[DarshanC]

Hey, I want to study Mathematics at university and need help selecting one. Thanks for looking here.

Which university and course is better??

Southampton - Bsc Mathematics with Finance OR

Exeter - Bsc Mathematics with Finance OR

Nottingham - Bsc Financial Mathematics OR

Durham - Bsc Mathematics

Please say why which one is better. I am looking to make a career in investment banking or actuarial science. So going to which university would benefit me?

Thanks in advance

[The Doggfather]

Durham is ranked 5 so I'd imagine they would be best from your list

[anonstudent1]

(Original post by DarshanC)
Hey, I want to study Mathematics at university and need help selecting one. Thanks for looking here.

Which university and course is better??

Southampton - Bsc Mathematics with Finance OR

Exeter - Bsc Mathematics with Finance OR

Nottingham - Bsc Financial Mathematics OR

Durham - Bsc Mathematics

Please say why which one is better. I am looking to make a career in investment banking or actuarial science. So going to which university would benefit me?

Thanks in advance

I'd personally choose nottingham

[qno2]

If your interested in studying maths and how its used in finance, can I recommend Heriot Watt and Kent. Both have large departments in actuarial maths and can offer exemptions from CT1-CT8 (professional actuarial exams). Other wise from your list id be more inclined to say Nottingham but Durham is also well respected. Also, if your prepared to do STEP, Warwick might also be good to look at.

[RedLizzie]

Have you looked at Warwick? Excellent maths department and links to all the big investment banks-lots banking specific of career fairs, help with internships etc. And Warwick is obviously a very good, high ranked, well respected university...

[Carl Sagan]

Don't go to Durham. There's nothing there.

[DarshanC]

Thanks a lot everyone for your replies

[DarshanC]

(Original post by qno2)
If your interested in studying maths and how its used in finance, can I recommend Heriot Watt and Kent. Both have large departments in actuarial maths and can offer exemptions from CT1-CT8 (professional actuarial exams). Other wise from your list id be more inclined to say Nottingham but Durham is also well respected. Also, if your prepared to do STEP, Warwick might also be good to look at.

But Kent and Heriot-watt are not that highly ranked. How are they different from others? Wont i learn how maths is used in finance from say Southampton or Nottingham?

[qno2]

(Original post by DarshanC)
But Kent and Heriot-watt are not that highly ranked. How are they different from others? Wont i learn how maths is used in finance from say Southampton or Nottingham?

Rank is not THAT important. I can't say a great deal for kent due to me not knowing that much about it but heriot watt on the other hand is where I should be going after the summer so: there maths departments (there is 2, maths and actuarial maths + statistics) tend to be rated much higher than the rest of the university and both normally have a graduate employment rate of around 90%. With regards to how maths is applied to finance, I believe that at most other universities it would be taught as a bunch of core maths modules and a few statistic modules with a couple of finance modules on the side whereas at Heriot Watt its all taught as integrated into each other (for actuarial science and financial maths degrees.) Its quite hard to explain but the main downside is that it does tend to be quite specialized but would be a great choice if your sure you want to go into finance. I'm not saying its better or anything of the sort, just informing you that more options are there.

Here's a link to the courses run by the AMS department for an idea: http://www.ma.hw.ac.uk/ams/teach/courses1112/index.php

[DarshanC]

(Original post by Carl Sagan)
Don't go to Durham. There's nothing there.

why not durham? any particular reasons? because it quite high ranked so it must be good

[PSxxx]

(Original post by qno2)
Rank is not THAT important. I can't say a great deal for kent due to me not knowing that much about it but heriot watt on the other hand is where I should be going after the summer so: there maths departments (there is 2, maths and actuarial maths + statistics) tend to be rated much higher than the rest of the university and both normally have a graduate employment rate of around 90%. With regards to how maths is applied to finance, I believe that at most other universities it would be taught as a bunch of core maths modules and a few statistic modules with a couple of finance modules on the side whereas at Heriot Watt its all taught as integrated into each other (for actuarial science and financial maths degrees.) Its quite hard to explain but the main downside is that it does tend to be quite specialized but would be a great choice if your sure you want to go into finance. I'm not saying its better or anything of the sort, just informing you that more options are there.

Here's a link to the courses run by the AMS department for an idea: http://www.ma.hw.ac.uk/ams/teach/courses1112/index.php

If this is true the they could be on to something

[Carl Sagan]

(Original post by DarshanC)
why not durham? any particular reasons? because it quite high ranked so it must be good

Well the university is good, but the city isn't.

[alibee]

Talking about actuarial exemptions etc. is a bit misleading as I assume the OP isn't wanting to do actuarial. If they were, they'd be looking at maths with actuarial science which is offered at Southampton for example.

I would say the thing about these joint degrees is that there are rarely modules developed only for those on that degree, So you would do maths modules with mathematicians and do finance modules with those on finance courses but not really modules that marry the maths content with the finance content.

OP all those universities have a strong maths department so I would forget about the rankings and try to focus on what differences there are between the courses, where you would like to live etc.