Mathematics with a Professional Placement Year

Mathematics is the language in which the sciences are written, and the discipline that trains the most rigorous and transferable forms of analytical thinking. It combines the beauty of pure reasoning, in number theory, algebra, geometry, and analysis, with the power of applied mathematics, in statistics, optimisation, fluid dynamics, and computational modelling. A professional placement year extends this education by placing mathematical skills in a real working environment.

At Cardiff University this four-year full-time programme combines a thorough mathematics degree with a dedicated professional placement year, giving you the opportunity to apply your skills in a professional setting and to understand how mathematics is used in practice. You will cover the core of the mathematics curriculum, developing rigour in proof and abstraction alongside facility with applied mathematical methods and computing. The placement year is spent working with an employer, developing professional skills, building networks, and gaining practical experience that is genuinely valued by graduate employers.

Cardiff's mathematics department has active research groups across pure and applied mathematics, and you will study in an environment where the subject is taken seriously at the highest level. The placement year is integrated into the degree structure and supported by academic staff, so your experience in the workplace connects back to your studies.

Mathematics graduates are in demand across a remarkably wide range of careers, including finance and banking, actuarial science, data science, engineering, technology, the civil service, education, and research. The professional placement year strengthens this position further by giving you practical experience before you graduate. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in mathematics, statistics, data science, or finance.