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Undergraduate Study

MSci Mathematics (Mathematical Biology) - 2025 entry

Please note: The below is for 2025 entries. Click here for 2024 entries.
UCAS code G103
Duration 4 years
Entry year 2025
Campus Streatham Campus
Discipline Mathematics
Contact

Web: Enquire online
Phone: +44 (0)1392 724061

Typical offer

View full entry requirements

A levels: A*AA
IB: 38/766
BTEC: D*DD

Contextual offers

A-Level: AAB
IB: 34/665
BTEC: DDD

Overview

  • Develop your passion for mathematics within this important field of research that is crucial to our understanding of living systems
  • See how the complexity of living systems can inspire the development of new mathematical approaches
  • Learn from and engage with current research being undertaken within the department
  • Accredited by the Institute of Mathematics as meeting the educational requirements of the Chartered Mathematician designation
  • Optional to take the ‘Commercial and Industrial Experience’ module during the vacation before your third year, allowing you to gain paid work experience in a commercial setting while earning credits towards your degree

View 2024 Entry

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Open Days and visiting us

How to apply

Contact

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

Discover Mathematics at the University of Exeter.

Top 20 icon

Top 20 in the UK for Mathematics

18th in the Complete University Guide 2025

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Top 15 in the UK for graduate prospects

Joint 12th for Mathematics graduate prospects in the Complete University Guide 2025

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Supportive department prioritising contact time between students and staff

Top 20 icon

Top 20 in the UK for Mathematics

18th in the Complete University Guide 2025

Trophy icon

Top 15 in the UK for graduate prospects

Joint 12th for Mathematics graduate prospects in the Complete University Guide 2025

Care icon: two hands cradling a heart

Supportive department prioritising contact time between students and staff

Entry requirements (typical offer)

Qualification Typical offer Required subjects
A-Level A*AA GCE AL Maths grade A Candidates may offer GCE AL Maths, Pure Maths or Further Maths.
IB 38/766 HL6 in Mathematics (Analysis and Approaches)
BTEC D*DD Applicants studying a BTEC Extended Diploma will also require GCE AL Maths grade A
GCSE 4 or C Grade 4/C in GCSE English language
Access to HE 30 L3 credits at Distinction Grade and 15 L3 credits at Merit grade 15 L3 credits at Distinction Grade in an acceptable Mathematics subject area
T-Level T-Levels not accepted N/A
Contextual Offer

A-Level: AAB
IB: 34/665
BTEC: DDD

Specific subject requirements must still be achieved where stated above. Find out more about contextual offers.

Other accepted qualifications

View other accepted qualifications

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

NB General Studies is not included in any offer.

Grades advertised on each programme webpage are the typical level at which our offers are made and provide information on any specific subjects an applicant will need to have studied in order to be considered for a place on the programme. However, if we receive a large number of applications for the programme we may not be able to make an offer to all those who are predicted to achieve/have achieved grades which are in line with our typical offer. For more information on how applications are assessed and when decisions are released, please see: After you apply

International Foundation programmes

Preparation for entry to Year 1 of an undergraduate degree:

Course content

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

The first year modules introduce you to the main areas of university-level Mathematics, with topics covered including Formal Mathematics and Proof, Analysis, Algebra, Calculus, Modelling, Probability and Statistics. Our Foundations of Mathematics module helps support background knowledge from A level, especially if you did not take Further Mathematics, and several modules help develop computer skills.

Compulsory modules

CodeModuleCredits
MTH1000Foundations0
MTH1001Mathematical Structures30
MTH1002Mathematical Methods30
MTH1003Mathematical Modelling30
MTH1004Probability, Statistics and Data30

In your second year you can choose from a number of streams that develop your understanding of Real and Complex Analysis, Abstract and Linear Algebra, Applied Mathematical Modelling and Statistics. Optional modules give you the opportunity to learn about more specialised topics. Up to 30 credits of elective (free choice) modules can be taken, with at most 15 credits outside the disciplines of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics. Up to 30 credits of elective (free choice) modules can be taken from any discipline in the University subject to approval, pre-requisites, timetabling and availability.

Compulsory modules

CodeModuleCredits
MTH2003Differential Equations15
MTH2004Vector Calculus and Applications15

Optional modules

CodeModuleCredits
Select between 30 and 60 credits:
MTH2008Real Analysis15
MTH2009Complex Analysis15
MTH2010Groups, Rings and Fields15
MTH2011Linear Algebra15
Select between 30 and 60 credits:
MTH2005Modelling: Theory and Practice30
MTH2006Statistical Modelling and Inference30
Select up to 30 credits:
XXXXXXXFree choice up to 30 credits30

As you move in to the third year you can choose from many advanced topics directly related to fluid dynamics. You’ll also have the ability to choose from a wide variety of optional modules in advanced mathematics from across the department. Up to 30 credits of elective (free choice) modules can be taken from any discipline in the University subject to approval, pre-requisites, timetabling and availability.

Compulsory modules

CodeModuleCredits
MTH3006Mathematical Biology and Ecology15
MTH3039Computational Nonlinear Dynamics15
MTHM036Research in Mathematical Sciences15

Optional modules

CodeModuleCredits
Select between 45 and 75 credits:
CSC3004Health Technology Assessment15
MTH3001Theory of Weather and Climate15
MTH3004Number Theory15
MTH3007Fluid Dynamics15
MTH3008Partial Differential Equations15
MTH3011Nonlinear Systems and Control15
MTH3013Applied Differential Geometry15
MTH3019Mathematics: History and Culture15
MTH3022Graphs, Networks and Algorithms15
MTH3024Stochastic Processes15
MTH3026Cryptography15
MTH3028Statistical Inference: Theory and Practice15
MTH3030Mathematics of Climate Change15
MTH3038Galois Theory15
MTH3040Topology and Metric Spaces15
MTH3041Bayesian statistics, Philosophy and Practice15
MTH3042Integral Equations15
MTH3044Bayesian Data Modelling15
MTH3045Statistical Computing15
MTH3050Functional Analysis15
You may select up to 30 credits:
EMP3001Commercial and Industrial Experience15
XXXXXXXFree choice up to 30 credits30
NSC3009Aerosols, Clouds and Climate15

In your fourth year you’ll take advanced mathematics modules covering various topics including Mathematical Modelling in Biology and Medicine. You’ll also undertake your MSci Project, this includes a substantial research element that will give you the chance to apply the mathematical and computational skills you have developed throughout your degree. There will be a range of potential projects to choose from to suit your interests and optional modules can be chosen to support your project. Up to 30 credits of elective (free choice) modules can be taken from any discipline in the University subject to approval, pre-requisites, timetabling and availability.

Compulsory modules

CodeModuleCredits
MTHM040MSci Project45
NSCM005Mathematical Modelling in Biology and Medicine15

Optional modules

CodeModuleCredits
Select between 30 and 60 credits:
MTHM001Functional Analysis15
MTHM004Fractal Geometry15
MTHM006Mathematical Theory of Option Pricing 15
MTHM009Advanced Topics in Mathematical & Computational Biology15
MTHM010Representation Theory of Finite Groups15
MTHM017Advanced Topics in Statistics15
MTHM018Dynamical Systems and Chaos15
MTHM019Fluid Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans15
MTHM023Modelling the Weather and Climate15
MTHM028Algebraic Number Theory15
MTHM029Algebraic Curves15
MTHM030Waves, Instabilities and Turbulence15
MTHM031Magnetic Fields and Fluid Flows15
MTHM033Statistical Modelling in Space and Time15
MTHM041Analytic Number Theory15
MTHM045Space Weather and Plasmas15
MTHM048Ergodic Theory15
MTHM052Mid-Latitude Weather Systems15
MTHM062Data-driven Analysis and Modelling of Dynamical Systems15
MTHM063Uncertainty Quantification15
BIOMXXXModules in Biosciences15
You may select up to 30 credits:
XXXMXXXFree choice of level M modules30
You may select up to 15 credits:
XXX3XXXFree choice of level 3 module15

Fees

Tuition fees for 2025 entry

UK students: £9,535 per year
International students: £29,800 per year

Scholarships

The University of Exeter has many different scholarships available to support your education, including £5 million in scholarships for international students applying to study with us in the 2025/26 academic year, such as our Exeter Excellence Scholarships*.

Financial support is also available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, lower income households and other under-represented groups to help them access, succeed and progress through higher education.

* Terms and conditions apply. See online for details.

Find out more about tuition fees and scholarships

Learning and teaching

All our degrees involve a combination of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, examples classes, workshops and tutorials. Most modules in mathematics involve three one-hour lectures per week, so you typically have 12 lectures per week. In the first year there are tutorial classes for each module every fortnight, except for modules involving computing or project work. Thus in the first year you would typically have around 16 contact hours per week. In the first term, the ‘Foundations’ module helps you with the transition from A level to university mathematics.

Private study and support

In addition to lectures and seminars, you should spend about 20 hours per week in private study. Working through examples and solving problems is a vital part of learning mathematics, and we advise you attempt all coursework problems, whether formally assessed or not. You will be allocated a personal tutor who will be happy to advise or put you in touch with support services and you are encouraged to discuss mathematical problems or questions with tutors and lecturers who advertise regular office hours. Extra support is available, for example through lunchtime mathematics surgeries or our peer mentor scheme, and we have an active student-staff liaison committee.

Project and computer work

There are modules at all levels that involve project work and report writing, and the final year project is a major piece of research and writing that allows you to go into depth for a specific area under the guidance of a member of academic staff. You can choose from wide range of possible project topics each year, or negotiate a topic/title with a member of academic staff. Several of the modules develop skills to use a range of modern computer tools for working with data, programming or symbolic algebra as well as typesetting and presentation.

Elective modules

Once you have mastered the foundations, our mathematics programmes offer in later years a wide range of options within the programme. In addition to the named degrees with study abroad, professional experience and year in industry, you can take optional (called elective) modules from all over the university in later years. These options are subject to your availability, having the appropriate background (pre-requisites) and certain programme constraints.

A research and practice led culture

You will benefit from teaching by academic staff comprising internationally-recognised mathematicians, scientists and practitioners active across a wide range of topics in pure and applied mathematics, statistics and applications. As you progress through your degree, you will hear about the latest mathematical research and have opportunities (for example, the independent research project) to become actively involved in a research project yourself.

Assessment

Assessment for all degrees is through a combination of examinations and coursework. Examinations are the more important part of the process, but the coursework helps you to work steadily throughout your degree. This is particularly important in Mathematics where the subject matter develops logically as the degree progresses. Written examinations for mathematics modules are held in January and May/June of the first and second years and in May/June of each subsequent year. Some modules have tests, essays, presentations and/or project reports that contribute to the assessment.

Optional modules outside of this course

Each year, if you have optional modules available, you can take up to 30 credits in a subject outside of your course. This can increase your employability and widen your intellectual horizons.

Proficiency in a second subject

If you complete 60 credits of modules in one of the subjects below, you may have the words 'with proficiency in [e.g. Social Data Science]' added to your degree title when you graduate.

  • A Foreign Language
  • Data Science
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Innovation
  • Law (Penryn Campus only)
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Social Data Science

Find out more about proficiency options

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Your future

Mathematics makes vital contributions to biological research, using sophisticated techniques to extract useful information from genetic data. With the completion of the Human Genome Programme, there is huge potential for advances in research by exploiting the newly-available data. As more and more high-tech companies are set up to exploit applications of this bioinformatics revolution, there are likely to be many career opportunities for graduates of this programme in commercial and academic environments.

Exeter has an excellent reputation with graduate recruiters and a strong employment record. Our graduates excel in specialist mathematical fields and across a broad range of other sectors. We offer a very wide range of opportunities for you to develop the skills employers are looking for.

You’ll be able to meet with local and national employers who regularly visit the university to engage with students, hosting mock interviews, CV workshops, drop-ins and lectures. This is a great opportunity for you to find out more about the day to day activities of their business and recruitment opportunities. Our Careers Service also host a wealth of employer activity, such as Careers Fairs, so you’ll never be short of chances to network with potential employers.

Professional experience

You have the choice to take an optional ‘Commercial and Industrial Experience’ module during the vacation before your third year. This opportunity allows you to gain paid work experience in a commercial setting while earning credits towards your degree programme. Professional experience not only develops your CV but helps you to determine your career aspirations.

Career paths

The broad-based skills acquired during your degree will give you an excellent grounding for a wide variety of careers, not only those related to Mathematics but also in wider fields. Examples of roles recent graduates are now working as include:

  • Accountant
  • Actuary
  • Analyst Programmer
  • Business Analyst
  • Credit Risk Analyst
  • Data Science Developer
  • Investment Analyst
  • Software Engineer
  • Statistician
  • Tax Manager

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