School of Mathematics
FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES
BSc Mathematics and Music
UCAS Code: GW13
Duration: 3 years full-time
Programme Structure: Year One
Typical Offer
Compulsory modules:
AAB from three A-levels including Music and Grade A
Mathematics. We will consider other subjects in lieu of
Music.
MATH 1050 Calculus and Mathematical Analysis:
revision of integration and differentiation, and extensions to
more than one dimension.
MATH 1055 Numbers and Vectors: introducing you to
three influential developments from the 19th century –
complex numbers, vectors and the rigorous notion of limit.
MATH 1060 Introductory Linear Algebra: covers the ideas
involved in solving simultaneous equations, and using
matrices and determinants.
MATH 1400 Modelling with Differential Equations:
developing the theory of differential equations and applying
it to produce mathematical models.
Taught by
 School of Mathematics (parent school)
 School of Music
Roughly equal time is spent on the two subjects overall.
Variants
This is a three year-full time programme. There is
opportunity to do our Study Abroad or Year in Industry
schemes, which would make the programme a four year
degree.
Programme Aims
Links between Mathematics and Music have been
established for centuries; properties of numbers and
patterns have helped to shape musical culture in a variety of
ways.
This programme provides a thorough grounding in
mathematical structures and techniques and allows students
to explore a range of musical domains (such as
composition, performance, analysis, and music technology).
MUSS 1020 Understanding Music: introduction to the
variety of core strategies for engaging with and
understanding music at the tertiary level.
MUSS 1110 Music Research Skills: developing your
awareness of the academic research skills necessary to
study music at degree level.
MUSS 1520 Introduction to the Sciences of Music:
provides a foundation in the theory of the science,
psychology and technology of music.
Additionally at least one of the following optional modules:
MATH 1225 Introduction to Geometry: you will use
diagrams to understand problems and to help formulate
rigorous proofs.
MATH 1710 Probability and Statistics I: introducing
probability, random variables and statistical learning.
MATH 1920 Computational Mathematics: use of, and
limits of, computers for solving mathematical problems.
Choose up to 25 credits of the following modules or up to 20
credits of Discovery Modules.
MATH 1510 Financial Mathematics 1
MATH 1712 Probability and Statistics II
MUSS 1220 Composition
MUSS 1320 Performance
MUSS 1324 Ensemble Performance
BSc Mathematics and Music
Programme Structure: Year Two
Compulsory modules:
MATH 2340 The Mathematics of Music
Historical and modern links between mathematics and
music, from physics to mathematical compositional
techniques.
MATH 2365 Vector Calculus
Study differentiation and integration in 2, 3 and higher
dimensional space.
At least one of the following Mathematics optional modules:
MATH 2022 Groups and Vector Spaces
An introduction to abstract algebraic ideas, through a study
of groups (abstract symmetry) and vector spaces.
MATH 2375 Linear Differential Equations and
Transforms
Study and solve Partial Differential Equations which arise
from wave and diffusion problems in the real world.
In Music, you will take either MUSS 2721 Music in Context
A or MUSS 2722 Music in Context B, studying one topic
from a musicological area, including art, commercial,
popular and world music.
Choose a further 40 credits from 10 music modules (all 20
credits) from: MUSS 2020 Interpreting Music, MUSS 2220
Composition, MUSS 2320 Performance, MUSS 2324
Ensemble Performance, MUSS 2420 Notation and
Editing, MUSS 2620 Music Technology Skills and
Techniques, MUSS 2820 Music in Practice, MUSS 2822
Music in Practice or MUSS2920 The Psychology of
Listening and Performance.
In Mathematics, you can take one or two further modules
from a choice of 20 options including MATH 2016 Analysis
(rigorous study of integration and differentiation, and
extensions to complex numbers), MATH 2600 Numerical
Analysis (how computers are used to solve numerical
problems, including integration and matrix problems) and
MATH 2750 Introduction to Markov Processes (the study
of repeated random processes, with applications in
biological, financial and actuarial sciences).
Programme Structure: Year Three
You will undertake a final year project in Mathematics or
Music and take options from a wide range of pure and
applied mathematics, statistics and music.
A typical split is 50% in both subjects, but there is some
flexibility.
In Music, you can take MUSS 3721/2 Music in Context in
either semester, building on the 2nd year module, MUSS
3324 Ensemble Performance (a practical, self-assessment
based module), or one of a number of 40 credit modules:
MUSS 3040 Analysing Music, MUSS 3240 Composition,
MUSS 3340 Performance, MUSS 3440 Editing and
Source Studies, MUSS 3640 Music Technology or MUSS
3940 Music Psychology.
In Mathematics there are over 60 options, including MATH
3044 Number Theory (the work of 18th century
mathematicians Euler, Lagrange and Gauss), MATH 3385
Quantum Mechanics (a cornerstone of 20th century
mathematical physics, exploring the atomic theory of matter)
or MATH 3723 Statistical Theory (a unified theory of the
problems of estimation and hypotheses testing).
Please note that this programme structure is only confirmed
for current students, and may change for future enrolments.
For further details on all the modules associated with the
programme please see the programme catalogue at:
http://webprod3.leeds.ac.uk/catalogue/dynprogrammes.
asp?P=BS-MATH&MUSC
For further details on all the Discovery Modules please see
the modules catalogue (ensure you select ‘search by
Discovery Modules’)
http://webprod3.leeds.ac.uk/catalogue/modulesearch.as
p?T=S&L=UG
Important Information
Information provided by the University such as in
presentations, University brochures and the University
website, is accurate at the time of first disclosure. However,
courses, University services and content of publications
remain subject to change. Changes may be necessary to
comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or to
keep courses contemporary through updating practices or
areas of study. Circumstances may arise outside the
reasonable control of the University, leading to required
changes. Such circumstances include, industrial action,
unexpected student numbers, significant staff illness (where
a course is reliant upon a person’s expertise), unexpected
lack of funding, severe weather, fire, civil disorder, political
unrest, government restrictions and serious concern with
regard to the transmission of serious illness making a
course unsafe to deliver. After a student has taken up a
place with the University, the University will look to give
early notification of any changes and try to minimise their
impact, offering suitable alternative arrangements or forms
of compensation where it believes there is a fair case to do
so. Offers of a place to study at the University will provide
up to date information on courses.
The latest key information on courses can be found at
www.leeds.ac.uk/coursefinder
Please check this website before making any decisions.
School of Mathematics
University of Leeds
Leeds, LS2 9JT
United Kingdom
maths.admiss@leeds.ac.uk
www.maths.leeds.ac.uk/undergraduate