Mathematical models are fundamental to how we understand, analyse and design transportation systems, but these models face challenges from the rapidly changing nature of mobility.
Innovative technologies are being harnessed to deliver new approaches to transport services, and huge volumes of data create new opportunities to examine how patterns of movement are evolving.
If you’re a highly numerate graduate with a desire to apply your quantitative skills to the real world, or a practitioner working in the sector, this course will take you to the next level and prepare you for a career as a transport modelling specialist.
97% of our graduates find employment in a professional or managerial role, or continue with further studies.*
Experience a course designed in collaboration with employers, learning skills the industry desperately needs to unlock the full potential of big data.
Learn to think creatively, beyond the standard application of established solutions, and use your technical expertise across multiple scenarios.
Develop and apply mathematical models to analyse and improve the performance of transportation networks and flows:
And experience what it is like to be part of a project team working across disciplinary boundaries within the transport sector. Through this, gain insights into how modelling, environmental science, planning, economics and engineering can work together to develop sustainable solutions to global challenges. This industry-inspired approach will enable you to apply your knowledge to real-world issues in the field.
Your colleagues will be among the best and brightest from the UK and across the globe. Together you will learn mathematical modelling skills that can be applied to design smarter transport solutions founded on robust methods.
With a strong focus on industry needs, our degrees will prepare you for employment in your chosen field. They will also address the multi-disciplinary nature of transport – enabling you to make effective decisions for clients, employers and society.
Other Study Options
This programme is available part time, allowing you to combine study with other commitments. You can work to fund your studies, or gain a new qualification without giving up an existing job. We aim to be flexible in helping you to put together a part-time course structure that meets your academic goals while recognising the constraints on your study time.
You can also study this subject at Postgraduate Diploma level, part time or full time, or at Postgraduate Certificate level with our PGCert in Transport Studies.
Alongside specialist modules, study common modules that will address key issues currently facing transport industry professionals. These provide you with a holistic overview of transport problems and approaches to policy formulation.
Our new Transport Integrated Project module enables you to employ project management scenario-based learning. You will cover a range of transport disciplines and be supervised by experts in the field. Join forces with a project team of other students from our other degrees to develop a solution to a ‘real-world’ transport problem, identifying how your own interests need to interact effectively with others to achieve an effective solution.
You will learn about the methods and models used in transport analysis and the software packages that implement them. You will be trained to think creatively, beyond the standard application of established ‘solutions’ and learn how to use your technical expertise as a mathematical modeller in interdisciplinary teams. Being equipped with these skills will open up a range of future career paths, whether in government, consultancy, academia or going on to further study.
The core of the programme includes the following compulsory modules, which have been designed together to enhance the learning potential of this programme:
Compulsory modules
The programme involves a range of teaching methods, supported by independent learning. In addition to the traditional lecture and seminar formats, students experience a blend encompassing workshops, computer exercises, practical sessions, directed reading, reflective journal, student-led discussions and tutorials.
Assessment is equally varied and will include coursework essays, case-study reports, group assignments, posters, presentations and exams.
Links with Industry
This programme was developed in consultation with practitioners in the transport modelling sector, to ensure that its graduates will be highly employable. Many consultancies, local authority planning departments and other organizations in the transport industry have expressed interest in this new programme.
Jacobs, one of the world's leading professional services firms, has pledged their support for this new course by offering two prizes for academic excellence, a commitment to engage with students through lectures and workshops, and an invitation to students on the course to attend the Summer Placements they run each year around the UK.
Many of Jacobs' current Directors and Senior Professionals are ITS Alumni and this year it made offers to six of our Transport Masters students.
This one-year master's course provides training in the application of mathematics to a wide range of problems in science and technology. Emphasis is placed on the formulation of problems, on the analytical and numerical techniques for a solution and the computation of useful results.
By the end of the course students should be able to formulate a well posed problem in mathematical terms from a possibly sketchy verbal description, carry out appropriate mathematical analysis, select or develop an appropriate numerical method, write a computer program which gives sensible answers to the problem, and present and interpret these results for a possible client. Particular emphasis is placed on the need for all these parts in the problem solving process, and on the fact that they frequently interact and cannot be carried out sequentially.
The course consists of both taught courses and a dissertation. To complete the course you must complete 13 units.
There are four core courses which you must complete (one unit each), which each usually consist of 24 lectures, classes and an examination. There is one course on mathematical methods and one on numerical analysis in both Michaelmas term and Hilary term. Each course is assessed by written examination in Week 0 of the following term.
Additionally, you must choose at least least one special topic in the area of modelling and one in computation (one unit each). There are around twenty special topics to choose from, spread over all three academic terms, each usually consisting for 12 to 16 lectures and a mini project, which culminates in a written report of around 20 pages. Topics covered include mathematical biology, fluid mechanics, perturbation methods, numerical solution of differential equations and scientific programming.
You must also undertake at least one case study in modelling and one in scientific computing (one unit each), normally consisting of four weeks of group work, an oral presentation and a report delivered in Hilary term.
There is also a dissertation (four units) of around 50 pages, which does not necessarily need to represent original ideas. Since there is another MSc focussed on mathematical finance specifically, the MSc in Mathematical and Computational Finance, you are not permitted to undertake a dissertation in this field.
You will normally accumulate four units in core courses, three units in special topics, two units in case studies and four units in the dissertation. In addition, you will usually attend classes in mathematical modelling, practical numerical analysis and additional skills during Michaelmas term.
In the first term, students should expect their weekly schedule to consist of around seven hours of core course lectures and seven hours of modelling, practical numerical analysis and additional skills classes, then a further two hours of lectures for each special topic course followed. In addition there are about three hours of problem solving classes to go through core course exercises and students should expect to spend time working through the exercises then submitting them for marking prior to the class. There are slightly fewer contact hours in the second term, but students will spend more time working in groups on the case studies.
In the third term there are some special topic courses, including one week intensive computing courses, but the expectation is that students will spend most of the third term and long vacation working on their dissertations. During this time, students should expect to work hours that are equivalent to full-time working hours, although extra hours may occasionally be needed. Students are expected to write special topic and case study reports during the Christmas and Easter vacations, as well as revising for the core course written examinations.
The part-time MSc in Mathematical Finance aims to develop your mathematical modelling, data analysis and computational skills as applied to finance, without the need to take time out of your career to study.
Incorporating concepts from applied and pure mathematics, statistics, computing and corporate finance, the course gives you a broad intellectual perspective and covers, from fundamentals to the latest research, the most important aspects of quantitative finance currently in use in the finance industry.
The course:
It is possible to exit the course early and be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in Mathematical Finance, should work pressures intervene before it is possible to write a dissertation.
In order to complete the MSc each student must attend and be assessed on four core modules, three advanced modules and to submit a dissertation. Students are expected to take seven terms (28 months) to complete the course.
Modules are taught through a series of lectures, practical sessions, guided reading, guest lectures and course assignments.
The core modules cover the mathematical foundations of probability, statistics and partial differential equations, stochastic calculus and martingale theory, portfolio theory, the Black-Scholes model and extensions, numerical methods (finite differences and Monte Carlo), interest rate modelling, stochastic optimisation, exotic derivatives and stochastic volatility. MATLAB is used as a practical computing language.
Attendance at the four core modules is compulsory. For each module there is an assignment for which feedback and an indicative mark is given to assist you in improving your future performance. Assessment for these compulsory modules consists of two two-hour written examinations held in September of the first year.
Each of the advanced modules explores a key area in contemporary mathematical finance. The programme of advanced modules is published in July each year, and you will be asked to register your choice of three modules. Attendance at these three assessed modules is compulsory. Advanced modules will be assessed by short ‘special project’ reports, each submitted on a subject chosen by you that is covered in the module.
You will complete a dissertation on a topic chosen in consultation with your supervisor and the Course Director.
The destinations of MSc alumni include the financial industry and further research into mathematics.
In this MRes Mathematical Sciences course, you will gain deep knowledge of a chosen topic in mathematics or statistics and develop your research skills in project planning, reviewing literature, group discussions, research presentations and writing publications.
You can choose to work with experts from a range of areas including quantum cryptography, graph theory, statistical analysis, bioinformatics and mathematical modelling.
You will take three taught modules each providing you with the underpinning theory to support your research work.
Visit us on campus throughout the year, find and register for our next open event on http://www.ntu.ac.uk/pgevents.
This programme reflects and benefits from the strong research activities of the Department of Mathematics.
The taught modules and dissertation topics are closely aligned with the interests of the Department’s four research groups:
During the first two semesters you will take a range of taught modules from an extensive list of options, followed by an extended research project conducted over the summer under the supervision of a member of the department, culminating in the writing of a dissertation.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Mathematics is not only central to science, technology and finance-related fields, but the logical insight, analytical skills and intellectual discipline gained from a mathematical education are highly sought after in a broad range of other areas such as law, business and management.
There is also a strong demand for new mathematics teachers to meet the ongoing shortage in schools.
As well as being designed to meet the needs of future employers, our MSc programme also provides a solid foundation from which to pursue further research in mathematics or one of the many areas to which mathematical ideas and techniques are applied.
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
