Mathematics with Data Science (with foundation year) BSc (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- Typical Offer: 72 UCAS tariff points
- UCAS Code(s): G122 (full-time)
- Start Date(s): September 2024
- Duration: Four years full-time
- Study Mode(s): Full-time
- Campus: Clifton Campus
Introduction:
You’re right at the start of your exciting journey and we’re here to build your mathematics, computing and programming science skills. These will provide you with the foundations to excel when you move onto BSc (Hons) Mathematics with Data Science in your second year.
Welcome to the world where mathematics meets the cutting-edge of data science and computer programming. This course gives you the essential knowledge and skills demanded by today's rapidly evolving industries. You’ll be learning from an award-winning teaching team dedicated to your success, consistently winning teaching awards.
As you progress, you'll have the flexibility to specialise with a range of optional modules and a final-year project in a subject of your choice. Our technology focused teaching gives you the power to visualise and interrogate data in different ways through using graphics tablets, virtual reality, and 3D printing.
To address the shortages in the field of data science, as outlined by industry and the Government, this course gives you skills which are in high demand. With a solid mathematical foundation, you not only learn the tools and techniques needed, but also understand their application, setting you apart in the competitive job market. Focusing on real-world applications of mathematics and data science will sharpen your analytical, investigative and problem-solving skills.
Research scholarships
Every year we offer a small number of Mathematics Undergraduate Research Scholarships (MURS), giving successful applicants funding for a six-to-eight-week placement in one of our research teams. This is an excellent opportunity for you to further your research interests and contribute to the academic activities of the mathematics department.
More student opportunities
Our active student-run Mathematics society allows you to be part of a vibrant community with peer support, team learning, and mentorship. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in regular events hosted on campus by the local branch of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.
-
97% of our mathematics students were in work or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21). -
Top 20 in the UK for teaching quality in Mathematics (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024)
What you’ll study
Study the core strands of Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, and Database Engineering. These foundations provide you with a robust understanding of mathematics, essential for handling and interpreting complex data.
Introductory Mathematics (20 credit points)
This module provides an introduction to important mathematical ideas, including Algebraic rearrangement, Trigonometry, Vectors, Descriptive Statistics, Integration and Differentiation. You’ll gain an understanding of ideas that form the basis of later, more specialised, developments and you’ll be able to solve simple but realistic mathematical problems.
Intermediate Mathematics (20 cp)
This module aims to provide the link between Introductory Mathematics and degree level Mathematics. You’ll cover more complex topics such as the chain rule and integration by parts, the generalisation of vectors to matrices, the approximation of numerical series, logic and probability, complex numbers and mathematical proof.
Computational Mathematics (20 cp)
A hands-on introduction to ideas and skills which cross Mathematics, Physics and Computing. Using software such as Excel and Matlab, you’ll learn about mathematical ideas like matrices and the consideration of how physical systems can be represented mathematically.
Introduction to Programming (20 cp)
Learn how to design, code, test and debug basic Python language programs. In the first part of this module, you’ll look at the basics of Python such as text strings, loops and functions. In the second part of the module, you’ll be introduced to maths-related Python libraries such as pandas, scipy.stats and matplotlib.
Practical and Professional Skills (40 cp)
This module aims to provide a link between the theoretical modules on the course and their practical implementation. The professional skills aspect will help you with interpreting coursework requirements, exam and revision technique, note taking and referencing. The practical sessions will cover a variety of topics that require you to make use of the scientific principles and mathematical techniques that you’re learning in the other modules on the course.
Foundations of Pure Mathematics (20 cp)
First you’ll be introduced to the world of rigorous mathematics, which is ruled by the laws of mathematical logic and is based on the concept of mathematical proof. Set theory will then be introduced and through looking at real-world examples, you’ll learn about the other important algebraic structures, such as notations, operations and groups.
Calculus (20 cp)
In this module you’ll study methods of differentiation and integration, from the fundamental principles, to integrating and differentiating complicated functions. Ordinary differential equations will be looked at and in combination with material you’ll learn how to solve these new types of equations.
Data Analysis (20 cp)
This gives you an introduction to important statistical ideas and their application using modern software. You will explore data analysis, probability, statistical inference and statistical modelling.
Introduction to Linear Algebra and Computation (20 cp)
Studying Linear Algebra gives you a great base knowledge you’ll use in many modules during your course. Concepts include complex numbers, vectors and matrices. Using mathematical software packages you’ll focus on computational and numerical methods that can be used to find approximate solutions to problems that cannot be solved analytically.
Investigations in Analysis (20 cp)
You’ll develop a range of skills appropriate to conducting open-ended mathematical investigations. Learn about the importance of rigour and techniques of proof in mathematical contexts.
Introduction to Discrete Mathematics and its Applications (20 cp)
You’ll start by learning how to program using Python before investigating discrete mathematics problems. Working in groups, you’ll discover potential solutions which you’ll use algorithms in Python to computerise your solutions.
Linear Algebra and its Applications (20 cp)
This module will build your conceptual and technical background, and, in particular, work on vector spaces will be extended and generalised to linear transformations. You will be introduced to coding theory by applying linear algebra to linear codes.
Probability and Statistical Inference (20 cp)
Refine your statistical inference and modelling knowledge and develop essential computational and IT skills.
Mathematical Enterprise (20 cp)
In this module you’ll work in small teams to develop a plan for a new business or enterprise, using your mathematical skills to showcase the viability of your venture. This module is run in conjunction with Nottingham's Creative Quarter and you’ll work with several local businesses to create business plans.
Cryptography and Computational Complexity (20 cp)
Learn how to select and apply appropriate techniques and use computer programming and specialist mathematical software to help solve problems. You’ll look at the need to develop more and more sophisticated ways of protecting information through cryptography. Analyse the hardness and limitations of mathematical algorithms using computational complexity theory.
Information and Database Engineering (20 cp)
Understand the nature and application of database management systems and acquire skills for database administration and management.
Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (20 cp)
The rate at which data is being stored is growing at a phenomenal rate and many businesses are struggling to analyse and make sense of this vast collection of data. This module will introduce you to a number of ‘machine learning’ techniques to process and discover patterns in data.
Core Modules
Project and Professional Skills (40 cp)
Immerse yourself in a substantial mathematics project with dedicated support and supervision. The project will showcase your skills, knowledge, and problem-solving abilities. You’ll also take part in activities to explore your career options after graduation.
Optimisation (20 cp)
The optimisation is the art of optimal decision-making under constraints. This module introduces you to optimisation, focussing on the theoretical foundations of the subject, the practical modelling aspects, and the algorithm analysis and design.
Artificial Intelligence (20 cp)
Learn about the theoretical foundations of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the main methods and techniques and current areas of AI research and development.
Distributed Database Engineering (20 cp)
Study the processes, techniques and technologies that data scientists use to support the challenging workloads for data science.
Optional modules - choose one:
Experimental Design and Machine Learning (20 cp)
In this module you’ll be introduced methods of experimental design and their application in industrial and commercial situations. You’ll learn the methodology and techniques to design, conduct and analyse an experiment before applying statistical analysis to your results.
Stochastic Processes (20 cp)
Extend your understanding of probabilistic modelling to include stochastic processes and learn advanced techniques for investigating the behaviour of stochastic processes.
Medical Statistics and Financial Modelling (20 cp)
You’ll study statistical techniques appropriate for medical and financial data, including the analysis of survival data and dealing with large complex datasets.
Graph Theory and Combinatorics (20 cp)
This module introduces research-informed topics in pure mathematics and aims to extend and complement ideas introduced earlier in your course. It provides a blend of mathematical concepts and techniques widely applicable in data science, operational research, chemistry, engineering, computer science, information technology, statistics, sociology and genetics.
How you’re taught
You’ll take part in weekly in lectures, seminars, practical sessions, and workshops. The seminar groups are sessions where you’ll meet with your lecturer and small groups to discuss problems or work through challenging topics.
The rest of your time will be spent on independent studies, such as reading textbooks and lecture notes and working on exercises.
How you’re assessed
We want you to graduate with a range of transferable skills. So, all our Mathematics modules have two or three assessment components that help you demonstrate your knowledge in various ways. As well as traditional exams and in-class tests, you’ll complete assignments and group projects and give presentations. In your final year, you’ll also complete your mathematics project with the support of your tutor.
Careers and employability
Your career development
Acquire not only data science expertise but also become a sought-after specialist mathematician or statistician in diverse sectors. The course prepares you for a wide range of graduate employment or you can progress onto further studies such as a Masters degree or a PhD.
Our recent mathematics graduates have secured roles at companies including:
- Oegen
- Invictus Trust
- BT
- NHS
- Next Retail Ltd
They have also started careers in:
- industrial and commercial mathematics
- statistical applications systems modelling
- software engineering
- telecommunications
- IT applications
- teaching and research.
They have gone into a wide variety of job roles, including:
- Junior Programmer
- Project Manager
- Graduate Mathematician
- Test Automation Engineer
What our students say
"The content we studied in my final year was vital in getting the job I have today. The course is very applicable when applying for positions outside of the university. If you're interested in Mathematics, I can't recommend this course enough.
"I also love Nottingham – it's a fantastic city, and I didn't have any questions about staying here when I graduated. When looking for jobs, my number one priority was staying in this city."
Duncan Bell, BSc (Hons) Mathematics - graduate
Credit Scoring and Strategy Analyst
NTU Enterprise
You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their businesses.
Campus and facilities
Entry requirements
- 72 UCAS tariff points from three A-levels or equivalent
- GCSE Maths grade B / 6 and English C / 4
Contextual offers
A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer and we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other and this approach helps us to find students who have the potential to succeed here but who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.
Other qualifications and experience
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS tariff points attached to specific grades, including A levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to three different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form
- 72 UCAS tariff points from three A-levels or equivalent
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)
If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:
Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3)
You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made following our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there’s no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
Additional Costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students purchase. Book costs vary, and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential textbooks, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to participate in optional field trips, which incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students earn a salary whilst on placement, which can help cover these living costs. Placement opportunities are available in the UK and overseas. Travel grants and Erasmus funding may be available to help fund international travel costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. Students will also be required to pay additional costs for printing, poster preparation and final dissertation copies in their final year - estimated costs of approximately £20 - £50. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance, please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Other
Students will require a basic scientific calculator for examinations (e.g. Casio 83 or 85 series, approximately £15).
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, contact our Student Financial Support Service by telephone at +44 (0)115 848 2494.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government. See our fees.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when offered to study at NTU.
Living costs
Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:
Paying fees
Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
What do the course fees cover?
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.
Library books
Most study modules recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students purchase. Book costs vary, and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential textbooks, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available to buy from previous year students.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to participate in optional field trips, which incur additional costs.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students earn a salary whilst on placement, which can help cover these living costs. Placement opportunities are available in the UK and overseas. Travel grants and Erasmus funding may be available to help fund international travel costs.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. Students will also be required to pay additional costs for printing, poster preparation and final dissertation copies in their final year - estimated costs of approximately £20 - £50. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance, please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Other
Students will require a basic scientific calculator for examinations (e.g. Casio 83 or 85 series, approximately £15).
How to apply
Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the application instructions. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.
Writing your application and personal statement
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. So include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.
Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You’ve got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.
Keeping up-to-date
After applying, we’ll send you important emails throughout the application process, so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!
You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After applying, we'll send you important emails throughout the application process, so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.