Mathematics with Foundation Year

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

A degree that opens doors 

With its focus on the real-world applications of mathematics, this degree is challenging, rewarding and opens doors to a wide range of career choices, from business and finance to engineering and teaching. 

While mathematics is one of the oldest subjects to study, it underpins so many of the world's new and emerging fields — from big data and artificial intelligence, to clean energy or personalised medicine. If you are excited by the idea of using mathematics to make a positive impact on the world, this BSc (Hons) degree could be for you. It will develop your knowledge and understanding of key concepts in mathematics, statistics and operational research, and encourage you to explore how mathematics can be applied to solve modern problems, particularly in business. Practical projects, including those set by external organisations, are a key feature of this course. You will also build vital transferable skills such as problem-solving, communication, digital skills, teamwork and networking. 

Flexibility 

You’ll study alongside students on our BSc (Hons) Data Science and Artificial Intelligence degree in year one. This will give you the option of transferring to this degree at the end of the year if you find it suits you better. In year two you’ll go on to study more specialist modules with further options to tailor your studies to an area of your interest in your final year. 

Benefit from our links with industry 

Our course has been designed in close collaboration with industrial practitioners, technologists, specialists and professional bodies. We collaborate with local and international industries on a wide range of challenging projects including Rolls-Royce, Toyota, CERN, Bloc Digital, Alstom, Bentley Motors and JCB. 

We offer you the chance to take a year's work placement between years two and three of your course. Our students often say this is the most rewarding part of their course and it will certainly boost your employment prospects after graduation — increasingly, employers are looking for graduates with work experience. Previous students have secured placements with prestigious companies such as IBM, Network Rail, Experian, Bosch, Pattonair, IQ Plus and Cable Detection.  There are also other opportunities to take up shorter internships and placements, and we'll encourage and support you to do this. 
 
If you’re interested in studying abroad, there’s the option of taking a work placement overseas or studying in another country for a semester.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

You’ll learn through a variety of ways including: 

• Interactive lectures
• Seminars and tutorials
• Practical sessions
• Team working 

You’ll be encouraged to use and apply research and innovation tools in an Individual Project module in your third year. 

How you are assessed 

Instead of exams, a variety of assessment methods are used. Some modules are assessed through coursework only, others by a combination of: 

• Coursework
• Assignments
• Oral and graphic presentations
• Case studies
• Teamwork projects
• Computer testing and examinations 

2023 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2023 entry.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

2024 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2024 entry.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

2023/24

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

After graduating, you will have advanced analytical and numerical skills and also be great at problem-solving and logical thinking. These abilities are valued by employers and could lead on to careers in: 

• finance and banking
• data science and data analysis
• software engineering
• mathematical research
• innovation in teaching and digital learning technologies
• computer programmer
• systems architect or systems engineer

Some of our graduates have gone on to work for organisations like the London Stock Exchange, the Police, the Civil Service, Microsoft and IBM. 

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Additional costs and optional extras

We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

Included in your fees

• Software including MATLAB, R, Maple, Vretta, Teams, Office365

Please note: Our courses are refreshed and updated on a regular basis. If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Other courses you might like

• Mathematics BSc (Hons)