A brief introduction
A brief introduction to teaching in the School of Mathematics.
New Staff Induction Slides
UG Degrees
For official information on degree requirements see DRPS
User-friendly view of courses in maths and a couple of related schools see Path
At undergraduate level the standard UG degree is four years:
- In Year 1 and Year 2 (Prehonours) students spend a little more than half their total time on mathematics and use their remaining time to take courses from across the university.
- In Year 3-5 (Honours, Year 5 MMath only) students typically study entirely or almost entirely their principal subject.
- We have a number of combined (joint) degrees. Typically students study each of two subjects approximately equally throughout.
- Our in-house degree programmes include Mathematics, Mathematics and Statistics, and Applied Mathematics.
Variations
- We take a proportion (15-20%) of well-qualified entrants directly into Year 2 (named direct entry or accelerated programme) where they do mainly mathematics from the start.
- We have an Integrated Masters (MMath) degree where students study an extra UG year at masters level.
- The School has an agreement with some Chinese universities to do 2 years in China and 2 years in the UK for their degree.
Intake
- We take around 150 students per year into the School of Maths. These are students doing degrees in Mathematics or combined degrees that we run (which are those where Mathematics is the first named subject). There are also students on combined degrees owned by other Schools, for example, Computer Science and Mathematics, and Economics and Mathematics.
- A typical breakdown of our 150 is 55 Scottish, 45 Rest of UK, 20 Rest of EU, 30 Rest of World.
MSc Degrees
Our MSc degrees are primarily centred on Operational Research, Applied Mathematics., Financial Mathematics and Statistics. Total numbers recently are around 200 per year.
Teaching administration
Curricula
A full-time year of study consists of 120 credits. Courses are usually in units of 10, 20 or 40 points.
Timetabling
University teaching and vacation dates
Information about the teaching times
- Web timetables and room bookings are available through MyEd.
- Please do not over-run, students have other places they need to get to.
- All our Year 1 teaching is typically in the Central Area, also known as George Square.
- Almost all of our teaching from Year 2 onwards is at King's Buildings, usually in the JCMB.
Year 1 courses
What courses students take in Year 1
Please note that many students in these courses are in other degrees not within the School of Mathematics. Please refrain from saying things like "later in your mathematics degree".
Lecturing
Most contact hours in most courses are in the form of 50-minute lectures.
- Most lecture theatres are well-equipped with boards and lecture recording.
- You can check the facilities and capacities of rooms through the timetabling page on MyEd.
- You may receive "Learning Profiles" for students. Please discuss this with the Student Support Team if you are unsure how to respond. There is some flexibility here, adjustments are to be made if reasonably possible.
- Students are allowed to audio record lectures for their own use without permission. This may not be allowed if such recording would affect the learning environment.
- Media Hopper Replay is a lecture recording service available in most lecture theatres.
More information about Media Hopper Replay
Workshops
We conduct most of our tutoring in workshops. We do not call them tutorials as this could suggest an event where you are passively taught.
Workshops are usually in Teaching Studios. These contain tables seating up to 6 students.
- In Year 1 and Year 2 there is one tutor for each pair of tables.
- In later years tutors are not assigned to particular tables.
- A course lecturer will often be present as super-tutor to oversee the workshop.