Mathematics for Finance and Management

This is a Connected Degree

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview

Prepare for the fast-paced world of finance, investment analysis, marketing and business management by developing sought-after skills in data-driven decision making, operational research and mathematical modelling. Graduate with the confidence to lead on innovative strategies and lead companies to success.

On this BSc (Hons) Mathematics for Finance and Management degree course, you'll specialise in mathematical analysis and modelling used by finance professionals to track investments and forecast revenue, ensuring companies can make informed decisions to grow their profits. You'll develop the applied maths skills used by senior management to set financial plans and budgets that keep businesses competitive in their market and get a solid foundation in corporate financial management and derivative pricing, setting yourself up for a senior role managing business finances and accounts.

Course highlights

• Develop your knowledge of fundamental topics such as algebra, financial management, calculus and quantitative supply chain management

• Choose specialist modules that match your interests and career ambitions, such as statistical methods in health research, advanced corporate financial management, astrophysics and decision modelling

• Learn to use industry-standard mathematical, statistical and operational research software

• Get access to our Bloomberg Suite, set up to simulate the system used by 250,000 international finance professionals to monitor and analyse real-time financial market data

• Apply your skills on optional work placements in the community, such as assisting math teachers in local schools

Careers and opportunities

A degree in mathematics shows that you have the ability to think analytically in many different areas of business and conveys an intellectual maturity that many employers look for when they hire staff.

You'll graduate with the skills and understanding to work in many related areas, including:

• statistics

• finance

• mathematical modelling

• teaching

• government research

• marketing

Our graduates have worked for companies such as:

• Peters & May Logistics

• Global Freight Solutions

• CBRE Group

• Wates Group

• Heathrow Airport Limited

Our graduates now work in roles including:

• trainee chartered accountant

• revenue development analyst

• finance management trainee

• commercial finance analyst

• maths teacher

Other graduates have continued their studies at postgraduate level or set up successful businesses with help and support from the University.

Placement year (optional)

Taking an optional placement year gives you the experience you need to increase your chances of landing your perfect role after graduation. You could work in a paid role in a professional organisation (our students earn an average salary of £19,000 during their placements) or set up your own business, giving you the chance to grow your professional network and enhance your CV.

We'll give you all the support you need to find a placement that prepares you for your career, and we'll continue to mentor you throughout your placement.

You could take on placement roles such as:

• commercial estimator

• statistician

• researcher

You could secure a placement at organisations such as:

• BAE Systems

• JP Morgan

• Natwest Bank

Year 1:
Calculus I (20 credits)
Introduction to Computational Methods (20 credits)
Linear Algebra (20 credits)
Mathematical Foundations (20 credits)
Mathematical Models (20 credits)
Statistical Theory and Methods I (20 credits)

Year 2:
Core modules:
Applications of Mathematics and Graduate Skills (20 credits)
Calculus II (20 credits)
Mathematics for Finance (20 credits)
Corporate Financial Management (20 credits)
Optional modules:
Algebraic Structures and Discrete Mathematics (20 credits)
Introduction to Astrophysics and Cosmology (20 credits)
Mathematical Methods for Machine Learning (20 credits)
Mechanics and Dynamics (20 credits)
Operational Research (20 credits)
Real and Complex Analysis (20 credits)
Statistical Theory and Methods II (20 credits)

Placement year (optional)

Year 3:
Core modules:
Financial Derivative Pricing (20 credits)
Optional modules:
Undergraduate Ambassador (20 credits)
Introduction to General Relativity and Cosmology (20 credits)
Advanced Corporate Financial Management (20 credits)
Modern Astrophysics 1 (20 credits)
Nonlinear Dynamics (20 credits)
Partial Differential Equations and their Applications (20 credits)
Quantitative Supply Chain Management (20 credits)
Statistics Methods in Health Research and Social Science (20 credits)
Project (20 credits)
Advanced Decision Modelling (20 credits)
Statistical Learning (20 credits)
Stochastic Processes (20 credits)

After your second or third year, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry. Students have previously completed placements at organisations such as Lockheed Martin and IBM. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.