Master's Programme in Mathematics – Mathematics

The programme comprises 120 credits, corresponding to two years of full-time study. It is also possible to take out a one-year Master’s degree (60 credits) within the programme. You have great freedom to customise your study programme based on the proposed study plan, which consists of a selection of courses in algebra, analysis, probability theory and geometry. It also proposes additional mathematics courses where you can choose whether to broaden your skills and knowledge or specialise. There is also scope for including courses in other subject areas.

In the first semester, we recommend that you take three of these four courses:

• Integration Theory,
• Partial Differential Equations,
• Differential Topology,
• Modules and Homological Algebra.

That way, you will maximise your opportunities to take more advanced courses later. During the second and third semesters, we offer a wide range of courses that you can choose from such as Analytic Functions, Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations, Riemann Geometry or Commutative Algebra and Algebraic Geometry. We also offer advanced courses in mathematics where completing an independent project gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a research area under the supervision of a researcher.

If you intend to go on to complete doctoral studies after graduation, you should choose courses with a high degree of theory formation. If you are interested in a career in business, more job opportunities will be open to you if you choose some courses from the programme’s two other specialisations (financial mathematics, and applied mathematics and statistics) and/or include courses from another subject area.

In the final year of the programme, you complete a degree project worth 30 credits in which you apply your knowledge. You write in an independent paper on a specialised topic in mathematics and have the opportunity to contribute to mathematical research. If you choose to take out a one-year Master’s degree, you will complete a smaller degree project worth 15 credits during the second semester of the programme.

Courses within the programme

See the programme outline for courses within the programme.

In addition to the courses specified in the programme outline you can choose to include other courses in the programme, both in mathematics and other subjects. If you are unsure whether a course can be included in a degree from the programme, please contact a study counsellor.

The programme is taught in English, mainly in the form of lectures, lessons and seminars and is continuously developed through dialogue between the teaching staff and the students. You study in an international environment where between half to one-third of the students on the programme come from abroad.

To succeed in studying mathematics studies you need to be able to work independently – individually and in groups. You can always discuss and get help from your teachers, whom are all researchers at the Department of Mathematics. The Department of Mathematics’ research groups are active and hold regular seminars. Master’s students are welcome to participate in these seminars.

Study environment

Both teaching and research in mathematics is located at the Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University’s largest campus, situated in beautiful surroundings about three kilometres south of Uppsala city Centre. This is where cutting-edge research in a broad field of science, technology, mathematics and computer science takes place. Our students have access to many attractive spaces in close proximity to the research environments and the Department’s doors are always open for students wanting to get in touch with their teachers.

Read more about student life at Uppsala University.

Study abroad

You have the option of studying courses at a university abroad for one or two semesters of the programme. Uppsala University has student exchange agreements with many universities around the world. The Department of Mathematics has student exchange agreements with several universities that excel in mathematics in particular, for example in France, Germany, Scotland and Japan.

Mathematicians are needed in a variety of fields and demand in the labour market is high. Mathematicians are also paid well. Forecasts indicate that knowledge in mathematics will be needed even more in the future, in particular due to explosive developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data.

If you want to work with mathematical research and development, this specialisation is the right way to go. Many of our alumni in this specialisation have gone on to doctoral studies, both in Sweden and abroad. Some of them choose to remain in academia as researchers and lecturers while others pursue careers outside academia.

Many former students of this specialisation also choose to start working directly outside the higher education sector. There are excellent opportunities for a successful career in mathematics, especially if you broaden your education with courses in applied mathematics and other fields. Examples of jobs and employers that our alumni without a doctorate have are:

• Account Executive at Pegasystems,
• Data Scientist at Orange Peak Company,
• Analyst and Data Scientist at Trivago,
• Quantitative Risk Analyst at Sweden’s Handelsbanken.
  

Career support

Throughout your entire study period, you can receive guidance and participate in events and activities that prepare you for working life. The Department of Mathematics holds an annual career day where former students talk about their education and career paths. In the field of technology and natural sciences, a large career fair is organised annually where you can meet future employers.

You can find more information about the labour market, career paths and our former students on the Department of Mathematics career pages.

Career counselling at the Faculty of Science and Technology

UU Careers