Dr Paul Glaister

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Mathematics at Reading
Dr Paul Glaister Director of Undergraduate Studies
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What will you gain from a degree involving
Mathematics?

• useful transferable skills
• enhanced prospects for a fulfilling career
• subject-specific knowledge

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Skills promoted by a Mathematics degree

• logic and reasoning
• problem-solving
• communication, both oral and written
• IT skills
• library and research skills
• independent learning
• perseverance

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Skills promoted by a Mathematics degree

• logic and reasoning
• problem-solving
• communication, both oral and written
• IT skills
• library and research skills
• independent learning
• perseverance

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Employment after graduation

• Reading is highly rated for the employability of
  its graduates
• Pro-active careers service
• Headstart programme

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• First Destinations of recent Mathematics
  Graduates

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Graduate profile Helen Jenkins(Mathematics,
MMath)

• Helen began working for Arup as a Risk and
  Safety Analyst soon after leaving University.
  Helens training in the Mathematics department at
  Reading has given her skills in the solving of
  analytical problems, written and spoken
  communication and expertise in IT. Helen is now
  working towards her Chartered Mathematician
  Status and has recently become the Environmental
  Management Systems Representative for Arup
  Energy.

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Graduate profile Sarah Parker(Mathematics,
BSc)

• After graduating in July 2000 Sarah remained at
  The University of Reading to study Secondary
  Mathematics Teaching for a Postgraduate
  Certificate in Education.
• She says, Thanks to the guidance and support
  given by lecturers and other students, I have
  been able to go on to teach Mathematics with
  confidence and understanding
• Sarah will soon begin work as a Mathematics
  teacher at Tiverton High School in Devon.

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Graduate profile Darek Romowicz(Mathematics
Meteorology)

• Having left Reading University armed with my
  Maths and Meteorology degree I have managed to
  get married and find employment at British Energy
  (formerly known as Nuclear Electric, or for the
  older audience CEGB), as Probabilistic Safety
  Analyst, in Gloucester. I consider both to be
  major achievements. My work involves providing
  engineering support to Sizewell B Nuclear power
  station, justifying the safety of proposed
  modifications. As odd as it may seem my degree
  proved very relevant to my current position, and
  it is not only the Mathematics that is useful
  when performing some elaborate calculations of
  probability and uncertainty of systems and
  component failures, Meteorology has provided me
  with good knowledge of fluid flow and
  thermodynamics, which are of particular
  importance in a water cooled reactor. Ever since
  joining the company I have moved around on
  various secondments, spending 3 months at the
  power station, and 9 months in the consultancy
  department researching the usefulness and
  applicability of Kyoto protocol to companys
  activities.

• My taste for education has remained as strong as
  ever, and recently I have convinced my management
  that sponsoring me to do a distance learning MSc
  course in Operational Research will be of mutual
  benefit.
• I think that one thing I have realised in the
  couple of years since leaving the university is
  that to a certain extent it is not important what
  subjects are studied, what is important is
  learning and finding out how to apply the
  knowledge gained to as many areas as possible.

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Graduate profile Mark Salmon(Mathematics
Psychology)

• Shortly after graduation, Mark began work as a
  trainee accountant for Kirk Rice Accountants.
• He is currently working on client audits and
  year-end accounts. Recently he sat Papers 1 and 3
  of the Association of Certified Chartered
  Accountants.
• Mark is keen to point out that his present
  success has much to do with the skills he
  acquired and developed as an undergraduate in
  Reading.

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Degree structure
With option to change degree after Part 1 exam.
Does not contribute to degree result. Parts 2 -4
contribute to degree result.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 (for MMath)
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Student support

• personal tutor system
• personal and academic record (PAR)
• drop-in Mathematics surgery
• University study adviser
• Health centre, counselling service
• Students Union Welfare office
• Hall wardens, welfare officer

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• Other support
• Careers Advisory Service
• Job Shop

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Teaching and Learning Policy

• support for transition to University practical
  classes, instructor groups
• more reliance on independent learning in later
  stages of degree
• project work
• 20 assessed course work in Part 1 and 2

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What do we do at Reading?

• A broad range of pure and applied Mathematics
• research areas in combinatorics,
  reaction-diffusion problems, numerical
  mathematics applied to a range of problems, data
  assimilation for weather forecasting

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Topics in Applied Mathematics, Topics in Pure
Mathematics , Complex Analysis and Calculus of
Variations
Mathematical Logic ,Graph Theory , Galois
Theory Algebraic Number Theory , History of
Mathematics Combinatorics, Dynamical Systems,
Numerical Analysis, Reaction-Diffusion Theory ,
Lagrangian Mechanics and Viscous Fluid Dynamics
, Hilbert Space, Spectral Theory and Integral
Equations, Boundary Value Problems and
Asymptotic Methods , Modern Analysis,
Differential Geometry, Numerical Solution of
Differential Equations, Algebra, Topology.
Fourth Year Mathematics Project.
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Admissions policy

• compensation between A-Level subjects, if you
  gain the required Maths grade.
• if you miss the grades for the MMath degree but
  qualify for the BSc you will be offered an
  alternative place on BSc.
• if you miss the grades for the Mathematics degree
  you will be offered an alternative place on
  Mathematical Studies if you qualify for that.

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Good luck!