Mathematics and Physics
Mathematics and physics is one of the most intellectually demanding and rewarding combinations available at university level, bringing together two disciplines that are deeply intertwined and that between them provide the most rigorous and fundamental account of how the natural world is organised. Mathematics supplies the language in which physical theories are written and the tools through which physical problems are solved; physics poses the questions that drive mathematical innovation and tests mathematical structures against the behaviour of the real world. Studying them together at a high level illuminates how each enriches the other.
At the University of Durham, this three-year full-time MSci Mathematics and Physics degree focuses on mathematical rigour and the theoretical aspects of physics, taught by specialists in both departments. You will follow a parallel track covering theoretical physics from the Physics Department alongside mathematical physics and applied mathematics from the Mathematics Department, developing deep expertise in both disciplines simultaneously. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you professional and international experience alongside one of the most technically demanding undergraduate programmes available.
Graduates from mathematics and physics programmes are among the most sought after by employers in quantitative and technical roles. Careers in research, finance, data science, technology, engineering, and the physical sciences are all well-established destinations. The combination of abstract mathematical reasoning and physical intuition is particularly valued in roles that require sophisticated modelling, whether in theoretical research, financial risk management, computational simulation, or the design of complex systems.
Postgraduate study in physics, mathematics, mathematical finance, or computer science is a natural continuation for those who wish to develop specialist expertise or pursue research.