Mathematics with a Year Abroad

Mathematics at Imperial College is an encounter with one of the most powerful and precise ways of thinking that human beings have developed. Pure mathematics investigates abstract structures for their own sake, finding patterns and truths that are provable rather than merely probable. Applied mathematics turns these structures toward the physical, biological and social worlds, modelling phenomena from fluid dynamics to financial markets.

At a department of Imperial's calibre, the two strands are taught in close proximity, and students encounter both the beauty of abstract reasoning and the astonishing effectiveness of mathematics as a tool for understanding reality.

This four-year degree includes a year abroad at a partner institution, giving you the opportunity to experience mathematical study in a different academic environment, to develop your independence and to build an international dimension into your formation as a mathematician. You will engage with concepts that extend directly from A-level study, including real analysis, linear algebra and differential equations, and with ideas that require genuinely new ways of thinking, such as topology, number theory, group theory and probability theory. The programme is intellectually demanding and expects a high level of mathematical maturity, but it develops graduates who can engage with abstract and applied mathematics at an advanced level and communicate their reasoning with precision.

The year abroad enriches this formation not only intellectually but personally, exposing you to different mathematical traditions and cultures and to the experience of working and studying in an unfamiliar environment.

Graduates from Imperial's mathematics programmes go on to careers in finance, particularly quantitative analysis and financial modelling, technology, data science, engineering consulting, actuarial work, government analytical services and academic research. Many pursue postgraduate study at masters or doctoral level, and Imperial's graduates are sought by leading institutions worldwide. The combination of rigorous training and an international year makes this degree a strong platform for the most demanding graduate roles.