Mathematics with Economics (Placement Year)

Develop your mathematical expertise with a solid foundation in economics as you delve into the power of maths and how it underpins economic systems and modelling. You will learn how to apply mathematical and statistical theory to understand how governments, commerce and households shape global economic policies and growth. Studying this combination at Lancaster University means you benefit from a curriculum at the cutting-edge of research across two highly ranked departments, Mathematical Sciences and Economics, providing you with an outstanding education.

What to expect

Our four-year BSc Hons Mathematics with Economics (Placement Year) degree begins by building your understanding of mathematical methods and concepts through a mix of lectures and workshops. You will explore a wide range of topics, from multivariable calculus, probability and statistics, to logic, proofs and theorems.

In Years 2 and 3 you will have some flexibility to choose modules according to your career interests. This will deepen your mathematical knowledge and help you to develop the skills to interpret financial time series, model social choices, analyse economic patterns and critique business decisions. Depending on your selection, you may have the chance to work on fascinating investigations such as analysing data about food and living costs; applying game theory to strategic decision-making; epidemic modelling; mathematical modelling for AI; or even predicting aftershocks from real earthquake data.

Your placement

In Year 3, you will undertake a placement that will enable you to apply the knowledge and skills learnt so far and gain invaluable experience that will then inform your studies in Year 4 and your career beyond.

Although it’s up to you to find your placement, we will support you all the way. Our Careers Service will provide guidance on CVs, applications, interview techniques and creating a digital profile.

Personal development

You will develop valuable transferable skills such as data analysis, problem-solving and quantitative reasoning, all of which make you highly desirable to future employers. These skills are honed by working in collaboration with fellow students, ruminating on theories and testing them out, delivering presentations and communicating your research results. With a year’s experience added to your CV, you will be a standout graduate.

A supportive community

To help you transition from A-level to degree-level study, the School of Mathematical Sciences hosts weekly workshops, problem-solving classes and one-to-one sessions. If you wish to engage with mathematics beyond that, the MathSoc hosts a weekly Maths Cafe that includes access to academic support and a casual space to chat with other students.

3 things our mathematics students want you to know:

• Mathematics is a great way to keep your career options open. Applying reasoning and logic to any problem is a sought-after skill in any career, and the learning at Lancaster University is directly related to real-world applications

• Maths is beautiful. You will see it for yourself. Once you begin learning, you start to see maths everywhere in life, all around us in nature and architecture, and that makes it easier to imagine the future possibilities

• Mathematical sciences at Lancaster are incredibly collaborative. You will bounce ideas around with experts, or with students from all years. Our thriving postgraduate research student community has been right where we are, asking the same questions, and there’s even opportunities to talk with them and learn from them