Mathematics and Philosophy

Uncover the fundamental workings of the universe and develop a high-level of reasoning through our exciting and challenging programme. While studying mathematics and philosophy, you will gain a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience, preparing you for your chosen career.

Maths and philosophy are both difficult to concisely define, but at their core, they are concerned with the underlying workings and meaning of the universe. Maths is the study of change, patterns, quantities, structures and space, while philosophy is concerned with fundamental problems in topics such as knowledge and reason.

Over the three years, you will be able to draw on expertise from two specialist departments: Mathematics and Statistics; and Politics, Philosophy and Religion. This is an engaging programme of study 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.

In Year 1, 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 mathematical skills, you will also enhance your data analysis, problem-solving and quantitative reasoning skills. Our ‘Introduction to Philosophy‘ module provides the key themes in the study of philosophy. Consciously drawing on a broad range of philosophical traditions -- Continental, Analytic, and non-Western -- it aims to present a comprehensive overview of various theoretical sub-disciplines within philosophy, but also to equip you with the ability to reason and think clearly about the most fundamental questions of human existence.

In the second year, you will further develop your knowledge in complex and real analysis, and abstract and linear algebra. These highly analytical topics will complement your study of philosophy, which will really begin to expand and develop this year. You will be able to choose from a range of philosophy modules which will allow you to build a solid repertoire of philosophy knowledge and analytical skills.

Our final year offers you the chance to choose from a wide range of specialist modules, allowing you to develop the programme further to suit your interests and guide you to a specific career pathway. These topics include: Combinatorics; Lebesgue Integration; and Representation Theory of Finite Groups, as well as exciting philosophy modules such as Aesthetics, Continental Philosophy, and Moral, Legal and Political Philosophy.