The Quantitative Experience Statement Explained

A common question we get asked is – what is the quantitative experience statement? All MSc applicants are required to complete this section of the application form and it helps us to assess your academic background.

We understand that this may seem daunting if your first degree was in a non-quantitative subject and if you have studied a quantitative subject at degree level, then you might also be confused about which topics to include. The quantitative experience statement is essentially a list of the five most quantitative modules you have studied. If you have not studied five quantitative modules at degree level you can include older achievements e.g. A-level Maths, IB Maths. 

Familiarity with basic mathematics will help you whilst on the programme and with your future career

All of our MSc programmes contain quantitative elements so all candidates are expected to be familiar with a basic level of mathematical knowledge. For the less quantitative MSc Programmes such as MSc Strategic Marketing, MSc International Health Management, and MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance, it is totally fine if you haven’t studied maths beyond compulsory classes in high school.

Sometimes really strong candidates can be intimidated by the quantitative experience statement, don’t be put off by this – we ask about your quantitative abilities to encourage you to consider the programme content and your future career path. Regardless of the role, there is no harm in being confident with numbers so that you can better understand data in your job.

Most of our Management MSc programmes are open to graduates from all academic backgrounds and a considerable proportion of our current classes have studied an arts or humanities degree.

If you haven’t studied maths for a long time, doing a GMAT or GRE test will give you a chance to brush up on your quantitative skills and can add weight to your application. The confidence from a good score in the quantitative section of the test will place you in a good position for the online self-studying modules over the summer and may even encourage you to consider programme pathways and careers that you had not previously.

Check the quantitative experience requirements before applying

For our more quantitative programmes (MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management, MSc Business Analytics, MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering and MSc Economics & Strategy for Business) this a key section of the application form that does influence the selection process so please check the entry requirements for your programme before you apply.

Jerry Voong, Admissions Officer for MSc Economics and Strategy for Business has some advice for prospective applicants.

“If it isn’t clear on your transcript that you have studied macro AND microeconomics then the quantitative experience statement is a great place to show us. Expand on the “introduction to economics” module on your transcript and outline what you studied.”

The finance suite of programmes are much more rigorous and students are expected to join the programme with an advanced level of mathematical skills. Ensuring that you have chosen the programme that best suits your previous studies can be key to a successful application. Sarah Eggleton, the Admissions Officer for the Finance Masters' programmes comments on this saying “it’s always really disappointing when you see a really great candidate without the quantitative grounding to allow them to succeed on a Finance Masters''”. This means that we won’t be able to make an offer even if the student would otherwise be a really good fit for the Business School.

Applicants for MSc Business Analytics must have a quantitative background to ensure that they have the best chance of success to be proficient in R, Python and SQL by the end of the programme. Most of the modules in the programme use at least one of these languages. Whilst prior experience in coding is not required, all students must be willing to learn programming from the start of the programme. Many admitted students will have already taken free online classes out of general interest if they did not study coding as part of their degree or through their job.

Applying for the finance suite of programmes? Take our online maths test!

We advise all prospective students for MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management and MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering programmes to take our online maths test. This gives candidates a chance to test their quantitative ability and determine if they are suitable to apply for one of these programmes. This maths test is the minimum level that is required to succeed. Almost 50% of the current Risk Management & Financial Engineering students have a background in mathematics, with the remainder having studied subjects such as engineering, economics and finance.