2024/25 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BSc Mathematics and Philosophy (For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

Total credits: 360

Entry requirements:

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

Philosophy, Religion and History of Science

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

Philosophy
Mathematics

Programme specification:

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme from September 2024. For students who entered the programme before September 2024, you can find the details of your programme:

BSc Mathematics and Philosophy


This programme is full time and in person. It does not include any distance learning elements.
Your course
The programme provides for breadth and depth, and to enable you to build a personalised portfolio of knowledge and competencies in each discipline, according to your intellectual ambitions, needs, and interests.

At level 1, students will be exposed to core topics in each discipline through compulsory modules. In Maths you will learn about mathematical structures and techniques, from understanding the fundamentals of number systems through to being able to solve ordinary differential equations. In Philosophy, your core module focuses on how to analyse ideas and construct effective arguments. You will also study at least one core sub-field of philosophy and can choose from a selection of ‘taster’ modules, such as philosophy of religion, science or race. With Maths, you will choose whether to study statistics or mathematical analysis, to prepare you to select a specialised pathway from level 2. The four higher-level pathways are pure maths, applied maths, statistics plus pure maths, or statistics plus applied maths.

In Philosophy, level 2 of the programme is designed to provide the opportunity to acquire knowledge of and competence in a range of core topics so that, by final year, you can specialise in a disciplinary sub-field (such as normative philosophy, applied philosophy or theoretical philosophy). In addition, you will take a module on philosophical method designed specifically for joint honours students. This will further develop your philosophical skills alongside learning how the study of philosophy connects with and enhances the study of mathematics, which provides a preparation for a final year compulsory module in the Philosophy of Logic and Maths.

Students can undertake a final year project in either of the disciplines which will showcase the subject-specific skills you have developed over the previous two years.

The programme showcases the distinctive areas of research strength in Philosophy and Maths at Leeds. Modules at higher levels will offer the opportunity to engage with current research of academics in each of the Schools, especially at level 3.

At each level, you may study Discovery modules to expand your knowledge and/or skills beyond your programme of study, which provides a further opportunity to shape your study to your ambitions, interests and needs.

The programme has an international variant, which includes a study abroad year at Level 3, and an industrial variant, which includes a work placement year at Level 3.

Your future
A joint honours degree in Mathematics and Philosophy will equip you with varied subject knowledge as well as an impressively broad set of skills, all of which is attractive to employers.
You’ll be confident interpreting both quantitative and qualitative data, and have excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. You’ll also be comfortable working independently or in a team and have good research skills. Crucially, you’ll also be able to look at a situation from different points of view and communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing – and you’ll have developed good organisational skills through managing two very different subjects.

Our world
Throughout this degree, students will have the opportunity to engage with material that demonstrates how each of maths and philosophy is relevant to understanding and navigating contemporary issues and concerns. In doing so, they acquire a developed and informed understanding of their own stance on those issues, and an enhanced understanding of the world in which w e live, which can be applied in many and varied professional and social contexts.

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Candidates must study 120 credits which may include up to 20 credits of Discovery modules.
Candidates must pass at least 100 credits, including any PFP modules and a minimum of 40 credits in Maths (MATH) and 40 credits in Philosophy (PHIL), to progress to the next year of the programme.

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules: 

Optional modules:

Candidates must study ONE of the following optional Maths modules: 

Students who study MATH1110 can study only pathways 1a, 1b or 2 in year 2.
Students who study MATH1700 can study only pathways 2, 3 or 4 in year 2.

Candidates must study at least 20 credits from the following optional Philosophy modules: 

Candidates may study up to 20 credits from the following optional modules:

Discovery modules:

Candidates may study up to 20 credits of discovery modules

Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for years 2 and 3 are not yet available. Before you enter years 2 and 3 details of modules for those years will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates must study 120 credits which may include up to 20 credits of Discovery modules.
Candidates must pass at least 100 credits, including any PFP modules and a minimum of 40 credits in Maths (MATH) and 40 credits in Philosophy (PHIL), to progress to the next year of the programme.

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory module:
*  Philosophical Method (for JH)  - 20 Credits

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study at least one of the following optional Philosophy modules. They may study two optional Philosophy modules but no more than one module may be in semester 1. Both modules may be in semester 2.  

PHIL2635 Universal Science: Topics in Formal Logic is mutually exclusive with MATH2140 Introduction to Logic: candidates may not study both.

Candidates will be required to study ONE of the following 60-credit Maths pathways. They will be required to study the same pathway at Level 3.

Pathway 1a Pure Maths (for candidates who are not studying PHIL2635 Universal Science: Topics in Formal Logic)

* Further Linear Algebra & Discrete Mathematics  - 20 Credits
* Calculus, Curves & Complex Analysis  - 20 Credits
* Introduction to Logic  - 10 Credits
* Rings & Polynomials  - 10 Credits

Pathway 1b Pure Maths (for candidates who are studying PHIL2635 Universal Science: Topics in Formal Logic)

* Further Linear Algebra & Discrete Mathematics  - 20 Credits
* Calculus, Curves & Complex Analysis  - 20 Credits
* Optimisation  - 10 Credits
* Rings & Polynomials  - 10 Credits

Pathway 2 Applied Maths

* Vector Calculus and Partial Differential Equations - 20 Credits
* Mathematical Modelling  - 20 Credits
* Optimisation  - 10 Credits
* Calculus of Variations  - 10 Credits

Pathway 3 Statistics and Pure Maths
* Further Linear Algebra & Discrete Mathematics  - 20 Credits
* Statistical Methods  - 20 Credits
* Stochastic Processes  - 10 Credits
* Time Series  - 10 Credits

Pathway 4 Statistics and Applied Maths

* Vector Calculus and Partial Differential Equations - 20 Credits
* Statistical Methods  - 20 Credits
* Stochastic Processes  - 10 Credits
* Time Series  - 10 Credits

Discovery modules:

Candidates studying 40 credits of optional Philosophy modules may not study discovery modules.
Candidates who are studying 20 credits of optional Philosophy modules will be required to study 20 credits of discovery modules or the following optional module:

Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for year 3 are not yet available. Before you enter year 3 full details of modules for that year will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates must study 120 credits which may include up to 20 credits of Discovery modules.
Candidates must pass at least 100 credits, including any PFP modules and a minimum of 40 credits in Maths (MATH) and 40 credits in Philosophy (PHIL or PRHS), to be eligible for an honours degree.

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory module: 

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study ONE of the following compulsory modules:
*  Project in Mathematics  - 40 Credits

Candidates who study MATH3002 are required to study exactly 20 credits from ONE of the following pathways, continuous with the pathway studied at Level 2

Pure Mathematics 1: candidates are required to study exactly ONE of the following optional modules:
- Groups and Symmetry - 20 credits
- Metric Spaces & Measure Theory - 20 credits
- Numbers and Codes - 20 credits
- Graph Theory & Combinatorics - 20 credits
- Differential Geometry - 20 credits
- Proof and Computation - 20 credits

Applied Mathematics 1: candidates are required to study exactly ONE of the following optional modules:
- Methods of Applied Mathematics - 20 credits
- Entropy & Quantum Mechanics - 20 credits
- Mathematical Biology - 20 credits
- Nonlinear Dynamical Systems & Chaos - 20 credits
- Fluid Dynamics - 20 credits

Statistics and Pure Mathematics 1: candidates are required to study exactly ONE of the following optional modules:
- Statistical Models - 20 credits
- Groups and Symmetry - 20 credits
- Multivariate Analysis & Classification - 20 credits
- Numbers and Codes - 20 credits
- Graph Theory & Combinatorics - 20 credits

Statistics and Applied Mathematics 1: candidates are required to study exactly ONE of the following optional modules:
- Statistical Models - 20 credits
- Methods of Applied Mathematics - 20 credits
- Multivariate Analysis & Classification - 20 credits
- Entropy & Quantum Mechanics - 20 credits
- Mathematical Biology - 20 credits

Candidates who study one of PRHS3000, PRHS3001, or PRHS3700 are required to study at least 40 credits of Maths from ONE of the following pathways, continuous with the pathway studied at Level 2

Pure Mathematics 2:

Candidates are required to study at least one of:
- Groups and Symmetry - 20 credits
- Metric Spaces & Measure Theory - 20 credits

Candidates may study one of:
- Numbers and Codes - 20 credits
- Proof and Computation - 20 credits

Candidates may study one of:
- Graph Theory & Combinatorics - 20 credits
- Differential Geometry - 20 credits

Applied Maths 2:

Candidates are required to study:
- Methods of Applied Mathematics - 20 credits

Candidates may study one of:
- Entropy & Quantum Mechanics - 20 credits
- Nonlinear Dynamical Systems & Chaos - 20 credits

Candidates may study one of:
- Mathematical Biology - 20 credits
- Fluid Dynamics - 20 credits

Statistics and Pure Maths 2:

Candidates are required to study at least 40 credits from:
- Statistical Models - 20 credits
- Groups and Symmetry - 20 credits
- Multivariate Analysis & Classification - 20 credits
- “Pure Maths” tbc - 20 credits

Statistics and Applied Maths 2:

Candidates are required to study at least 40 credits from:
- Statistical Models - 20 credits
- Methods of Applied Mathematics - 20 credits
- Multivariate Analysis & Classification - 20 credits
- "Applied Maths” tbc - 20 credits

Candidates who study MATH3002 are required to study at least 20 credits from the following optional modules in Philosophy. The following list is indicative as modules are under revision and different modules will be available each year depending on the availability of teaching staff. There will typically be three optional modules offered per semester.  

Bioethics (20 credits) – from 2025-26
PHIL3723 War, Terror and Justice (20 credits)  
PHIL3310 Philosophy of Sex and Relationships (20 credits) - new for 2024-25  
PHIL3700 Feminist Philosophy (20 credits)  
PHIL3320 Philosophy of Biology (20 credits) 
PHIL3322 Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art (20 credits)  
PHIL3852 Philosophy of Modern Physics (20 credits)
PHIL3855 Philosophical Issues in Technology (20 credits)
PHIL3125 Continental Philosophy (20 credits)  - new for 2024-25
Philosophy of Language (20 credits) 

Discovery modules:

Candidates may study 20 credits of discovery modules 

Last updated: 18/09/2024 09:53:08

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