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The Financial Mathematics programme provides a thorough grounding in the mathematical concepts, tools and skills needed to understand financial decision making. It offers the opportunity to study financial theory and applications built on rigorous foundations within a friendly and highly successful department.
Overview
Students gain access to knowledge and capabilities that are valued by financial sector employers, corporations, and postgraduate academic programmes. In combination with specialised finance and economics topics, the programme incorporates core mathematical principles, probability and inference and a range of statistical concepts and techniques. In addition, students have a chance to develop communication and personal skills.
The degree consists of compulsory modules, especially in the first two years, and some optional modules to suit the student’s interests and goals. The Year in Industry takes place between your second and final years of full-time study and counts towards your final degree result.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, 93% of Mathematics students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules.
Year in industry
All single honours Mathematics degrees (except Mathematics with Secondary Education) offer the option of spending a year working in industry between Stages 2 and 3. We can offer help and advice in finding a placement.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching amounts to approximately 16 hours of lectures and classes per week. Modules that involve programming or working with computer software packages usually include practical sessions.
The majority of Stage 1 modules are assessed by end-of-year examinations. Many Stage 2 and 3 modules include coursework which normally counts for 20% of the final assessment. Both Stage 2 and 3 marks count towards your final degree result.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- instil in students the technical appreciation, skills and knowledge required by graduates in financial mathematics
- develop students’ abilities for rigorous reasoning and precise expression, and formulate and solve problems relevant to financial mathematics
- encourage an appreciation of recent developments in financial mathematics, and the links between theory and practical application
- encourage a logical, mathematical approach to solving problems
- develop an enhanced capacity for independent thought and work
- ensure students are competent in the use of information technology, and are familiar with computers and the relevant software
- provide opportunities to study advanced topics in financial mathematics, engage in research, and develop communication and personal skills
- instil awareness of the application of technical concepts in the workplace (for students undertaking a year in industry).
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- core mathematical skills in the principles of calculus, algebra, mathematical methods, descrete mathematics, analysis and linear algebra
- statistical aspects of probability and inference
- information technology skills relevant to mathematicians
- methods and techniques appropriate to financial mathematics
- logical mathematical argument and deductive reasoning.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- demonstrate a reasonable understanding of knowledge in financial mathematics
- skills of calculation and manipulation of the material written within the programme
- apply concepts and principles in various contexts, relevant to financial mathematics
- a capacity for logical argument
- problem solving by various methods
- computer skills
- the capacity to work with relatively little guidance.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- the ability to demonstrate knowledge of key mathematical concepts and topics, both explicitly and by applying them to the solution of problems
- comprehend problems, abstract the essentials of problems and formulate them mathematically and in symbolic form to facilitate their analysis and solution
- use computational and more general IT facilities as an aid to mathematical processes
- present mathematical arguments and the conclusions from them with clarity and accuracy.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- problem-solving, in relation to qualitative and quantitative information
- effective communication
- numeracy and computational abilities
- information retrieval in relation to primary and secondary information sources, including online computer searches
- computer skills, such as word-processing and spreadsheet use, internet communication
- time-management and organisational skills: the ability to plan and implement efficient and effective modes of working
- continuing professional development.
Careers
Those students who choose to take the year in industry option find the practical experience they gain gives them a real advantage in the graduate job market. Through your studies, you also acquire many transferable skills including the ability to deal with challenging ideas, to think critically, to write well and to present your ideas clearly, all of which are considered essential by graduate employers.
Recent graduates from the School have gone into careers in medical statistics, the pharmaceutical industry, the aerospace industry, software development, teaching, actuarial work, Civil Service statistics, chartered accountancy, the oil industry and postgraduate research.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | AAB including A in Mathematics (Use of Mathematics is not accepted). |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 at HL with Mathematics 6 at HL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.