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.

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

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

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.

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.

From quiet study areas to collaboration spaces and even boards in the courtyard garden, the Fry Building is designed to support creative mathematics, wherever that light-bulb moment strikes. Take a virtual tour of the building.