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Can I do a Physics degree without Further Maths?

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You definitely don't need to do further maths. I didn't - I did history A Level instead (!) and got offers from all the unis I applied to (Russel group etc.). All the content in the further maths course is covered at uni, but perhaps at a fairly brisk pace. So you'd have a small advantage if you took further maths, but it is not significant.
Original post by AlesanaWill
You definitely don't need to do further maths. I didn't - I did history A Level instead (!) and got offers from all the unis I applied to (Russel group etc.). All the content in the further maths course is covered at uni, but perhaps at a fairly brisk pace. So you'd have a small advantage if you took further maths, but it is not significant.


Alright, thank you! Just wondering, did any interviewers ask you why you didn't take Further Maths, or did they not really care?
Original post by DarkEnergy
I've recently finished my AS exams, and I'm expecting an A in each of my subjects: Maths, Chemistry, Physics, and Computer Science.

I'm planning on dropping Chemistry next year, and I don't really have the time over summer to self-teach Further Maths AS. I'll most likely mention in my personal statement though that I'm going to self-teach more advanced Maths - I plan to read "Mathematics for Physicists" over summer amongst other books.

I've been looking into universities and I was wondering if I'm at a disadvantage because I didn't take Further Maths. I'm not aiming for Oxbridge or anything like that. My choices are probably going to be St. Andrews, Edinburgh, York, King's, and Loughborough, where I'm applying for an MPhys degree in each. Each uni doesn't explicitly state that Further Maths is required, but most do say Further Maths can be helpful.

So my question is, if I'm not applying to the absolute top universities for Physics (Oxbridge/Imperial/UCL), will I be at a significant disadvantage in the admissions process for not studying Further Maths?

Further Maths is recommended but not always a requirements. Top universities like Imperial and Oxbridge will require further maths but nearly all others will accept you with good grades in Physics and maths. The only disadvantage would be you might struggle a little bit with the math content in university. Otherwise you can do it if you want.
No, not in the slightest. I hold an offer for theoretical physics at Imperial and that's about as heavily maths based as a physics degree gets and they didn't mention me not taking further maths once. I did however sit AS further maths this year with M2-3 and FP1 and it was pretty enjoyable so I'd definitely recommend it. Also hoping to have some of FP2/3 and M4/5 covered before I start uni.
Original post by DarkEnergy
Alright, thank you! Just wondering, did any interviewers ask you why you didn't take Further Maths, or did they not really care?


No I never got asked why I didn't do further maths. I think if you do something different it shows broader interests, which is no bad thing. At interview, I was mostly asked about bits of my personal statement.
Alright, thanks for the responses everyone!

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