Mathematics (Including Foundation Year)

Our BSc Mathematics (including foundation year) is open to Home and EU students. It will be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entrance requirements for the three-year version of this course and you want a programme that increases your subject knowledge as well as improves your English language and academic skills.

This four-year course includes a foundation year (Year Zero), followed by a further three years of study. During your Year Zero, you study four academic subjects relevant to your chosen course as well as a compulsory English language and academic skills module.

You are an Essex student from day one, a member of our global community based at the most internationally diverse campus university in the UK.

After successful completion of Year Zero in our Essex Pathways Department, you progress to complete your course with the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

Mathematics provides the logical foundations on which all of science, engineering and technology are built. Our BSc Mathematics course gives you the chance to study both fundamental topics and their modern applications, including:

Pure mathematics, including geometry, algebra, analysis and number theory

Applied topics such as mathematical physics, cryptography, mathematical modelling, differential equations and dynamical systems

Statistical, financial and analytical methods such as optimisation and the study of risk

As well as these mathematical topics, your degree will develop your programming skills in languages such as Python and SQL, and you will learn to solve sophisticated problems using computational toolkits such as Matlab, Maple and R.

Our department recognises the stand-alone and interdisciplinary aspects of mathematics, and your degree provides an exceptional range of in-demand transferrable skills for mathematically oriented careers, from business, to finance and commerce, industry, research, government, education and beyond. All our mathematical sciences degrees feature an employability component in every year, explicitly training sought-after skills and incorporating careers day events and seminars from speakers in industry.