Warwick maths and physics

Hi all, Can you please help me? If I get a maths and physics course via clearing at Warwick, is it possible to shift to straight maths or straight physics if I don't like to do both in the future? Thanks

You can switch to straight maths. It is not particularly easy and is dependent on the maths department having spaces. They only formally require 75%+ in your first year with 70+ in certain modules but you will want some modules in excess of that. The 2020 intake, due to the CAG madness, were set almost impossibly high requirements to transfer. (since the course is over-filled by about 100 students atm) It remains to be seen what the 2021 intake will be like.

The mathphys course handbook says you can transfer to Physics too. I would imagine this is (a lot?) easier.

Only put down mathphys if you are prepared to possibly stay on the course. If you are not particularly interested in physics and can't see yourself doing a degree with a good amount of it, I would look at maths somewhere else. (even if it is a slightly "lesser" course, that is preferable to doing a course you don't like) You can do fairly minimal amounts of physics in third and fourth year, (like a third to 40%ish in the third year it looks like) though. If you took this avenue and failed to transfer to maths, and are fed up of physics entirely, you could graduate with a BSc mathphys and pursue a MASt or MSc in Maths at Warwick or elsewhere. This would have funding implications since you would have a postgrad loan. You may also have the option to transfer to the second year of another university after the first year, but imo this would defeat the object of going to warwick and you may as well start somewhere else.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 2

RADHAT

OP

9

Thank you.
If I get a place for Math and Phy at Warwick via clearing , is it possible to shift to any course ( maths or Econ) if I can study from the first year?

Original post by RADHAT

Thank you.
If I get a place for Math and Phy at Warwick via clearing , is it possible to shift to any course ( maths or Econ) if I can study from the first year?

To clarify in the above I was talking about progressing from first year mathphys to second year maths. It is possible that you could get a deferred place for maths, but I'm not sure how a restart would work. (you will have already studied content overlapping with much of first year maths) Not sure about econ but see no reason why not. Again this is all up to the departments and I would not join the university with the sole intention of transferring to another.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

Original post by RADHAT

Thank you.
If I get a place for Math and Phy at Warwick via clearing , is it possible to shift to any course ( maths or Econ) if I can study from the first year?

Whilst the answer is technically yes, exactly the same applies as transferring to pure Maths. Econ is a headline course for Warwick and well subscribed, (and likely oversubscribed following last years CAGS).

_gcx’s post is excellent and their guidance really applies to the possibility of transferring to any course. Possible, but entirely reliant on their being space.

Reply 5

Muttley79

20

Original post by RADHAT

Thank you.
If I get a place for Math and Phy at Warwick via clearing , is it possible to shift to any course ( maths or Econ) if I can study from the first year?

I'd look to see what other unis have Maths places - what you are contemplating is risky. Warwick isn't SO good that I would choose to risk this.
[Maths teacher]

Reply 6

Anonymous #2

Original post by Muttley79

I'd look to see what other unis have Maths places - what you are contemplating is risky. Warwick isn't SO good that I would choose to risk this.
[Maths teacher]

Warwick is 10th in the country and 62nd in the world. I'd classify that as a good university.

Reply 7

Muttley79

20

Original post by Anonymous

Warwick is 10th in the country and 62nd in the world. I'd classify that as a good university.

As I said - NOT good enough to risk it - do you acutally believe League tables anyway? I don't - they can't be replicated.

Warwick has a reputation for over-offering so that makes the risk much higher

Reply 8

Anonymous #2

Original post by Muttley79

As I said - NOT good enough to risk it - do you acutally believe League tables anyway? I don't - they can't be replicated.

Warwick has a reputation for over-offering so that makes the risk much higher

ah yes, we all know 'reputation' to be a more accurate indicator of quality than impartial assessment. Despite that, I have to agree with you about over-offering and I think finding a place through clearing, especially for the subjects in question, may be a risky move.

Warwick joint maths courses are fairly often (i think? at least mathphys. discrete maths was in the past) in clearing, and the department knows people will try to use them to get their "foot in the door" and get a backdoor into their straight maths course. That is why they are selective with transfers.

Original post by Anonymous

ah yes, we all know 'reputation' to be a more accurate indicator of quality than impartial assessment. Despite that, I have to agree with you about over-offering and I think finding a place through clearing, especially for the subjects in question, may be a risky move.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 10

Muttley79

20

Original post by Anonymous

ah yes, we all know 'reputation' to be a more accurate indicator of quality than impartial assessment. Despite that, I have to agree with you about over-offering and I think finding a place through clearing, especially for the subjects in question, may be a risky move.

I've been teaching for a while so this 'reputation' is from knowledge - why are you posting anon?

Reply 11

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by Anonymous

Warwick is 10th in the country and 62nd in the world. I'd classify that as a good university.

For maths specifically Warwick is in the top 4 in the country pretty easily, for what it's worth. I don't think there has been any suggestion over the last 10 years or so that the holy tetralogy of maths (Cambridge/Oxford/Imperial/Warwick) has changed; I think the main shift in the overall strengths of maths departments is Bristol solidifying its strengths and closing the gap with those four a bit.

But the above advice is still valid, no point doing a course where they have no interest in half the degree in the hopes they can transfer into the course they actually want to study. They'd be better off taking a gap year or going elsewhere.

Reply 12

Muttley79

20

Original post by artful_lounger

For maths specifically Warwick is in the top 4 in the country pretty easily, for what it's worth. I don't think there has been any suggestion over the last 10 years or so that the holy tetralogy of maths (Cambridge/Oxford/Imperial/Warwick) has changed; I think the main shift in the overall strengths of maths departments is Bristol solidifying its strengths and closing the gap with those four a bit.

But the above advice is still valid, no point doing a course where they have no interest in half the degree in the hopes they can transfer into the course they actually want to study. They'd be better off taking a gap year or going elsewhere.