Mathematics with Finance and Investment Banking with a Placement Year

Mathematics with finance and investment banking combines the rigorous quantitative foundations of a mathematics degree with the specific knowledge and skills demanded by one of the most analytically intensive sectors in the economy. Investment banking requires sophisticated mathematical capability in areas including probability, statistics, calculus, linear algebra and numerical methods, applied to the valuation of financial instruments, the measurement and management of risk, and the structuring of complex financial transactions. This degree is designed to prepare you for exactly that environment.

At the University of Reading this four-year programme includes a placement year, giving you a full year of professional experience in a financial services or banking organisation before you complete your degree. This is a significant advantage in a field where employers value demonstrated professional experience alongside academic achievement. The mathematics component develops the core areas of the discipline, including analysis, statistics and applied mathematics, building the rigorous quantitative foundation that finance at this level requires.

The finance and investment banking content covers corporate finance, asset pricing, derivatives, fixed income, portfolio management and the financial economics that underpins these areas. Reading's business school has strong connections with the financial sector, and its location provides good access to London-based firms.

Graduates are well placed for careers in investment banking, asset management, derivatives pricing, quantitative research, risk management and related financial roles. The combination of mathematical rigour and investment banking-specific knowledge, reinforced by professional placement experience, is a strong preparation for graduate recruitment processes at leading financial institutions. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in financial mathematics, quantitative finance or economics, or pursue professional qualifications in finance.

The degree is a demanding and well-focused preparation for a high-stakes and analytically intensive career.