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Mathematics Institute

Module Guidance for Maths Students

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Reminder about FHEQ Levels

In this part of the handbook you will see references to the so-called Frameworks for Higher Education (FHEQ) level of a module. This comes from nationally-recognised volumes of credit for qualifications at all levels of the Quality Assurance Agency's QAA’s Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

University and departmental regulations often specify the FHEQ level of the some of the modules you must choose and the number of CATS you must pass at a given level.

With very rare exceptions, the FHEQ level of the module is reflected in its module code as follows

  • A module with code of the form XX1XX is almost always at FHEQ Level 4, for example MA124 is at FHEQ Level 4.
  • A module with code of the form XX2XX is almost always at FHEQ Level 5, for example MA252 is at FHEQ Level 5.
  • A module with code of the form XX3XX is almost always at FHEQ Level 6, for example MA352 is at FHEQ Level 6.
  • A module with code of the form XX4XX is almost always at FHEQ Level 4, for example MA424 is at FHEQ Level 7.

So, almost always a module with code of form XXnXX is at FHEQ Level n + 3 and a module at FHEQ Level m will have code XX(m-3)XX.

The ONLY EXCEPTIONS to this are the interdisciplinary modules provided by the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL).These modules are coded as ILnXX. An IATL module with code of the form IL0XX is at FHEQ Level 5 and an IATL module with code of the form IL1xx is at FHEQ Level 6.

Importance of FHEQ levels to progression and award

Alongside all the other university and departmental requirement for your programme, if your programme of study began since or in academic year 2021/22 then:

  • to be awarded a BSc or to progress from year 3 to year 4 (MMath) you must pass at least 90 CATS of FHEQ Level 6 modules.
  • to be awarded an MMath you must take 120 CATS of FHEQ Level 7 modules and pass at least 90 CATS of FHEQ Level 7 modules.

General advice about choosing Optional Modules

Key Points

Other than making sure you comply with the regulations for your degree (see point about FHEQ levels above and the detailed regulations elsewhere in this handbook), there are two points to bear in mind when choosing modules.

  • First, you should choose modules you are really interested in; finding optional modules you are well motivated to work on is an excellent path to success at university.
  • Second, you have to figure out how to divide your time and, later in the year, count CATS and think about exam strategy. Do not take extra optional modules if you are unable to devote the necessary time to them. Following a university lecture course requires a substantial input of effort and thought for each lecture from you, in addition to revision work in the vacation and before the exams.

Before reaching a final decision on which modules to take, it's always a good idea to consult your personal tutor.

Look ahead

A module you want to take next year may have a prerequisite module, which you therefore should take this year. There is often no rigid requirement that you have taken the earlier module for exam (although if you don't know the material or the points of view of the earlier module, you may have some reading up or some figuring out to do later) but note that some departments will require you to have taken the prerequisites for examination, such as the Warwick Business School (WBS) and Economics.

For instance, MA3G1 Theory of PDEs requires MA263 Multivariable Analysis. A second year Computer Science module may need knowledge of MA117 Programming for Scientists.

To find what you need to know in advance for a given Maths module, look at its module page in this handbook. These are linked from this handbook but to get there directly the URLs have the form (example for MA124 given):

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/maths/currentstudents/modules/ma124

For modules provided by departments other than Mathematics, links are generally given in this handbook or you can refer to the department's webpages themselves.

For students on a joint degree, or hoping to change to one, the stated prerequisites are usually compulsory.

Advice specifically for First Year Students

Keep an open mind

When you arrive at university you will probably have some idea of what your favourite areas of mathematics are. That's great but do also keep an open mind about this as your university programme begins. Rather than deciding straight away that you don't like pure maths or applied maths for example, wait until you've taken some of your core modules. You'll probably find that neither is quite what you expect it to be, and this will inform your choices for the later years.

Two strings to your bow

By choosing options systematically from a second subject, you can develop a sideline. For example, in Statistics, Business Studies, Economics, Computing, or Engineering. By doing this, you can come very close to following a joint degree, and, indeed, keep that option open. The following First Year modules are those recommended by those departments listed in the example.

  • Statistics: there is a dedicated page to outline progression through Statistics modules to keep your options as wide as possible,
  • Computer Science: MA117 Programming for Scientists.
  • Economics: EC106 Introduction to Quantitative Economics.
  • Warwick Business School: IB104 Mathematical Programming I.
  • Philosophy: PH144 Mind and Reality, PH146 Reason, Argument and Analysis.
  • Physics: PX155 Classical Mechanics and Special Relativity, PX157 Electricity and Magnetism, PX156 Quantum Phenomena.

Talk to your supervisor and to your tutor

Your tutor will have experience of advising students about their module selection and may be able to describe to you what sort of things to expect in particular module.

Your supervisor is likely to be someone who has recently taken optional modules decisions themselves so they are a great person to talk to for advice about this.

Advice specifically for Second Year Students.

Several maths modules are now cross-listed between years of study, year 2 and year 3 in this case. These modules are shown in the table below.

Module Year 2 version, at FHEQ Level 5 Year 3 version, with additional
assessment, at FHEQ Level 6
Combinatorics MA241 MA341
Geometry MA243 MA343
Combinatorial Optimisation MA252 MA352
Theory of ODEs MA254 MA354
Introduction to Number Theory MA257 MA357
Asymptotics and Integral Transforms MA269 MA369

This mean that these modules appear in both the year 2 and the year 3 optional module lists. If you are considering taking any of these modules then you should also consider whether to take them in year 2 or year 3.

  • You may wish to take such a module in year 2, as an FHEQ Level 5 module, if it is a prerequisite for a module you are likely to take later or in year 3.
  • You may wish to take such a module in year 3, as FHEQ Level 6 module, to help you to meet the requirement to take and pass at least 90 CATS of FHEQ Level 6 modules during year 3.

Note that MA350 Partial Differential Equations is available for the first time from 24/25 as a FHEQ Level 6 module but this is only available to students who did not previously take MA265 Methods of Mathematical Modelling 3 in 23/24.

Finally, if your first year results were disappointing, care in choosing modules may help to turn a third class first year performance into a second class degree result. For example, if you are a G100 student, you could consider restricting your Maths to the Core/Optional Core/List A requirement (totalling to 75 CATS, see G100 Year 2 Specifications) and taking more outside options. Modules from Social Studies and Humanities usually produce marks that cluster more in the second class, so you are more likely to get a respectable mark from such options. Business Studies, Education, Law and Politics offer module options in the second year without prerequisites (some of these will need to be taken as Unusual Options, so being able to take them is not guaranteed).

Advice specifically for Third and Fourth Year Students

In induction sessions for third and fourth year students in September 2024, these module choice visualisations created by Andras Mathe were discussed. They display modules in year 3 and 4 (size of the circle is proportional to enrolment) and what modules normally taken together (width of the segment proportional to the size of the intersection of enrolments).

In order for the graphs to remain manageable only a limited number of lines per module have been plotted. Also modules with low enough enrolment have not been plotted.

Hopefully these will give you some idea of which modules work well together based on the decisions of previous students.