- UCAS course code
- GG41
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Computer Science and Mathematics with Industrial Experience
Duration: 4 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: GG41 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Industrial experience
Scholarships available
- Typical A-level offer: A*A*A including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: AAA including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: AAB including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 38 points overall with 7,7,6 at HL, including specific requirements
Fees and funding
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £36,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.
For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our undergraduate student finance pages .
Course unit details:
Mathematics of a Finite Planet
| Unit code | MATH35062 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 10 |
| Unit level | Level 3 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The unit aims to: introduce students to the challenges created by finite resources and changes in the planetary environment due to human activity. Students will cover a variety of topics, both environmental and societal, developing mathematical analysis and interpreting this analysis in the light of the challenges. They will also be introduced to policy decision making and the assessment of political and ethical issues raised by proposed policies.
Pre/co-requisites
| Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus and Vectors A | MATH10121 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| Calculus and Applications A | MATH10222 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| Introduction to Statistics | MATH10282 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
| Partial Differential Equations & Vector Calculus | MATH24420 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
PHYS20171 is an acceptable alternative for those Maths-Physics students who took that unit instead of MATH24420.
Aims
The unit aims to: introduce students to the challenges created by finite resources and changes in the planetary environment due to human activity. Students will cover a variety of topics, both environmental and societal, developing mathematical analysis and interpreting this analysis in the light of the challenges. They will also be introduced to policy decision making and the assessment of political and ethical issues raised by proposed policies.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Use local, national and international reports to assess and describe the potential environmental and human impact of the problem
- Manipulate mathematical and/or statistical models to describe aspects of problems from a finite planet
- Interpret the mathematics in the context of the original problem, and to reflect critically on the limitations and/or accuracy of the moelling process
- Develop policy suggestions based on the mathematical descriptions used, and to assess the potential impact and identify any ethical issues raised by the policy and to suggest remedies; evaluate critically the policy proposals and their effects
- Choose content so as to communicate effectively to a technical audience (for the mathematics) and a more general audience (for the other areas); write documents aimed at different communities in a style and with a content that is appropriate to that readership.
Teaching and learning methods
First five weeks: 10 hours standard lectures with 3 hours example classes and discussions, 2 hours of student-led panel discussions.
Next 5 weeks: 4-5 hours (depending on semester) single topic lectures in Impact-Mathematics-Interpretation-Policy format with 8-10 hours of student-led panel discussions in the same format.
Final 2 weeks: 6 hours support for final project submission (of which 2 hours lecture on expectations and writing).
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Other | 20% |
| Report | 80% |
Formative assessment: Report handed in during week 7 based on mathematics and interpretation of results.
2 Pages (1000 words)
20% Weighting
Summative assessment: Report in Impact-Mathematics-Interpretation-Policy format at the end of the course.
4 pages (2000 words)
80% Weighting
Opportunity to participate in two presentations
2 x share of 10 minute presentations
Peer review and comparison with lecture notes provided after the session
Recommended reading
Lecture notes available via Blackboard
Various online materials (e.g. UN Sustainable Development Goals https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/, research papers and reports)
R. Attfield Environmental Ethics a very short introduction, 2018, Oxford
A.E. Dessler Introduction to Modern Climate Change, 2012, CUP
H. Goosse, P.Y. Barriat, W. Lefebvre, M.F. Loutre, and V. Zunz (2010) Introduction to climate dynamics and climate modelling, online textbook available at http://www.climate.be/textbook.
M. Maslin Climate Change a very short introduction, 2014, Oxford
R.T. Pierrehumbert Principles of Planetary Climate, 2010, CUP
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 22 |
| Tutorials | 11 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 67 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Paul Glendinning | Unit coordinator |
| Geoffrey Evatt | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in 20/21 and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact.
Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates