Mathematics for Finance and Management
Entry requirements
A level
112-120 points from 2 or 3 A levels, including 40 points from Mathematics.
112-122 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma (Mathematics based).
Cambridge Pre-U score of 54-56, to include a Principal Subject in Mathematics at M2.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English and Mathematics/3 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English and Mathematics.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
29 points from the IB Diploma. 655/754 at Higher Level, to include 6 points from Higher Level Mathematics - 29 points from the IB Diploma. 664 at Higher Level, to include 6 points from Higher Level Mathematics.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H3,H3,H3,H3,H3
To include Higher Level Mathematics at H3.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
112-120 points to include 40 points from A level Mathematics.
112-120 Tariff points to include 40 points from Advanced Level Mathematics.
UCAS Tariff
112-120 points from 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including 40 points from Mathematics.
112-120 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 2 A levels one of which must be Mathematics at grade B, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**This is a Connected Degree**
Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.
**Overview**
Prepare for the fast-paced world of finance, investment analysis, marketing and business management by developing sought-after skills in data-driven decision making, operational research and mathematical modelling. Graduate with the confidence to lead on innovative strategies and lead companies to success.
On this BSc (Hons) Mathematics for Finance and Management degree course, you'll specialise in mathematical analysis and modelling used by finance professionals to track investments and forecast revenue, ensuring companies can make informed decisions to grow their profits. You'll develop the applied maths skills used by senior management to set financial plans and budgets that keep businesses competitive in their market and get a solid foundation in corporate financial management and derivative pricing, setting yourself up for a senior role managing business finances and accounts.
**Course highlights**
- Develop your knowledge of fundamental topics such as algebra, financial management, calculus and quantitative supply chain management
- Choose specialist modules that match your interests and career ambitions, such as statistical methods in health research, advanced corporate financial management, astrophysics and decision modelling
- Learn to use industry-standard mathematical, statistical and operational research software
- Get access to our Bloomberg Suite, set up to simulate the system used by 250,000 international finance professionals to monitor and analyse real-time financial market data
- Apply your skills on optional work placements in the community, such as assisting math teachers in local schools
**Careers and opportunities**
A degree in mathematics shows that you have the ability to think analytically in many different areas of business and conveys an intellectual maturity that many employers look for when they hire staff.
You'll graduate with the skills and understanding to work in many related areas, including:
- statistics
- finance
- mathematical modelling
- teaching
- government research
- marketing
Our graduates have worked for companies such as:
- Peters & May Logistics
- Global Freight Solutions
- CBRE Group
- Wates Group
- Heathrow Airport Limited
Our graduates now work in roles including:
- trainee chartered accountant
- revenue development analyst
- finance management trainee
- commercial finance analyst
- maths teacher
Other graduates have continued their studies at postgraduate level or set up successful businesses with help and support from the University.
**Placement year (optional)**
Taking an optional placement year gives you the experience you need to increase your chances of landing your perfect role after graduation. You could work in a paid role in a professional organisation (our students earn an average salary of £19,000 during their placements) or set up your own business, giving you the chance to grow your professional network and enhance your CV.
We'll give you all the support you need to find a placement that prepares you for your career, and we'll continue to mentor you throughout your placement.
You could take on placement roles such as:
- commercial estimator
- statistician
- researcher
You could secure a placement at organisations such as:
- BAE Systems
- JP Morgan
- Natwest Bank
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Calculus I – 20 credits
- Computational Mathematics – 20 credits
- Linear Algebra – 20 credits
- Mathematical Foundations – 20 credits
- Mathematical Models – 20 credits
- Statistical Theory and Methods I – 20 credits
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Applications of Mathematics and Graduate Skills – 20 credits
- Calculus II – 20 credits
- Corporate Financial Management – 20 credits
- Mathematics for Finance – 20 credits
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Algebraic Structures & Discrete Mathematics - 20 credits
- Mechanics and Dynamics - 20 credits
- Modern Foreign Language (Institution-wide Language Programme) – 20 credits
- Numerical Analysis – 20 credits
- Operational Research – 20 credits
- Real and Complex Analysis – 20 credits
- Statistical Theory & Methods II – 20 credits
- Universe: Planetary Systems, Stars and Galaxies - 20 credits
Placement year (optional)
After your second year, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry. Students have previously completed placements at organisations such as Lockheed Martin and IBM. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
- Financial Derivative Pricing – 20 credits
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Advanced Corporate Financial Management – 20 credits
- Advanced Decision Modelling – 20 credits
- Introduction to General Relativity and Cosmology – 20 credits
- Modern Astrophysics 1 – 20 credits
- Nonlinear Dynamics – 20 credits
- Partial Differential Equations and their Applications – 20 credits
- Project – 20 credits
- Quantitative Supply Chain Management – 20 credits
- Statistical Learning – 20 credits
- Statistics Methods in Health Research & Social Science – 20 credits
- Stochastic Processes – 20 credits
- Undergraduate Ambassador – 20 credits
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through:
- examinations
- written coursework
- multiple-choice tests
- presentations
- mini projects
- a major piece of supervised independent work
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
- Year 1 students: 65% by written exams and 35% by coursework
- Year 2 students: 55% by written exams, 7% by practical exams and 38% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 62% by written exams, 2% by practical exams and 36% by coursework
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Technology
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Mathematics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Mathematics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Want to feel needed? This is one of the most flexible degrees of all and with so much of modern work being based on data, there are options everywhere for maths graduates. With all that training in handling figures, it's hardly surprising that a lot of maths graduates go into well-paid jobs in the IT or finance industries, and last year, a maths graduate in London could expect a very respectable average starting salary of £27k. And we're always short of teachers in maths, so that is an excellent option for anyone wanting to help the next generation. And if you want a research job, you'll want a doctorate — and a really good maths doctorate will get you all sorts of interest from academia and finance — and might secure some of the highest salaries going for new leavers from university.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Mathematics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£21k
£28k
£34k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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