The famous Sir Isaac Newton was a professor here at Cambridge, a legacy which has continued today with Fields Medalists and Nobel Prize winners. The Mathematics course is renowned for its flexibility, allowing you to cover a whole range of subjects, and focus on the ones you are most competent at in your examinations. You can either study as much or as little as possible, allowing for both breadth and depth approaches.
In first year, you either choose to take Pure and Applied Mathematics, or Mathematics with Physics. You will take eight subjects, encompassing methods such as algebraic systems (i.e. groups), calculus, probability, and relativity. If you are doing the Physics pathway, two of these are switched out with Natural Sciences modules.
In second year, you choose from a variety of advanced first-year topics and new topics (including geometry and quantum mechanics). There are also nonmandatory programming modules.
In the final year, the choices are extended even further to cosmology, waves, mathematical biology, and cryptography. If you perform well, you can take an optional integrated Masters as a fourth year, where you can choose from 75-80 different options.
Mathematics is one of the biggest faculties at Cambridge, with over 1500 applicants per year. Applicants had a 33% chance of offer last year, which is relatively high for Cambridge courses. The course has an unusual offer to acceptance ratio. Only 44% of those offered a place were accepted in 2021. Some of these will because the applicant went elsewhere but in many cases, it will be because the offer holder did not get the grades asked. The majority (almost 80%) of Mathematics students are male. Women have a higher offer rate but a lower acceptance rate.
You will need to have A-Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics (or equivalents), as well as high grades in STEP exams. Some colleges ask you to have an A-Level (or equivalent) in a science subject (if you take Maths with Physics, this must be Physics).
Cambridge Mathematics students are highly employable. Many end up in business, though some choose to pursue a career in academia. However, the skills you learn here can apply to a wide range of careers, including research, accountancy, consulting, programming and tech, finance, IT, and even video game and app design.
