Lectures, Problems Classes and Assessment

One thing you will quickly notice once they start at College is how different learning is at university - great emphasis is placed on independent work. 

In the Mathematics degree programme, you will learn though a combination of lectures, problem classes, tutorials, computing classes, group work and self-study. Support for learning, in the form of tutorials and problem classes, is tapered over the years. It is greater in the early stages of the programme, allowing you to develop into a fully-independent learner by the end of the programme.

Many lecturers will use the College's VLE Blackboard Learn to display module information (eg. notes, problem sheets, recommended reading), but some will use separate websites. Lecturers will often give recommended reading lists and online notes to support you with your learning. When watching or taking part in lectures, you will be encouraged to take down your. own notes, and note down questions and areas you may need to review later. Problems Classes take place to support the you with the problem solving process and to help answer your questions on question sheets you are given for the modules. Lecturers also set aside certain times each week for office hours when they are available to help students.

Much of your time at university will not timetabled. You will need to plan out a weekly schedule to allocate time to studying your lecture notes and books, revising and solving problems, in addition to enjoying the social life at the College and London. 

FIRST YEAR PROGRAMME

In the First Year, all students take the same core modules. These compulsory modules develop a strong foundation in mathematics for all students in Pure and Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Probability. Students also take a computional module, learning the programming language Python. The year ends with an independent research project. 

In the First and Second Years,  students on the G104 Mathematics with a Year Abroad programme also take an appropriate language module in addition to the mathematics modules.  However, students who are especially well prepared in the language for their proposed year of study away may exceptionally have the language module requirements waived. 

All students throughout their degree programme may also take not-for-credit Imperial Horizons modules to complement their learning.  The Imperial Horizons programme allows students to take a non-maths module from a variety of options, past modules have included topics as varied as: Introduction to Management, Sound Technology and Korean. The programme has been designed to broaden students’ education and enhance their career prospects. 

SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR PROGRAMMES

In the Second, Third and Fourth Year programmes, as with the First Year programme, with very few exceptions, each module has lectures together with problems classes to support the learning.

The Second Year programme extends and enhances major themes that feature in the First Year programme of study.  Students take core and optional modules. The optional modules available at Second Year level should be regarded as an opportunity to familiarise yourself with areas of special interests. Some of the optional modules will be pre-requisites for third and fourth year modules. 

Third Year students choose from over 40 modules from within the Department and from select modules elsewhere. In the Fourth Year (only for MSci students), students choose six modules made available to them in the Department and complete an extended independent research project equivalent to two lecture modules.  The great variety of modules in the Third and Fourth Years allows students to specialise in the area they are most interested in. 

You can read more about the modules and options in the Programme specifications. 

Computation

In order to be able to work with large data and challenging computations, students are currently taught Python and R in their first year. In later years optional modules have included other programming languages, to further students computational abilities and professional skills. LaTeX typesetting skills are taught in the first year as part of the first year independent project at the end of the year. 

Tasmin

"In academics what I’ve appreciated most is the sheer variety of third and fourth year options. You can become as specialised or stay as general as you like, tailoring your degree to your interests and ambitions and getting exactly what you want from it: every maths degree from Imperial is unique, so it’s easy to stand out. I stayed very broad in my third year before specialising in my fourth year. Staying broad means I have a very good working knowledge in a number of areas of mathematics, whilst specialising has meant I’ve been taught by several world-leaders in my chosen field: the best of both worlds, and precisely what I need to succeed in further study. 

I was on the MSci programme, which has been a great springboard into PhD-level study: the project in particular allows you to work closely with an expert in their field, bringing you right up to the cutting-edge of research."