will also complete either an independent dissertation on a topic of your choice, or a coursework dissertation through two extended essays.

Studying a joint honours programme enables you to develop a wider range of transferable skills, and opens up more varied employment opportunities.

Philosophy

The philosophy courses you study throughout your programme will provide you with the analytical and critical-thinking skills that are highly valued in the workplace.

Previous graduates have gone on to work in:

• education
• commerce
• journalism
• finance
• law
• computing

Some graduates also choose to continue with their studies and pursue a research or academic career.

Mathematics

During the mathematics portion of your degree, you will develop logical, analytic, programming and data analysis abilities, together with presentation and practical problem-solving skills. These are highly sought-after by employers.

Many recent mathematics graduates have been employed by large firms in the financial sector. Others have gone into fields including:

• software engineering
• logistics
• education
• the civil service

Opportunities to develop skills at the University

There are many opportunities within the University for you to develop your skills and enhance your CV.

You can:

• become a Student Ambassador to enthuse prospective students
• work with the wider community as a member of the Mathematics Outreach Team
• apply for a project scholarship to work with a university lecturer during the summer

The School of Mathematics regularly invites alumni back to the School to share their experiences with students and to showcase the breadth of careers available to graduates with a maths background.

You will also be able to access the School of Mathematics' weekly employability events, including:

• presentations from industry employers
• alumni careers showcases
• useful workshops to help you prepare for applying to internships, jobs and further study

Standard entry requirement

The standard entry requirement is:

• SQA Highers: AAAAA-AAAA (achievement by end of S5 preferred). BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: A*AB - A*BB.
• IB: 37 points with 666 at HL - 34 points with 655 at HL.

Minimum entry requirement

The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

• SQA Highers: AABB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: A*BB.
• IB: 34 points with 655 at HL.

More information for widening access applicants

Required subjects

The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

• SQA: Highers: Mathematics at A or Advanced Higher Mathematics at B. Higher Applications of Mathematics is not accepted in place of Higher Mathematics. Sixth-year work in Mathematics is recommended. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. National 5s: English at C. (Revised 2 May 2022 to include requirement for recent study of Mathematics.)

• A Levels: Mathematics at A*. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. GCSEs: English at C or 4. (Revised 2 May 2022 to include requirement for recent study of Mathematics.)

• IB: HL: Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 6. Your Mathematics qualifications must have been achieved no more than two academic years prior to entry. SL: English at 5. (Revised 2 May 2022 to include requirement for recent study of Mathematics.)

Find out more about entry requirements

International applicants

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

Mature applicants

We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.

Mature applicant qualifications

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

SQA, GCSE and IB

For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:

• SQA National 5 at C
• SQA Standard Grade at 3
• GCSE at C or 4
• Level 2 Certificate at C
• IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 162 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 54 in each component.

We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.

English language qualifications must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the degree you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

English language requirements

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Please note that some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for MA Philosophy and Mathematics

Additional costs

You should expect to purchase necessary textbooks for some compulsory and optional components of your programme.

Funding

For more information on how much it will cost to study with us and the financial support available see our fees and funding information.

Fees and funding

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