Computer Science and Mathematics

Computer science and mathematics is a combination that brings together two disciplines with deep natural connections: mathematics provides the theoretical foundations for computing, and computing provides new tools and contexts for mathematical exploration. Algorithms rest on mathematical proofs of correctness and efficiency, the analysis of computation draws on combinatorics and number theory, machine learning is built on linear algebra and statistics, and cryptography depends on advanced mathematics. Studying both together allows you to develop a more rigorous understanding of each than a purely applied computing education or a purely pure mathematics degree would provide.

At the University of Manchester, this three-year programme includes a foundation year, making it accessible to students who need additional preparation in mathematics and computing before tackling degree-level study. Following the foundation year, you will engage with both the core mathematics curriculum, covering analysis, algebra, probability, statistics, and applied mathematics, and the core content of computer science, including algorithms and data structures, programming in multiple languages, software engineering, artificial intelligence, and computational complexity. The combination at Manchester benefits from one of the UK's strongest computing departments and a research-active mathematics faculty, and the degree challenges you to think rigorously about both the theoretical and applied dimensions of your subjects.

Graduates from computer science and mathematics programmes are among the most technically capable in the computing and technology labour market. Software engineering, data science, machine learning, financial computing, and cryptography are all destinations where the combination of mathematical depth and computing competence is directly valuable. The rigorous analytical training of the mathematics element makes graduates attractive to employers in quantitative finance, actuarial science, and operational research.

Academic research in theoretical computer science, applied mathematics, or at the intersection of the two disciplines is a natural path for those who want to pursue the intellectual dimensions of the combination. Postgraduate study in computer science, mathematics, or data science is available for those who want to develop greater depth.