School of Mathematics
Module Selection Advice
The School of Mathematics delivers a wide range of modules to meet the needs of
students registered for either Single or Joint Honours programmes in Mathematics.
The large the number of courses on offer means that it can be difficult for students to
choose the appropriate options to meet their individual learning objectives. The
purpose of this document is to help students with their module selection. Only general
advice will be offered here. Students will meet with their personal tutors at their end
of year progress review tutorial to discuss module selection. Nevertheless, the
following comment applies to all students: it is never to early to think about your
module options. Your module choices and performance in Year One will determine
the options available to you in further years. Similarly, your choices and performance
in Years Two and Three will also determine the options available to you in further
years. It is important that students understand the overall structure of the modules on
offer by the School of Mathematics so that they can make an informed decision on
their module choices.
Pre-requisites
The most important Mathematics modules in Year One are MSM1Aa (Calculus and
Algebra I) and MSM1Ab (Calculus and Algebra II). These are core Mathematics
modules which develop the mathematical tools which are needed by all students to
successfully proceed towards a degree in Mathematics. The modules MSM1Aa and
MSM1Ab are internal hurdles for all students registered for a degree programme
involving Mathematics: students must pass these modules in order to proceed to Year
Two. The rationale behind imposing this hurdle is simple. Students who are unable to
pass MSM1A will not have the necessary skills to tackle higher level requirements.
The progression requirements to proceed from one year of study to the next are given
in the Student Handbook and will not be repeated here. The important concept is that
some modules in earlier years of a degree programme form the foundation for
modules in future years. These earlier year modules are described as Pre-requisites. If
you do not pass the earlier year Pre-requisite module, you will not be allowed to
register for any further year module which depends on that Pre-requisite. Since
MSM1Aa and MSM1Ab are internal hurdles which all students must pass, we can
think of MSM1Aa and MSM1Ab as pre-requisites for all Year Two, Three and Four
Mathematics modules. There are other modules in Year One which are pre-requisites
for higher year modules. For example MSM1D (Discrete Mathematics and Statistics)
is a Pre-requisite for the Year Two module MSM202 (Statistics II). If you wish to
take MSM202 in Year 2 you must pass MSM1D in Year One. The pre-requisites for
all modules are listed in the Year Two, Year Three and Year Four Module
descriptions which are available online and in booklet form from the undergraduate
office. They are also indicated in the Module Choice Forms which are included in
Appendix A and which will be discussed below.
There are two very important consequences of pre-requisites. First, if you fail any
module in Year One or Year Two, it is very important that you attempt and pass the
supplementary resit examination for that module. Obviously, it is important to pass
the resit examination in order to obtain credit for the given module. It is also
important, however, to ensure that you are eligible to choose any further module for
which the module which you are resitting is a pre-requisite. Second, if you are a Joint
Honours student you should think carefully about your optional module selection
from the beginning of Year One. Since Joint Honours students are enrolled for less
Mathematics modules than Single Honours Students, it is inevitable that they will not
be able to register for some of the courses in Year One and Year Two which
subsequently turn out to be pre-requisites for modules in year Three. Consequently
Joint Honours students have a much more restrictive set of module options in Year 3
than their Single Honours peers. This set becomes even more restrictive if Joint
Honours students do not achieve credit for any of their Year One or Year Two
Mathematics modules.
Compulsory Modules
Depending on your Degree Programme there will be various modules which are
compulsory during each academic year. These modules are listed in the Student
Handbook and also on the module choice forms given in the Appendix.
Cloned Modules
Students on Joint Honours programmes take less Mathematics Modules in each year
of study than Single Honours students since they are also required to take modules
from their Joint discipline. This means, for example, that some Joint Honours students
miss out on MSM1B (Foundation and Abstraction) which we consider a very
important module. Joint Honours students who did not take MSM1B in Year One
have the option (or in some cases are required) to take MSM2P01 (Foundation and
Abstraction) in Year 2. We say that MSM2P01 is a clone of MSM1B. Except for
minor differences in assessment arrangements MSM1B and MSM2P01 are equivalent
modules. Cloned modules have implications towards prerequisites for higher year
modules. For example MSM1B is a prerequisite for the Year Two module MSM2B
(Real and Complex Variable Theory). If a Joint Honours student has not taken
MSM1B in Year One they will not be able to take MSM2B in year Two. If they wish
to study Real and Complex Variable Theory they must first pass the MSM1B Year 2
clone MSM2P01, and they can then register for the MSM2B Year Three clone
MSM3G03.
Timetabling Constraints
Years One and Two in the School of Mathematics provide students with the necessary
skills to study a wide range of different topics in Years 3 and Year 4. In fact there are
so many different options available that there are not enough hours in the week
available to ensure that the options are taught in distinct timeslots. It is inevitable that
there will be timetable clashes with some modules being taught at the same time.
Since it is vitally important that students registered for a module are able to attend all
lectures, it is not possible to register for two Mathematics modules which are
timetabled at the same time. The School of Mathematics conforms to the University
Block Timetabling regulations. In principle this should eliminate timetable clashes for
Joint Honours students.
Module Selection Forms
The above sections have discussed some of the technical aspects of choosing module
options: 1) You can only register for a higher year module if you have successfully
passed all of the pre-requisites from lower years. 2) Depending on your degree
programme some modules are compulsory: you have no choice. If a module is
compulsory for your degree programme you will automatically be registered for that
module. 3) Some modules are cloned so that students from different years can study
the equivalent module. You are not allowed to register for a higher year module
which is a clone of a lower year equivalent which you have already attempted. 4) Due
to timetabling constraints you are only allowed to register for modules which are
taught in distinct timeslots.
In order to make the choice of module options easier module option forms are
provided in the Appendix for Years Two, Three and Four (MSci Students only) for
each one of the Single and Joint Honours programmes offered in the School of
Mathematics. Theses forms indicate the compulsory modules for each programme as
well as the list of optional modules. As noted, it is never to early to start thinking
about your module choices. Please note however, that minor changes to the option
form may appear year upon year. For example, due to staffing constraints, some
modules may only be taught in alternating years (these modules are identified in the
student handbook). Also, changes may be necessary if a module or modules are
moved within the block booking timetable.
If a Module Choice form says ‘You may choose ANY of the following’ then you can
assume that all options are available and are not restricted by timetabling constraints.
If a Module Choice form says that ‘You may choose at most ONE of the following’
then this is likely to be due to a timetabling constraint. Every effort is made to
minimize timetabling constraints, and care is taken to group seemingly unrelated
groups of courses within a given timetable block so as to minimize the likelihood of
students being interested in taking modules for which there is a timetable clash. From
time to time the grouping of modules in timetable blocks will be changed to reflect
student interest. If a Module Choice form says that ‘You must choose TWO (or some
different number) from the following’, you can assume that there will be no timetable
clashes between the listed modules, and you must choose the exact number of
modules specified.
General Comments
As you plan your module choices it is important that you think about your future. Ask
yourself what you want to get out of your Mathematics Degree. If you plan on a
career in teaching, perhaps it is sensible to take a mixture of courses in Applied
Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Management Mathematics and Statistics. If you are
considering a career in the general area of Medical Statistics, then it is likely that you
will choose many of the optional statistics modules. If you aspire to become an
investment banker then you should take the Mathematical Finance Module in Year
Three or Four. In all cases you should only register for modules which are of interest
to you. The individual module descriptions are available online, and the main topic
areas are discussed below. You should not make your module choices based on
rumours (“Don’t take MSMabc because it is so hard” or “You must take MSMxyz
because is really easy.”) Do not choose a module based solely on who you think the
lecturer might be. First, lecturers for the various modules change regularly so there
can be no guarantee that the person who lectures a module in one year will be the
same who lectures it in the following year. Second, if you choose a higher year
module because you enjoyed a lower year module taught by the same lecturer, you
may end up struggling if the academic content of the higher year module does not
appeal to you.
It is understandable that all students wish to graduate with a Degree Classification
which is as high as possible. This may lead some students to make strategic choices
with their module selections by registering for courses that they perceive to be easier.
Caution is urged with this approach. All Mathematics modules are challenging and if
students are not interested in the academic content of a module then they might not be
motivated to put in the necessary work to be successful.
Areas of Study
The School of Mathematics offers modules which are of general mathematical
interest, as well as modules which specialize in areas of Applied Mathematics,
Management Mathematics, Pure Mathematics and Statistics. For modules in Years
Three and Four (and for some Year Two clone modules) an ‘A’ in the module name
refers to a module in Applied Mathematics, with ‘G’, ‘M’, ‘P’ and ‘S’ referring to
general mathematics, Management Mathematics, Pure Mathematics and Statistics
respectively. Based upon the courses you take in Years One and Two, you should
have a general idea as to where your mathematical interests lie. The following
descriptions will briefly describe the different specialty areas.
Applied Mathematics
Applied Mathematics involves the application of mathematics to problems that may
arise in the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, communications, and industry. In
the first two years of your degree we concentrate on developing your mathematical
and computational skills and introduce you to some fundamental aspects of applied
mathematics. In the third year, advanced courses develop the necessary mathematics
to model a number of topics from the sciences and engineering, such as fluid flows
and elastic body dynamics. MSci students can proceed to study courses which
develop applied mathematical techniques for diverse topics, including:
 Viscous fluid mechanics
 Systems of chemical reactions
 Waves: sound waves, water waves, elastic waves and shock waves.
On completion of the degree you will have a range of applied mathematical
knowledge and skills that will make you an attractive appointee for a wide range of
careers in education, finance, business, industry, defence or elsewhere.
Pure Mathematics
Pure mathematics is about understanding why mathematical statements are true. For
example:
 Why are there an infinite number of prime numbers?
 Why can an integer be factored uniquely into a product of prime numbers?
Pure mathematics also emphasises the idea of abstraction, which enables whole
families of apparently different questions to be answered simultaneously. Through
your pure mathematics courses you will appreciate abstraction as a method for
understanding related systems. Undergraduate study in pure mathematics develops A
level calculus into analysis and A level algebra into areas such as linear algebra and
group theory. Pure mathematics has modern applications in areas as diverse as
playing-card shuffling machines used in casinos, to the manufacture of CDs and
DVDs, and applications in communications and cryptography. Since employers
respect and value the analytical skills you learn in your pure mathematics courses,
there will be an extensive range of careers open to you as a mathematics graduate.
Management Mathematics
Management Mathematics deals with problems related to the efficient use of
resources. A typical problem is how to schedule the bus services in a city. This is a
highly complicated and delicate problem and mathematics can help greatly. The
essence of Management Mathematics is the use of analytical reasoning and
mathematical techniques, combined with the power of modern computers, to help
managers make the best of their resources. Closely allied to Management
Mathematics is the profession of ‘Operations Research’, which typically emphasizes
the application and communication of the above mathematical ideas within a business
environment.
Statistics
The subject of statistics will also appeal to students who wish to apply their
mathematical knowledge in the real world, such as the social, medical, financial,
environmental or engineering areas. Wherever there is numerical data, statistics plays
an important role. Examples include:
 Relating changes in wildlife populations to environmental factors
 Safety testing of genetically modified plants
 Screening for genetic factors in the development of medical treatments.
Studying both Management Mathematics and Statistics at Birmingham is a
combination of learning theory and acquiring skills for putting this theoretical
knowledge into practice.
Appendix
Click on the following links to view the module choice form you wish to view:
Year Two
 All Programmes
Year Three
 BSc/MSci: Single Honours Programmes
 BSc/Msci: Joint Honours Programmes
 BSc: Mathematics with Business Management
 BSc: Pure Mathematics with Computer Science
 BSc: Joint Honours Programmes with a Minor in Mathematics
 BSc: Mathematical Engineering
 MSci: Pure Mathematics with Computer Science
 MSci Mathematics with Business Management
 MSci Mathematical Engineering
Year Four
 Single Honours
 Mathematics with Computer Science
 Mathematics with Business Management
 Mathematical Engineering