Highly ranked

Bristol is in the UK top 5 for Maths research (THE analysis of REF 2021) and in the UK top 10 for Maths overall (QS World University Rankings by subject 2023).

Research expertise

Our teaching is informed by cutting-edge research across a wide range of exciting topics.

Impressive facilities

The home of Maths at Bristol is the fully refurbished Grade II-listed Fry Building, a UK-leading mathematics facility at the heart of campus.

Mathematics at Bristol

If you're driven by intellectual curiosity and enjoy the satisfaction of cracking difficult puzzles, our mathematics degrees are for you.

Times Higher Education analysis of REF 2021 places Maths at Bristol in the top five nationally for the quality of its research, which directly informs our teaching and student learning. We have active research links to departments across the University, as well as external partners such as the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research.

At Bristol, you will explore distinctive, high-level mathematics in a fully refurbished Grade II-listed building at the heart of campus. From quiet study areas to new collaboration spaces and even boards in the courtyard garden, the whole building is designed to support creative mathematics, wherever that light-bulb moment strikes. Take a virtual tour of the building.

Think Big bursaries of £3,000 are available to support first-year international undergraduate students in this subject area.

Bristol is a fairly big city, but it's not overwhelming to live in and it feels really safe to walk around. I fell in love with the architecture - I loved the buildings, I loved the way the city moved. Now the maths building's finished, I absolutely love it. I feel very proud to study in there.

Amber, BSc Mathematics

Career prospects

An academic points at an equation on the blackboard at the front of a room with five students looking on

Our graduates are highly sought after by employers for their strong analytical, communication and organisational skills. A significant number continue with postgraduate study, while many graduates find employment in accountancy, finance, management, teaching and a wide variety of other sectors.

Several of our courses are accredited by professional bodies such as the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, the Royal Statistical Society and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, meaning you can work towards becoming a Chartered Mathematician or Graduate Statistician, or be exempt from some professional examinations.

What our students do after graduating

Course structure

The exterior of an old building. A sign in front of it reads 'Fry Building School of Mathematics'.

Most single honours courses share the same first year. This rigorous introduction to the fundamentals of mathematics lays a firm foundation for your studies and informs your choice of units in later years. Units include applied maths, pure maths, probability and statistics, as well as the opportunity to take part in group work.

In year two, you will study core units as well as topics that are of particular interest to you, including algebra, combinatorics, metric spaces and statistics, meaning you can continue with a varied degree or choose to specialise. From year two onwards, you may also take some units from outside the department.

In years three and four, you will have a very wide choice of options from across mathematics to best fit your interests. These may include topics in quantum mechanics, numerical analysis, logic, fluid dynamics and financial mathematics. MSci students will also complete a project-based unit in their final year.

Sample units may include:

  • Modern Mathematical Biology
  • Random Matrix Theory
  • Complex Networks
  • Financial Risk Management
  • Quantum Chaos.

Supportive community

People sitting on sofas and at tables working in a communal space.

Support for your studies is readily available, including our Maths Cafés where you can chat over course material with an upper-year undergraduate or postgraduate in a relaxed and informal setting.

Our friendly student community runs a vibrant maths society, Matrix, and the school regularly hosts conferences, visiting lectures and events.

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