Mathematics with a Professional Placement Year Cardiff University

Overview

The Mathematics with a Professional Placement Year programme offered at Cardiff University is a great choice if you would like to gain a deeper understanding of mathematics while gaining real-world experience in a paid mathematician or statistician role. This course expands on the BSc to prepare you for high-level entry into relevant professions. It’s also a solid base for pursuing a research career. 

Key facts

This course is the same as the four-year BSc with a Professional Placement Year with an additional fifth year of study where you will complete a major piece of project work, such as:

• a survey of an existing area of mathematical theory not covered in taught modules
• an introductory research project
• the development of a piece of mathematical software

Not only will you explore a research topic of your choice, but you will also develop the crucial professional skills that graduate employers are looking for. You will show that you are at the forefront of the discipline through extensive coverage of topics such as Mathematical Analysis, Mathematical Physics, and Fluid Dynamics.

In a competitive graduate job market, a placement can help you gain extra skills and experience to make you stand out from the crowd. It could help you to secure a permanent role after you graduate, as well as providing real-world context to support your studies. If you're not sure what career path to follow, it's a great opportunity to explore your options. It might help you make those all-important decisions about your future.

The current students are taking advantage of our strong industry links and completing exciting placements in organisations such as:

• HM Revenue & Customs
• the Ministry of Defence
• NHS Wales
• Nationwide
• BAE Systems
• IBM

• Disney

You can use this program as a pathway to the workforce where you may meet our alumni working in a variety of fields such as data science, operational research, internet technology, medicine, banking, logistics, risk management, and marketing. Or, you might choose to widen your career options to include a range of related fields by completing a PhD in mathematics, the sciences, computing or engineering.

Maths Careers Support

In the Spring semester of your first year, there is a range of masterclasses available to you to help support your future career prospects. The classes cover work experience, CV and covering letters, application forms, interview techniques, and an introduction to LinkedIn.

We have a regularly-updated student jobs board featuring a range of volunteering, internship, placement, and graduate opportunities. Plus, we organise a full programme of student and employer presentations every year with employers, such as Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, PwC, Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, Sainsburys, Network Rail, GSK, Office of National Statistics, Welsh Government, the MOD, Welsh Water, and the Met Office.

The School of Mathematics also has a Careers Management Skills Programme, presentations by students returning from industry and a range of sponsored prizes awarded for academic achievement.