Mathematics with Placement Year MMath

The University of Sheffield

This course is a chance for you to put your numerical skills into practice in the real world, and build up skills and experience that you can apply to the final years of your degree and a career in research. Our students have worked in finance roles at major corporations and applied their analysis skills to data science jobs in the civil service as part of their degree.

We have a small but focused number of modules in first year, that cover all the essentials you’ll need for the rest of your degree. You can develop programming skills using Python and R, that can be applied to lots of jobs that involve data. You’ll learn to use the typesetting software LaTeX, which mathematicians and statisticians use to present their work.

In your second year, you’ll continue to build a powerful toolbox of mathematical techniques that you can apply to increasingly complex problems. There is less compulsory maths and more options, so as well as calculus and algebra, you can study topics including differential equations, the mechanics of motion in fluids and solids, statistical modelling and computer simulations.

Some module options include more project work. This gives you the chance to put your mathematics skills into practice in different contexts and scenarios that you might encounter when you start work after graduation. A module on careers development gives you the chance to find out about different career paths, learn about potential employers, write an impressive CV and sell yourself at job interviews.

By the third year, you’ll have the skills, knowledge and experience to go in lots of different directions in mathematics. We’ll give you lots of optional modules to choose from, so you can study the topics that are most useful to the career path you want to take or that you enjoy the most.

Your fourth year will be your placement year. When you return to Sheffield for your final year, you’ll have another wide range of optional modules to choose from. You’ll also spend a third of your time working on your own research project. You’ll choose a topic in an area of mathematics that interests you, and work closely with one of our staff who is an expert in the field. You’ll write up your findings and give a presentation about what you’ve learned, which is great experience to add to your CV.