The Applied Mathematics group in the School of Mathematics at the University of Manchester has a long-standing international reputation for its research. Expertise in the group encompasses a broad range of topics, including Continuum Mechanics, Analysis & Dynamical Systems, Industrial & Applied Mathematics, Inverse Problems, Mathematical Finance, and Numerical Analysis & Scientific Computing. The group has a strongly interdisciplinary research ethos, which it pursues in areas such as Mathematics in the Life Sciences, Uncertainty Quantification & Data Science, and within the Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics.
The Applied Mathematics group offers the MSc in Applied Mathematics as an entry point to graduate study. The MSc has two pathways, reflecting the existing strengths within the group in numerical analysis and in industrial mathematics. The MSc consists of five core modules (total 75 credits) covering the main areas of mathematical techniques, modelling and computing skills necessary to become a modern applied mathematician. Students then choose three options, chosen from specific pathways in numerical analysis and industrial modelling (total 45 credits). Finally, a dissertation (60 credits) is undertaken with supervision from a member of staff in the applied mathematics group with the possibility of co-supervision with an industrial sponsor.
The course aims to develop core skills in applied mathematics and allows students to specialise in industrial modelling or numerical analysis, in preparation for study towards a PhD or a career using mathematics within industry. An important element is the course regarding transferable skills which will link with academics and employers to deliver important skills for a successful transition to a research career or the industrial workplace.
The course features a transferable skills module, with guest lectures from industrial partners. Some dissertation projects and short internships will also be available with industry.
Students take eight taught modules and write a dissertation. The taught modules feature a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, coursework, and computing and modelling projects (both individually and in groups). The modules on Scientific Computing and Transferable Skills particularly involve significant project work. Modules are examined through both coursework and examinations.
Assessment comprises course work, exams in January and May, followed by a dissertation carried out and written up between June and September. The dissertation counts for 60 credits of the 180 credits and is chosen from a range of available projects, including projects suggested by industrial partners.
Course unit details
CORE (75 credits)
* Introduction to Uncertainty Quantification
* Mathematical Methods
* Partial Differential Equations
* Scientific Computing
* Transferable Skills for Applied Mathematicians
OPTIONAL (3 modules, 45 credits)
* Applied Dynamical Systems (IM)
* Continuum Mechanics (IM)
* Stability theory (IM)
* Transport Phenomena and Conservation Laws (IM)
* Advanced Uncertainty Quantification (IM,NA)
* Approximation Theory and Finite Element Analysis (NA)
* Numerical Linear Algebra (NA)
* Numerical Optimization and Inverse Problems (NA)
Students registered on the Numerical Analysis pathway must select modules marked NA, and those registered on the Industrial Modelling pathway must select modules marked IM.
Syllabuses for the modules Introduction to Uncertainty Quantification and Advanced Uncertainty Quantification are currently being finalized and details will be added here as soon as possible.
Modern computing facilities are available to support the course.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
The programme will prepare students for a career in research (via entry into a PhD programme) or direct entry into industry. Possible subsequent PhD programmes would be those in mathematics, computer science, or one of the many science and engineering disciplines where applied mathematics is crucial. The programme develops many computational, analytical, and modelling skills, which are valued by a wide range of employers. Specialist skills in scientific computing are valued in the science, engineering, and financial sector.
The Masters in Mathematics/Applied Mathematics offers courses, taught by experts, across a wide range. Mathematics is highly developed yet continually growing, providing new insights and applications. It is the medium for expressing knowledge about many physical phenomena and is concerned with patterns, systems, and structures unrestricted by any specific application, but also allows for applications across many disciplines.
Modes of delivery of the Masters in Mathematics/Applied Mathematics include lectures, laboratory classes, seminars and tutorials and allow students the opportunity to take part in project work.
If you are studying for the MSc you will take a total of 120 credits from a mixture of Level-4 Honours courses, Level-M courses and courses delivered by the Scottish Mathematical Sciences Training Centre (SMSTC).
You will take courses worth a minimum of 90 credits from Level-M courses and those delivered by the SMSTC. The remaining 30 credits may be chosen from final-year Level-H courses. The Level-M courses offered in a particular session will depend on student demand. Below are courses currently offered at these levels, but the options may vary from year to year.
The project titles are offered each year by academic staff and so change annually.
Career opportunities are diverse and varied and include academia, teaching, industry and finance.
Graduates of this programme have gone on to positions such as:
Maths Tutor at a university.
Postgraduate combined research and teaching degree programme Applied Mathematics MRes:
This programme involves both taught classes in Applied Mathematics and a substantial MRes thesis which accounts for almost two-thirds of the total degree.
The MRes can be used as the first phase of our fast track PhD programme, in which the MRes thesis is extended over a further period of two years into a PhD thesis.
This programme involves both taught classes in Applied Mathematics and a substantial MRes thesis which accounts for almost two-thirds of the total degree. The minimum period of registration is 12 months.
The MRes is an ideal preparation for entry into a PhD programme. Indeed, the MRes programme can be used as the first phase of our fast track PhD programme. This is an excellent option for well-qualified mathematics students who do not have all the necessary mathematical background to start immediately on a PhD in their area of choice. In the fast track programme the MRes thesis is extended over a further period of two years into a PhD thesis.
Each MRes student is assigned a project supervisor who will act as director and mentor in the preparation of the MRes thesis. This gives each student the opportunity to work one-to-one with mathematicians who are international experts in their fields.
In addition to the assessed elements of the course, students are expected to play a full part in the research life of the School. The School has an active seminar programme, and organises international conferences in all areas of mathematics.
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These courses are approximately one-third course work and two-thirds dissertation. The dissertation is completed under the direction of a project supervisor which gives our students the opportunity to work one-to-one with a leading expert in their field.
A regular programme of seminars and conferences takes place within the School in a wide range of subjects. Currently thriving at Birmingham are the following research groups:
This programme gives comprehensive training in mathematics and areas appropriate to professional development and research foundations. The MRes is an ideal preparation for entry into the PhD programme at Birmingham. In fact, the MRes programme can be used as the first phase of our ?Fast-track? PhD programme.
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Computational Mathematics, in particular the physical applied areas and the theory and implementation of numerical methods and algorithms, have wide-ranging applications in both the public and private sectors. More recently, in this era of ubiquitous and cheap computing power, there has been an explosion in the number of problems that require us to understand processes by modelling them, and to use data sets that are large. Thus the subject of Computational Mathematics has become increasingly prominent. Consequently there is high demand also for computational modellers and data scientists. This programme concentrates on the overlap and synergy between these fields.
The programme consists of 120 credits of courses in total during Semesters 1 and 2, followed by a 60 credit dissertation which is completed during the Summer. The courses taken will be dependent on the availability of courses each year which may be subject to change as curriculum develops to reflect a modern degree programme.
The first semester is composed of a combination of compulsory and optional courses. The compulsory courses will build strong applied mathematical and computational foundations. The curriculum is completed with optional courses in related subjects such as statistics and optimization.
The second semester is again composed of a combination of compulsory and optional courses, building on the skills gained in Semester 1. The compulsory courses include Research Skills, which will prepare you for the Summer Dissertation Project. The optional courses cover a wide range of areas including, for example, data science, high performance computing, and related disciplines such as Informatics and Physics.
The 60 credit individual dissertation will take the form of a supervised research-style project on a topic proposed by a staff member of the Applied and Computational Mathematics group. The aim of the project is to provide practical experience and skills for tackling scientific problems which require both computational approaches and mathematical insight. This will include identifying and applying appropriate mathematical and numerical techniques, interpreting the results, and presenting the conclusions.
This programme will provide training in the tools and techniques of mathematical modelling and scientific computing, and will provide students with skills for problem solving using modern techniques of applied mathematics.
The Master of Science in Mathematics (120 ECTS) is a research-based master’s programme in which you can specialize in the following fields of mathematics: Pure Mathematics: Algebra, Analysis and Geometry; and Applied Mathematics: Statistics, Financial Mathematics, Computational Mathematics, Plasma-Astrophysics.
Besides a solid, all-round education in mathematics, the programme offers you the possibility to focus on either pure or applied mathematics. This allows you to acquire both breadth of knowledge and depth in your own areas of interest. Pure and applied mathematics courses are firmly grounded in the core research activities of the Department of Mathematics. Gradually, you will gain experience and autonomy in learning how to cope with new concepts, higher levels of abstraction, new techniques, new applications, and new results. This culminates in the Master’s thesis, where you become actively involved in the research performed in the various mathematical research groups of the Departments of Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy and Computer Sciences.
This is an initial Master's programme and can be followed on a full-time or part-time basis.
The programme of the Master of Science in Mathematics consists of 120 ECTS. You choose one of the two profiles – Pure Mathematics or Applied Mathematics (54 ECTS) – and one of the two options – Research Option or Professional Option (30 ECTS). The profile allows you to specialize either in pure mathematics (algebra, geometry, analysis), or in applied mathematics (statistics, computational mathematics, fluid dynamics).
There is one common course: ‘Mathematics of the 21st Century’ (6 ECTS). To complete the programme, you carry out a research project that results in a master’s thesis (30 ECTS).
All staff members of the Department of Mathematics are actively involved in the two-year Master of Science in Mathematics programme. The academic staff at the Department of Mathematics consists of leading experts in their fields. Researchers in pure mathematics focus on algebraic geometry, group theory, differential geometry, functional analysis, and complex analysis. Researchers in mathematical statistics deal with extreme values, robust statistics, non-parametric statistics, and financial mathematics. Research in the applied mathematics group is in computational fluid dynamics and plasma-astrophysics.
Mathematicians find employment in industry and in the banking, insurance, and IT sectors. Many graduates from the research option pursue a career in research and start a PhD in mathematics, mathematical physics, astrophysics, engineering, or related fields.