Mathematics and Philosophy BA/BSc (UCAS GV15)
General entry requirements
A levels
A level typical offer
A* in Mathematics, A* in Further Mathematics and A in a further subject.
A level contextual offer
We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is A* in Mathematics, A* in Further Mathematics and B a third subject. You must be taking A levels in Mathematics and Further Mathematics. See if you're eligible.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
IB
IB typical offer
39 to include 6, 6, 6 in three Higher Level subjects including Mathematics.
IB contextual offer
We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 38 including 6,6,6 in three Higher Level subjects including Mathematics. See if you're eligible.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
BTEC
We welcome applications from students taking a BTEC as long as essential subject requirements are met.
International qualifications
Language requirements
All applicants have to meet our English Language requirements. If you cannot demonstrate that you meet these, you may be invited to take part in our Pre-sessional English course at Warwick.
Frequently asked questions
Warwick may make differential offers to students in a number of circumstances. These include students participating in a Widening Participation programme or who meet the contextual data criteria.
Differential offers will usually be one or two grades below Warwick’s standard offer.
All students who successfully complete the Warwick IFP and apply to Warwick through UCAS will receive a guaranteed conditional offer for a related undergraduate programme (selected courses only).
Find out more about standard offers and conditions for the IFP.
We welcome applications for deferred entry.
We do not typically interview applicants. Offers are made based on your UCAS form which includes predicted and actual grades, your personal statement and school reference.
Course overview
This course provides the freedom to choose your own path within the subjects. Our teaching will foster your intellectual development, supporting you to study mathematics, philosophy and logic at an advanced level.
Your time will be evenly split between the Department of Philosophy and Warwick Mathematics Institute – both internationally recognised for their excellent research.
Study abroad
We run successful undergraduate exchanges with Queen’s University, Ontario, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, enabling second-year Philosophy students (single or joint honours) to compete for the chance to spend a full year studying in North America. Modules and examinations taken at Queen’s and Madison count towards your degree.
All students have the opportunity to apply for an intercalated year abroad at one of our partner universities, which currently include: Bourgogne, Dijon; Erasmus, Rotterdam; Copenhagen; Friedrich Schiller, Jena or Cologne; Vienna; Autonoma or Complutense, Madrid or Seville; Rome or Turin; and Koc, Istanbul. The Study Abroad Team offers support for these activities, and the Department’s dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.
Core modules
There are two routes through the degree: the three year BA/BSc in Mathematics and Philosophy and the four-year BSc with Specialism in Logic and Foundations. You will be eligible for transfer to the Specialism in Logic and Foundations degree based on your first year exam results.
If you remain on the Mathematics and Philosophy route, you may choose to apply for an intercalated year, spent either studying abroad or on a work placement. This extends the duration of your degree to four years, with your third year spent abroad or on placement, and will be reflected in your degree qualification (i.e. BSc Mathematics and Philosophy with Intercalated Year).
Important Information
Please note the Mathematics and Philosophy degree is likely to change for 2022 entry. Changes to the core modules go through the University's rigorous academic processes. As module changes are confirmed, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer.
Year One
Mind and Reality
Look around. What if all your experiences were the products of dreams, or neuroscientific experiments? Can you prove they aren’t? If not, how can you know anything about the world around you? How can you even think about such a world? Perhaps you can at least learn about your own experience, what it’s like to be you. But doesn’t your experience depend on your brain, an element of the external world? This course will deepen your understanding of the relationship between your mind and the rest of the world.
Logic 1: Introduction to Symbolic Logic
This module teaches you formal logic, covering both propositional and first-order logic. You will learn about a system of natural deduction and understand how to demonstrate that it is both sound and complete. You will learn how to express and understand claims using formal techniques, including multiple quantifiers. Key concepts you will consider are logical validity, truth functionality and formal proof quantification.
Linear Algebra
Linear algebra addresses simultaneous linear equations. You will learn about the properties of vector space, linear mapping and its representation by a matrix. Applications include solving simultaneous linear equations, properties of vectors and matrices, properties of determinants and ways of calculating them. You will learn to define and calculate eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a linear map or matrix. You will have an understanding of matrices and vector spaces for later modules to build on.
Analysis I/II
Analysis is the rigorous study of calculus. In this module, there will be a considerable emphasis throughout on the need to argue with much greater precision and care than you had to at school. With the support of your fellow students, lecturers, and other helpers, you will be encouraged to move on from the situation where the teacher shows you how to solve each kind of problem, to the point where you can develop your own methods for solving problems. The module will allow you to deal carefully with limits and infinite summations, approximations to pi and e, and the Taylor series. The module ends with the construction of the integral and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
Foundations
It is in its proofs that the strength and richness of mathematics is to be found. University mathematics introduces progressively more abstract ideas and structures and demands more in the way of proof until much of your time is occupied with understanding proofs and creating your own. Learning to deal with abstraction and with proofs takes time. This module will bridge the gap between school and university mathematics, taking you from concrete techniques where the emphasis is on calculation, and gradually moving towards abstraction and proof.
This module also looks at algorithms and operational complexity, including cryptographic keys and RSA.
Differential Equations
Can you predict the trajectory of a tennis ball? In this module you cover the basic theory of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), the cornerstone of all applied mathematics. ODE theory proves invaluable in branches of pure mathematics, such as geometry and topology. You will be introduced to simple differential and difference equations and methods for their solution. You will cover first-order equations, linear second-order equations and coupled first-order linear systems with constant coefficients, and solutions to differential equations with one-and two-dimensional systems. We will discuss why in three dimensions we see new phenomena, and have a first glimpse of chaotic solutions.
Geometry and Motion
Geometry and motion are connected as a particle curves through space, and in the relation between curvature and acceleration. In this course you will discover how to integrate vector-valued functions and functions of two and three real variables. You will encounter concepts in particle mechanics, deriving Kepler’s Laws of planetary motion from Newton’s second law of motion and the law of gravitation. You will see how intuitive geometric and physical concepts such as length, area, volume, curvature, mass, circulation and flux can be translated into mathematical formulas, and appreciate the importance of conserved quantities in mechanics.
Introduction to Abstract Algebra
This course will introduce you to abstract algebra, covering group theory and ring theory, making you familiar with symmetry groups and groups of permutations and matrices, subgroups and Lagrange’s theorem. You will understand the abstract definition of a group, and become familiar with the basic types of examples, including number systems, polynomials, and matrices. You will be able to calculate the unit groups of the integers modulo n.
Introduction to Probability
This module takes you further in your exploration of probability and random outcomes. Starting with examples of discrete and continuous probability spaces, you’ll learn methods of counting (inclusion-exclusion formula and multinomial coefficients), and examine theoretical topics including independence of events and conditional probabilities. Using Bayes’ theorem you’ll reason about a range of problems involving belief updates, and engage with random variables, learning about probability mass, density and cumulative distribution functions, and the important families of distributions. Finally, you’ll study variance and co-variance, including Chebyshev’s and Cauchy-Schwarz inequalities. The module ends with a discussion of the celebrated Central Limit Theorem.
Year Two
Logic II: Metatheory
In this module, you will learn about the metatheory of propositional and first-order logic; to understand the concept of a sound and complete proof system similar to that of Logic I. You will study elementary set theory and inductive definitions and then consider Tarski's definitions of satisfaction and truth, proceeding to develop the Henkin completeness proof for first-order logic. You will learn to appreciate the significance of these concepts for logic and mathematics, with the ability to define them precisely.
Algebra I: Advanced Linear Algebra
On this course, you will develop and continue your study of linear algebra. You will develop methods for testing whether two general matrices are similar, and study quadratic forms. Finally, you will investigate matrices over the integers, and investigate what happens when we restrict methods of linear algebra to operations over the integers. This leads, perhaps unexpectedly, to a complete classification of finitely generated abelian groups. You will be familiarised with the Jordan canonical form of matrices and linear maps, bilinear forms, quadratic forms, and choosing canonical bases for these, and the theory and computation of the Smith normal form for matrices over the integers.
Analysis III
In the first half of this module, you will investigate some applications of year one analysis: integrals of limits and series; differentiation under an integral sign; a first look at Fourier series. In the second half you will study analysis of complex functions of a complex variable: contour integration and Cauchy’s theorem, and its application to Taylor and Laurent series and the evaluation of real integrals.
Year Three
Set Theory
Set theoretical concepts and formulations are pervasive in modern mathematics. They provide a highly useful tool for defining and constructing mathematical objects as well as casting a theoretical light on reducibility of knowledge to agreed first principles. You will review naive set theory, including paradoxes such as Russell and Cantor, and then encounter the Zermelo-Fraenkel system and the cumulative hierarchy picture of the set theoretical universe. Your understanding of transfinite induction and recursion, cardinal and ordinal numbers, and the real number system will all be developed within this framework.
Year Four
Dissertation
Or
Third Year Maths Essay
(BSc with Specialism in Logic and Foundations only)
Optional modules
- Commutative Algebra
- Knot Theory
- Logic III: Incompleteness and Undecidability
- Philosophy of Mathematics
- Metaphysics
- Computability Theory
For a list of current philosophy optional modules, click here.
Assessment
We track your progress and provide you with feedback through regular non assessed work, assessed essays and written examinations.
Your final degree classification is based on assessed exercises and essays, other assessed work (which may include for example, group work or video presentations), examinations, and an optional dissertation or individual project.
For the three year degree, the years are weighted 10%, 40%, 50% while the four year degree is weighted 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%.
Teaching
Our main teaching methods are lectures, lecture-discussions, and seminars alongside private study and study skills sessions.
Our students benefit from expert guidance from staff in developing strong analytical and critical skills, and our students highly rate the feedback they receive.
In addition to compulsory teaching, we also offer many extra academic activities, including optional lectures, colloquia, discussion groups and workshops.
Class sizes
Seminar sizes are typically 12-18 students. Lectures vary by module from 20-220.
Typical contact hours
Typically, students do four modules per term, and have three hours of contact time for each module. For philosophy modules, this three hours is usually divided into two hours of lectures and a one hour seminar. For maths modules, students typically have three hours of lectures. Additional support for maths modules is provided by supervisors (a graduate student or final year undergraduate) or weekly support classes.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees cover the majority of the costs of your study, including teaching and assessment. Fees are charged at the start of each academic year. If you pay your fees directly to the University, you can choose to pay in instalments.
Undergraduate fees
If you are a home student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be £9,535. In the future, these fees might change for new and continuing students.
How are fees set?
The British Government sets tuition fee rates.
Undergraduate fees
If you are an overseas or EU student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be as follows:
- Band 1 – £24,800 per year (classroom-based courses, including Humanities and most Social Science courses)
- Band 2 – £31,620 per year (laboratory-based courses, plus Maths, Statistics, Theatre and Performance Studies, Economics, and courses provided by Warwick Business School, with exceptions)
Fees for 2025 entry have not been set. We will publish updated information here as soon as it becomes available, so please check back for updates about 2025 fee rates before you apply.
Fee status guidance
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
Find out more about how universities assess fee status.Link opens in a new window
Additional course costs
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on this web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module CatalogueLink opens in a new window (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).
Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
- Core text books
- Printer credits
- Dissertation binding
- Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Further information
Find out more about tuition fees from our Student Finance team.
Scholarships and bursaries
Learn about scholarships and bursaries available to undergraduate students.
We offer a number of undergraduate scholarships and bursaries to full-time undergraduate students. These include sporting and musical bursaries, and scholarships offered by commercial organisations.
Find out more about funding opportunities for full-time students.Link opens in a new window
If you are an international student, a limited number of scholarships may be available.
Find out more information on our international scholarship pages.Link opens in a new window
You may be eligible for financial help from your own government, from the British Council or from other funding agencies. You can usually request information on scholarships from the Ministry of Education in your home country, or from the local British Council office.
Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship
We believe there should be no barrier to talent. That's why we are committed to offering a scholarship that makes it easier for gifted, ambitious international learners to pursue their academic interests at one of the UK's most prestigious universities.
We provide extra financial support for qualifying students from lower income families. The Warwick Undergraduate Bursary is an annual award of up to £3,000 per annum. It is intended to help with course-related costs and you do not have to pay it back.
As part of the 'City of Sanctuary' movement, we are committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. We provide a range of scholarships to enable people seeking sanctuary or asylum to progress to access university education.
Further information
Find out more about Warwick undergraduate bursaries and scholarships.
Eligibility for student loans
Your eligibility for student finance will depend on certain criteria, such as your nationality and residency status, your course, and previous study at higher education level.
Check if you're eligible for student finance.
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you can receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won’t have to set up any payments.
Maintenance Loan for living costs
You can apply for a Maintenance Loan towards your living costs such as accommodation, food and bills. This loan is means-tested, so the amount you receive is partially based on your household income and whether you choose to live at home or in student accommodation.
If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you usually must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement SchemeLink opens in a new window to get student finance.
Tuition Fee Loan
If you are an EU student and eligible for student finance you may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you may receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won't have to set up any payments.
Help with living costs
For the 2024 academic year, you may be eligible for help with your living costs if both of the following apply:
- You have lived in the UK for more than 3 years before the first day of the first academic year of your course
And
- You have Settled Status (see further details on Settled Status)Link opens in a new window
If you are coming to the UK from 1st January 2021, you may need to apply for a visaLink opens in a new window to study here.
Please note: Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Find out more about government student loans for EU studentsLink opens in a new window
Repaying your loans
You will repay your loan or loans gradually once you are working and earning above a certain amount. For students starting their course after 1 August 2023, the repayment threshold is £25,000. Repayments will be taken directly from your salary if you are an employee. If your income falls below the earnings threshold, your repayments will stop until your income goes back up above this figure.
Find out more about repaying your student loanLink opens in a new window.
Placements and work experience
Study skills will be built into your core modules in the first year. In those modules, you will develop skills in close reading, essay writing, exam technique, critical thinking and presentation. As well as the opportunity of individual careers appointments, there are a wide range of events and workshops – including small workshops for people with no career ideas, speaker events for people interested in a certain sector, and large career fairs for organisations wanting to recruit a large number of graduates each year.
We also offer specific sessions for second and third years, directed as honours level assessed work. Warwick also offers the Undergraduate Skills Programme and Academic Writing Programme to help you further develop academic and career-related skills.
Your career
Graduates from our Philosophy single and joint honours degrees have gone on to pursue careers as:
- Authors, writers and translators
- Legal professionals
- Marketing professionals
- Management consultants and business analysts
- Chartered and certified accountants
- Teaching and educational professionals
Helping you find the right career
Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant to support you. They offer impartial advice and guidance, together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:
- Philosophy Orienteering/Scavenger Hunt
- Identifying Your Skills, Strengths and Motivators for Philosophy Students
- Thinking about Work Experience for Philosophy Students
- Careers in the Public Sector
- Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
Philosophy at Warwick
Can living morally be too demanding? Could what you see be just an illusion? How do we know what’s going on in other people’s minds?
Explore these questions with our expert teachers and researchers. Learn how to think independently and analytically and take on different points of view. Interact with other subjects, like psychology, law, politics, economics or literature.
Join our open and friendly learning environment and become a confident communicator with the resilience to thrive in the pursuit of your goals.
Find out more about us on our website
Our courses
- Philosophy (BA)
- Economics, Psychology and Philosophy (EPP) (BA/BSc)
- History and Philosophy (BA)
- Mathematics and Philosophy (BA)
- Philosophy and Global Sustainable Development (BASc)
- Philosophy and Literature (BA)
- Philosophy, Literature and Classics (BA)
- Philosophy with Psychology (BA)
- Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) (BA/BSc)
- Politics, Philosophy and Law (PPL) (BA)
You might also be interested in
Life at Warwick
Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities. A place where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. Our supportive, energising, welcoming space creates the ideal environment for forging new connections, having fun and finding inspiration.
Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.
Warwick Accommodation
Finding the right accommodation is key to helping you settle in quickly.
We have 12 self-catering undergraduate halls of residence on campus.
Our student property management and lettings agency manages more than 8,000 rooms both on and off campus, and provides advice to all full-time undergraduates.
Our campus
You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible new sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus.
Food and drink
We have lots of cafés, restaurants and shops on campus. You can enjoy great quality food and drink, with plenty of choice for all tastes and budgets. There is a convenience store on central campus, as well as two supermarkets and a small shopping centre in the nearby Cannon Park Retail Park. Several of them offer delivery services to help you stay stocked up.
And don't miss our regular food market day on the Piazza with tempting, fresh and delicious street food. Soak up the atmosphere and try something new, with mouth-watering food for all tastes.
Clubs and societies
We currently have more than 300 student-run societies.
So whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.
Or you could try something new, or even form your own society.
Sports and fitness
Staying active at Warwick is no sweat, thanks to our amazing new Sports and Wellness Hub, indoor and outdoor tennis centre, 60 acres of sports pitches, and more than 60 sports clubs.
Whether you want to compete, relax or just have fun, you can achieve your fitness goals.
Studying on campus
Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs.
You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.
- The Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas.
- The University Library provides access to over one million printed works and tens of thousands of electronic journals
- Three Learning Grids offering you flexible individual and group study spaces.
Travel and local area
Our campus is in Coventry, a modern city with high street shops, restaurants, nightclubs and bars sitting alongside medieval monuments. The Warwickshire towns of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth are also nearby.
The University is close to major road, rail and air links. London is just an hour by direct train from Coventry, with Birmingham a 20-minute trip. Birmingham International Airport is nearby (a 20-minute drive).
Wellbeing support and faith provision
Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.
Our Chaplaincy is home to Chaplains from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. We provide regular services for all Christian denominations and a Shabbat meal every Friday for our Jewish students. There is also an Islamic prayer hall, halal kitchen and ablution facilities.
How to apply
Learn more about our application process.
Key dates
Key dates for your application to Warwick.
Writing your personal statement
Make an impression and demonstrate your passion for your course.
After you've applied
Find out how we process your application.
Our Admission Statement
Read Warwick's Admission Statement
3 ways to connect
Talk to us
Join us at a live event. You can ask about courses, applying to Warwick, life at Warwick, visas and immigration, and more.
Warwick Experience
Take a virtual, student-led campus tour. Then join an interactive panel session, where you can hear from and chat to our current students and staff.
Student blogs
Explore our student blogs in OurWarwick. You can read about campus life from students themselves, and register to post questions directly to students.
Explore campus with our virtual tour
Our 360 tour lets you:
- Watch student videos
- View 360 photography and drone footage
- Learn about facilities and landmarks
Explore our campus virtually through our 360 campus tour now
Come to an Open Day
Don’t just take it from us, come and see for yourself what Warwick is all about. Whether it's a virtual visit or in-person, our University Open Days give you the chance to meet staff and students, visit academic departments, tour the campus and get a real feel for life at Warwick.
Sign up for updates
Discover more about our courses and campus life with our helpful information and timely reminders.
