The Student Room Group

Maths degree - BTEC

Hi,anyone know please if it is possible to apply to a Russell Grouo Uni with 2 A levels - Maths and Further Maths - together with BTEC subsidiary diploma? I know they accept it for Engineering degree but not sure about Maths degree.
Cheers.
They may accept it, your best bet is to check with the universities directly. However maths at uni is extremely demanding, in no small amount due to how different it is at uni. For this reason, they may prefer you to do a full academic load before entering, as that will signal that you're less likely to have difficulties adjusting to the course.

At the end of the day, your best bet is to check with the universities you're interested in applying to. For a taste of what uni mathematics is like, you may want to take a look at something like Spivak's Calculus, which is a very readable introduction to analysis (one of the core subjects of university mathematics). Contrast this with something such as Landau's Foundations of Analysis which is more representative of what you'll be presented with: a constant stream of theorems and proofs. While you'll have a few Spivak's among your lecturers, you're likely to have far more Landau's and you'll need to master their material just as well as the other's to get through (particularly from the first and second year).

Bon chance however :smile:
Reply 2
Thanks for such a quick reply and the really helpful information for going forward! Will certainly look - cheers. 😄
Original post by xcr
Thanks for such a quick reply and the really helpful information for going forward! Will certainly look - cheers. 😄


NP :smile: But yea, it's certainly possible that you'll be accepted at many courses (maybe not Cambridge but...) and do well enough :tongue:

but definitely look into that pure maths stuff, if that's not to your taste you may find some engineering, computer science, or physics courses of interest; particularly applied mathematics/theoretical physics/mathematical physics/engineering mathematics/discrete mathematics/mathematical computation, as these are more methods based but still mathematically sophisticated which you should like :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by artful_lounger
NP :smile: But yea, it's certainly possible that you'll be accepted at many courses (maybe not Cambridge but...) and do well enough :tongue:

but definitely look into that pure maths stuff, if that's not to your taste you may find some engineering, computer science, or physics courses of interest; particularly applied mathematics/theoretical physics/mathematical physics/engineering mathematics/discrete mathematics/mathematical computation, as these are more methods based but still mathematically sophisticated which you should like :smile:


Wow - glad I posted, thanks. I had spotted Engineering Mathematics at Bristol but not thought of the others!
Original post by xcr
Wow - glad I posted, thanks. I had spotted Engineering Mathematics at Bristol but not thought of the others!


Yea more applied maths type courses tend to get a variety of weird and wonderful names; at Warwick you have Discrete Maths or Data Science for example, UCL has Mathematical Computation, Birmingham has the wordy Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics, which also apparently allows the option of spending an "intercalated" year in computer science there, Southampton has Mathematical Physics and so on and so forth :tongue:

These all have varying degrees of methods type courses (which are more like A-level Maths/FM, developing techniques to solve problems) and the pure courses which expound the theory of WHY these methods actually work (and are as noted theorem-proof driven).

So you don't need to wholly give up one for the other in any case, and most "straight" mathematics courses have plenty of options in applied mathematics/mathematical physics.

Then of course there are the physics/computer science/engineering courses themselves which are hugely varied in the number of mathematical options they offer, although there will always be a minimal core there (both to support the learning of the physically oriented material and to fulfill accreditation requirements).
Reply 6
Original post by artful_lounger
Yea more applied maths type courses tend to get a variety of weird and wonderful names; at Warwick you have Discrete Maths or Data Science for example, UCL has Mathematical Computation, Birmingham has the wordy Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics, which also apparently allows the option of spending an "intercalated" year in computer science there, Southampton has Mathematical Physics and so on and so forth :tongue:

These all have varying degrees of methods type courses (which are more like A-level Maths/FM, developing techniques to solve problems) and the pure courses which expound the theory of WHY these methods actually work (and are as noted theorem-proof driven).

So you don't need to wholly give up one for the other in any case, and most "straight" mathematics courses have plenty of options in applied mathematics/mathematical physics.

Then of course there are the physics/computer science/engineering courses themselves which are hugely varied in the number of mathematical options they offer, although there will always be a minimal core there (both to support the learning of the physically oriented material and to fulfill accreditation requirements).


Thank you so much for all your time, much appreciated!
Reply 7
Original post by xcr
Hi,anyone know please if it is possible to apply to a Russell Grouo Uni with 2 A levels - Maths and Further Maths - together with BTEC subsidiary diploma? I know they accept it for Engineering degree but not sure about Maths degree.
Cheers.


What grades are you expecting in Maths & FM? A BTEC is likely to be ok as a 3rd A-level equivalent.

For most maths courses the thing that really matters is Maths (and FM if you have it).
Reply 8
Original post by Doonesbury
What grades are you expecting in Maths & FM? A BTEC is likely to be ok as a 3rd A-level equivalent.

For most maths courses the thing that really matters is Maths (and FM if you have it).


Thanks for the reply - Maths A and Further Maths B
Reply 9
Original post by xcr
Thanks for the reply - Maths A and Further Maths B


You will need to contact some universities that typically offer AAB and ask them. And don't limit yourself to RG - there are many very good universities that aren't part of that self-selecting lobby group.
Reply 10
Original post by Doonesbury
You will need to contact some universities that typically offer AAB and ask them. And don't limit yourself to RG - there are many very good universities that aren't part of that self-selecting lobby group.

Thank you, will do. Yes, fallen for the hype of RG but have to confess my ignorance (apart from Bath & Loughborough) as to the next units to look at!
Reply 11
Original post by xcr
Thank you, will do. Yes, fallen for the hype of RG but have to confess my ignorance (apart from Bath & Loughborough) as to the next units to look at!


York, Surrey, Sussex, Lancaster, UEA, many others. :smile:
Reply 12
Original post by Doonesbury
York, Surrey, Sussex, Lancaster, UEA, many others. :smile:


Cheers 👍😄
Original post by xcr
Cheers 👍😄


Exeter is also an option, as they apparently typically make offers around AAB for maths, and they accept BTEC qualifications. Maths tends to be slightly undersubscribed there as well, and shows up in clearing reasonably often...
Reply 14
Original post by artful_lounger
Exeter is also an option, as they apparently typically make offers around AAB for maths, and they accept BTEC qualifications. Maths tends to be slightly undersubscribed there as well, and shows up in clearing reasonably often...


Fantastic, thanks - really liked the open day there and they suggested emailing their admissions dept to double check about BTEC 👍

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