maths phd salary uk

Study Postgraduate

Phd in mathematics (2024 entry).

Course code

30 September 2024

3-4 years full-time

Qualification

Mathematics Institute

University of Warwick

Explore our PhD in Mathematics

The PhD in Mathematics offers an intellectually stimulating and dynamic research course. Study at the University of Warwick's Mathematics Institute, an international centre of research excellence, ranked 3rd for research power and 3rd for the number of 4* research outputs in REF 2021 (amongst UK universities).

Course overview

Mathematics at Warwick covers the full spectrum of mathematics and its applications. The Mathematics Postgraduate Degrees are appropriate for students with a strong and broad mathematical background who wish to engage in advanced mathematical techniques and attack mathematical research problems in their postgraduate work.

All students are required to undergo training in Year One and are encouraged to make use of further training opportunities available in subsequent years. Training ranges from gaining a broader knowledge of mathematics through taught modules, seminars and workshops, to enhancing your professional and transferrable skills. Our PhD students undertake high quality original research and are being well-prepared for a career, either in academia or elsewhere.

Teaching and learning

Students are required to complete a series of modules in their first year (from a very wide selection of bespoke modules), with assessment including an oral examination component. Upon the successful completion of these modules, students are required to complete a research project before being formally upgraded to a PhD at the end of the first year.

Training will be supplemented with attendance to seminars, cohort building activities, and additional transferable skills training.

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements.

First Class Honours undergraduate integrated Master's (4-year) degree from a UK university in Mathematics or a science degree with high mathematical content, or the equivalent qualification and grade from a non-UK university.

Alternatively, applicants who have a Bachelor's degree AND a Distinction in a postgraduate Master's degree would be considered.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirements Link opens in a new window . This course requires the following:

• IELTS overall score of 6.5, minimum component scores not below 6.0

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements page Link opens in a new window .

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Our research

The mathematics department covers a wide range of research areas in mathematics and its applications.

You may also wish to explore the research interest of current Warwick academics .

Find a supervisor

The 'Find A Supervisor' link below will allow you to explore the research interests of academics within the department. Please include in your application the names of potential supervisors, with interests aligned with yours, or people you would like to work with.

The mathematics department, unlike some other departments, does not require students to make any arrangements with any potential supervisors before applying, though of course you are welcome to contact them directly and discuss your interests and any potential projects they may offer.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your research course fees

Fee Status Guidance

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website .

Additional course costs

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Mathematics Funding Opportunities

Find out more about the various funding opportunities that are available in our department.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Mathematics at Warwick

Our challenging Mathematics degrees will harness your strong mathematical ability and commitment, enabling you to explore your passion for mathematics.

Find out more about us on our website Link opens in a new window

Our courses

• Interdisciplinary Mathematics (Diploma plus MSc)
• Interdisciplinary Mathematics (MSc)
• Mathematics (Diploma plus MSc)
• Mathematics (MSc)
• Mathematics (PhD)

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

For research courses that start in September and October 2024 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2024. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

How to apply for a postgraduate research course  

After you’ve applied

Find out how we process your application.

Applicant Portal

Track your application and update your details.

Admissions statement

See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.

Join a live chat

Ask questions and engage with Warwick.

Warwick Hosted Events Link opens in a new window

Postgraduate fairs.

Throughout the year we attend exhibitions and fairs online and in-person around the UK. These events give you the chance to explore our range of postgraduate courses, and find out what it’s like studying at Warwick. You’ll also be able to speak directly with our student recruitment team, who will be able to help answer your questions.

Join a live chat with our staff and students, who are here to answer your questions and help you learn more about postgraduate life at Warwick. You can join our general drop-in sessions or talk to your prospective department and student services.

Departmental events

Some academic departments hold events for specific postgraduate programmes, these are fantastic opportunities to learn more about Warwick and your chosen department and course.

See our online departmental events

Warwick Talk and Tours

A Warwick talk and tour lasts around two hours and consists of an overview presentation from one of our Recruitment Officers covering the key features, facilities and activities that make Warwick a leading institution. The talk is followed by a campus tour which is the perfect way to view campus, with a current student guiding you around the key areas on campus.

Connect with us

Learn more about Postgraduate study at the University of Warwick.

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history .

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

9th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2024) Link opens in a new window

67th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024) Link opens in a new window

6th most targeted university by the UK's top 100 graduate employers Link opens in a new window

(The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd. Link opens in a new window )

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2024 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

Mathematics MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

The department is home to many internationally renowned mathematicians. Our students go on to pursue successful careers in a variety of settings, primarily as postdoctoral researchers or in the world of finance. Excellent networking opportunities are provided by our central London location and close research links to other London universities.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Where possible, candidates are always interviewed. For overseas candidates there will be an alternative interview by telephone or Skype.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g., Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance . This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place. Please note that ATAS processing times can take up to six months, so we recommend you consider these timelines when submitting your application to UCL.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

We offer research supervision across a broad range of pure and applied mathematics. General areas of expertise in pure mathematics include analysis, geometry, number theory and topology. In applied mathematics key areas of activity include fluid dynamics, mathematical modelling, mathematical physics, mathematical biology, applied and numerical analysis and financial mathematics.

Who this course is for

Our research degree programme is aimed at graduate students in mathematics or related sciences. Applicants will have analytical skills, and have formed a strong interest in pursuing mathematical research.

What this course will give you

The department offers a unique combination of outstanding research supervision and a rich community of students. It is sufficiently large for wide-ranging research activity but remains compact enough for academic staff to be highly accessible.

UCL’s role in the London School of Geometry and Number Theory (LSGNT) and London Taught Course Centre, as well as numerous intercollegiate seminars, ensures that students are firmly integrated into the wider mathematical community.

Some PhD projects are supervised jointly with industrial partners, or with other UCL departments or by interdisciplinary centres, with a unique critical mass of interdisciplinary activities at UCL.

The foundation of your career

Many of our students have go on to careers in financial services in the City; others have proceeded to postdoctoral research and academic careers.

Employability

Recent graduates have taken up academic posts at universities such as UCL, Imperial College London, Michigan, Sheffield, Mexico, Kyoto, California State, Others have joined the financial services industry with companies such as Barclays Capital, Schroders, Deloitte, ABN Amro and J. P. Morgan; Other graduates have become mathematics teachers and computer programmers.

A further example of employer destinations in industry would be Formula One motor racing development. Some students have summer secondments, such as two recent summer secondments at the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

Students closely interact with their peers from other London universities via the London Taught Course Centre, which offers a programme of advanced courses in mathematics and statistics one day a week for PhD research students in the region, as well as short intensive courses open to students from elsewhere in the UK and Europe.

You will have the chance to attend the departmental postgraduate seminar run by the students for the students, as well as other seminars both within and outside the department. You'll also have the opportunity to take part in a vigorous conferences programme.

Conferences recently hosted by the department include the Numerical Methods for MFG and related PDE Workshop, a lecture course on Regularity of Area Minimising Hypersurfaces, a conference on contact geometry and the British Applied Mathematics Colloquium, and the London Mathematical Biology Conference.

Teaching and learning

The degree is predominantly research-based and is overseen by a Principal Supervisor. Additionally all students are required to undergo training aimed at developing their presentation skills and gaining a broader knowledge of mathematics through modules (e.g. those offered by the London Taught Course Centre), seminars and conference attendance.

After 12-18 months, students are upgraded from MPhil to PhD candidature subject to assessment by a panel on the basis of a written report and oral examination. Ultimately, the student submits a thesis meeting the requirements of a UCL research degree as assessed by nominated examiners at an oral examination.

In a typical week you will meet your supervisory team for up to 2 hours. Short lecture courses, attending seminars, conferences or group meetings will amount to several additional hours per week. The majority of time is self-directed study.

Research areas and structure

Departmental research specialities fall within the two main groupings of pure and applied mathematics described below, and graduate research may be pursued within either field.

• Applied mathematics : environmental flows (including vortex dynamics, atmospheric and ocean dynamics and climate modelling); fluid mechanics (e.g. free-surface flows, polymers); industrial mathematics (e.g. inverse models, sound transmission, multi-particle interactions); mathematical biology and medicine (e.g. modelling cerebral and liver blood flow, molecular and cellular dynamics); gravitation, integrable systems; mathematical modelling; applied partial differential equations; numerical analysis and scientific computing; financial mathematics
• Pure mathematics : functional analysis; real and complex analysis; spectral theory; combinatorics; algebraic number theory; geometric topology; discrete and convex geometry; probability theory; geometric group theory; symplectic and contact topology

Research environment

The department is home to many internationally renowned mathematicians. We are delighted to be among the strongest mathematical science departments in the UK. In the Research excellence Framework 2021, UCL Mathematical Sciences was ranked 5th in the UK in terms of the number of papers ranked 3* or 4*. The expertise of our faculty covers the range of pure and applied mathematics with particular highlights including our leadership of the London School of Geometry and Number Theory which offers outstanding opportunities to early career young researchers in these fields. Numerous subject specific college seminars as well as intercollegiate seminars ensure that all PhD students have access to cutting edge research in their field.

Your primary activity in all years of study is to pursue research on your chosen research topic. This is conducted in close consultation with your primary supervisor.

During the first year you will usually take four courses from the inter-collegiate London Taught Course Centre. 

At or near the start of the second year students you will submit an upgrade report that is examined by a viva voce. On successful completion of this upgrade you will move from "MPhil" to "PhD" status.

Your primary activity in all years of study is to pursue research on your chosen research topic. This is conducted in close consultation with your primary supervisor. During the first two years you will usually take four courses from the inter-collegiate London Taught Course Centre. At or near the end of the third year students will submit an upgrade report that is examined by a viva voce. On successful completion of this upgrade you will move from MPhil to PhD status.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Funded PhD places include the provision of a laptop by the department to be purchased in the first 2 years of studies. Students own the laptop and are, therefore, expected to pay the costs of insuring and backing-up their laptop. Students who leave their studies early are expected to return their laptop if already purchased.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

For MPhil/PhD research at least two EPSRC doctoral training awards are normally offered each year. Approximately seven PhD teaching assistantships are also available each year. In addition, there are UCL Graduate Research Scholarships and Overseas Research Scholarships, and small departmental scholarships for which applicants are automatically considered on accepting an offer of a place.

Further opportunities for financial support are occasionally available. The department encourages and offers financial support for conference and workshop attendance.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

CSC-UCL Joint Research Scholarship

Value: Fees, maintenance and travel (Duration of programme) Criteria Based on academic merit Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Deadlines and start dates are usually dictated by funding arrangements so check with the department or academic unit to see if you need to consider these in your application preparation. In most cases you should identify and contact potential supervisors before making your application. For more information see our How to apply page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Got questions get in touch.

Mathematics

[email protected]

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students .

Prospective Students Graduate

• Graduate degrees
• Taught degrees
• Taught Degrees
• Applying for Graduate Taught Study at UCL
• Research degrees
• Research Degrees
• Funded Research Opportunities
• Doctoral School
• Funded Doctoral Training Programmes
• Applying for Graduate Research Study at UCL
• Teacher training
• Teacher Training
• Early Years PGCE programmes
• Primary PGCE programmes
• Secondary PGCE programmes
• Further Education PGCE programme
• How to apply
• The IOE approach
• Teacher training in the heart of London
• Why choose UCL?
• Entrepreneurship
• Inspiring facilities and resources
• Careers and employability
• Your global alumni community
• Your wellbeing
• Postgraduate Students' Association
• Your life in London
• Accommodation
• Funding your Master's

The Savvy Scientist

Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid Compared to Graduates?

Considering whether to stay in university as a PhD student or to leave and get a job? If so, you may be wondering “How much do PhD student get paid?” and “How does a UK PhD salary compare to a graduate salary?” .

In this post I delve into the details and reveal that the difference in take home pay between a UK PhD stipend and a grad position can actually be much lower than it first appears!

If you’re looking to know how much a PhD could boost your career and salary after finishing your doctoral degree I’d suggest checking out my post: Is a PhD Worth It ?

I also have a complementary post covering my monthly expenses as a PhD student. You may also wish to check out my guide to the application process , PhD FAQs and article on how I got a PhD scholarship .

February 2024 : This post has been updated to include figures for the 2023/24 academic year.

Do PhD students get paid in the UK? If so, how much do PhD students get paid?

Before we delve into the details let’s first cover whether PhD students get paid in the UK. Generally, yes, most PhD students get what is called a PhD stipend to support themselves during their PhD. Importantly, a PhD stipend (in the UK at least) is tax free .

It is worth noting though that not all PhD projects automatically include funding. Funding may also not be applicable for every applicant. For example sometimes it may only be available to home students i.e. those from the UK.

Therefore some students may resort to self funding their PhD. In STEM subjects self funding a PhD is pretty rare and often only happens because of limitations in funding eligibility. I’ve personally worked with a mix of funded and self-funded (often by parents) PhD students, though most are certainly funded by grants and scholarships.

If your project doesn’t already include funding, for most people I strongly advise trying to find funding rather than considering self funding. For more information on this check out my post on PhD Funding in the UK.

2023/24 UK PhD Salary

• PhD salary outside of London: In 2023/24 most new PhD students in the UK will receive a PhD stipend worth at least £18,622 per year .
• PhD salary in London : In 2023/24 most new PhD students in London will receive an increased stipend to account for cost of living , which is typically around £20,622 per year .

Notice that the PhD stipend for outside of London is at least £18,622 per year. I’ve seen several advertised at the London rate. There are also some available at an even higher rate. For example I know of CDTs in Bristol paying more like £24,000 tax-free.

Your PhD stipend will usually provide funding for 3.5 years, although it can occasionally be for 3 or 4 years.

These values are for most PhD studentships including those awarded by all UK research councils following the UKRI guidelines .

Certain scholarship schemes pay upwards of £25,000 per year, such as the £25,150 (2024/25 rate) President’s PhD Scholarships at Imperial. For details on how to get such a scholarship, check out this article where I go over how I got awarded my own PhD scholarship.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (ITN)  runs all across the EU. As well as nice training and exchange opportunities it pays a staggering stipend of approx £40,000 – £45,000 . The grant level is reviewed each year and increases if you have family dependents. I personally wish I’d known about it earlier and highly recommend anyone interested puts a reminder in their diary for when the next call opens!

Is a UK PhD stipend taxable?

Here is what PhD stipends look like compared to some fairly typical starting grad salaries in the UK:

At first glance a PhD stipend doesn’t stack up well against the higher wages of a graduate salary which can sometimes be twice this amount or more. But crucially PhD stipends for students are tax free !

There are a few other financial perks that come with being a student so I was intrigued to find out how the two salaries really compared. The results may surprise you!

Below is a high level overview and I’ll delve into each of the numbers in depth later in the post.

Grad salary vs PhD salary starting numbers

As mentioned earlier, in 2023/24 a typical PhD stipend outside of London is at least £18,622 . Within London this will typically increase slightly to account for cost of living to around £20,622 . These rates rise every year for new students, but do not rise for each year of the PhD. So for new students considering starting in 2024/25 a UK PhD salary will likely be around £19,100 outside of London. 

For the sake of simplifying the comparison I averaged the 2023/24 PhD stipend to £19,622 for all PhD students studying in the UK.

A fairly typical grad salary, for someone qualified enough to be considering a science PhD, is around £30,000 . Of course this is an average salary so needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. As the number can vary dramatically it may be considered too low by some, but I think it’s a good benchmark accounting for different regions of the UK.

I’ve included higher and lower graduate salaries too in the summary charts for this post.

Salary Gap: £10,378

On the face of it the PhD student would be earning £10,378 less per year: around 35% lower! This is enough of a difference to put off a lot of potential PhD candidates who’ve likely spent the last few years building up student loans.

But unlike normal wages, PhD stipends are tax free so maybe things aren’t as bleak for PhD students as it seems? Let’s explore how they really compare.

Income Tax & National Insurance Contributions

The 2023/24 Personal Income Allowance is £12,570. This means that you can earn up to this amount and not pay any income tax. Earnings from £12,571 up to £50,270 fall into the basic rate bracket of 20% tax.

PhD Student Salary: PhD stipends are tax free and incur no income tax or national insurance contributions. Remaining stipend: £19,622

Professional Salary: On £30,000 you’d pay £ 3486 in income tax and NI contributions of £2004 . Remaining wage:  £24,510

Salary Gap: £4888 Income tax and national insurance contributions have immediately almost halved the difference in take-home pay from £10,378 down to £4888!

Student Loan Repayment

PhD Student Salary: Even with a PhD stipend you are officially an unwaged student so you won’t make student loan repayments as a PhD student. Remaining stipend: £19,622 [see footnote 1]

Professional Salary: The amount you may have to pay for student loan repayments depends upon when you started your undergraduate course. If you started your undergraduate course since 2012 you pay student loan repayments on earnings above £27,295. Meaning on a salary of £30,000 you’d pay £243 a year on student loan repayments. If you began your undergraduate course before 2012, repayments start on salaries above £22,015 and would be £541 a year . Most of you likely completed your undergrad degree recently so we’ll go with the more recent, lower, repayments. Remaining wage:  £24,267

Salary Gap: £4645

Council Tax

PhD Student Salary: Another cost that students are exempt from is council tax. Though be careful if you share a house with non-students since council tax must then be paid on the property. [2] Remaining stipend:  £19,622

Professional Salary: Council tax varies greatly between council boroughs, and depends on the property you live in. For example in Cardiff I lived in a one bed flat and the annual council tax was £1050 per year. During my PhD in London council tax for a lovely three bed house  in Clapham it was £1000! Now that I live in Bristol it is over £2000 per year for a three bed house. I’ll go to the liberty of saying on average it would be £1150 per year and would be divided between two people: -£575 each. Total: £23,692

Salary Gap: £4070

Private Pension Contributions

PhD Student Salary: Although universities pay a PhD stipend to students, you are not a member of staff and hence do not make private pension contributions. Remaining stipend:  £19,622

Professional Salary: Legislation has been phasing in making contribution to private pensions mandatory. The upside is that employers match your contribution up to varying percentages: sometimes up to about 10% of your salary. Additionally there are tax benefits to contributing so overall you could see it as boosting your salary looking at the longer term view. [3]

I believe there are troubling times ahead for 20-somethings and personally am not relying on a state pension existing by the time we all reach retirement age. Therefore I wholeheartedly recommend making a decently sized contribution at least up to the same amount that your employer matches. For the purposes of this comparison I won’t deduct anything for private pension since it’s not really being deducted so I’ll call this one a draw.  Total: £23,692

Student Discount

Ah the obvious one! Student discount may have been the first thing you thought of when you saw this article, but I’m not going to include it in this analysis.

A student card does allow a significant amount to be saved, not only on luxuries such as entry to attractions and deals in shops but also travel. For example in London, an 18+ student oystercard gets you 30% off travelcards. For a monthly zones 1-3 ticket this would save about £50 a month: over £600 a year!

The reason I’ve not included it? How much you use student discount depends on your circumstances and lifestyle and I wanted to keep the analysis widely applicable. Also, there are ways around needing to pay for travel at all: I started cycling to university every day in London .

Curveball: the £12,570 Tax-Free Personal Income Allowance

So far the recent grad is still earning an additional £4842 per year: almost a third more than the PhD student. Owing to the fact that PhD students are exempt from income tax, national insurance contributions, council tax and student loan repayments the gap in earnings has shrunk considerably.

One last calculation I wanted to try was to consider the scenario of a student earning some additional money on the side. It is a common thing to make extra money with teaching assistant, tutoring and consultancy opportunities. In fact I think every PhD student I know does at least a little. There are of course non-academic routes to make additional money too.

I have written a post about some of the ways that I make extra money , many of which are in fact available to non-students. Do be careful to check that this is acceptable at your institution. My favourite way to make extra money is matched betting which is tax-free for everybody. You can find my complete guide to matched betting here .

Tax-free side-hustle

Currently you can earn £12,570 tax free in the UK . Given that the PhD stipend itself is tax free, unlike an equivalent worker you wouldn’t pay any tax on extra earnings up to this threshold. This might sound insignificant but it’s not.

Admittedly, unless you’re very entrepreneurial, it is unlikely that you would make use of the whole tax-free opportunity. But earning several thousand pounds per year on top of the stipend is certainly common.

As pointed out by a reader, John, in the comments below: a consideration should be that that some universities limit how much paid work you can do per month. Even so, there are lots of ways to make money and your time as a student could even be a great time to start your own business .

I’ve been paid more than £25 an hour doing pretty simple work for the university , so these earnings can mount up quickly.

To illustrate the extra earning potential afforded to PhD students, let’s consider the most extreme case where the tax-free earnings are maximised.

Since 2017 there has been a £1000 tax-free trading allowance for workers in the UK , meaning even those in a normal taxable job can earn £1000 on top of their salary from side-hustle jobs. Therefore the grad will pay additional taxes on £11,570 instead of £12,570.

PhD Student Salary: An enterprising student maxing out the tax-free allowance could earn £12,570 a year and pay no national insurance either, leaving additional take-home pay of  £12,570 . With a PhD stipend of £17,062 the student would in total earn £32,192 for the year. They’d keep 100% of those extra earnings.

Again, yes it is unlikely that someone would really earn this much on the side but it is common to make at least several thousand throughout the year.

Professional Salary: As a grad on £30,000 per year in your main job, to have an equivalent side-hustle earning £12,570, in total you’d pay tax on £41,570. Income tax would be £5800: £2314 higher than on their base salary of £30,000. NI contributions would be £3335: £1331 higher. Plus student loan repayments would be £1284: £1041 higher. Student loan repayments really start increasing considerably when you’re earning more. These additional taxes and costs total deductions of £4686,  leaving the professional with extra take-home pay of  £7884 . Including their day-job the total they’d be left with is £31,576 .

For this extra £12,570 of work, the student would pocket 100% of it and the professional would keep £7884 ( 63% ). Looking at the pre-tax difference in their earnings: at face value the student would be earning £32,192 and the grad £41,570: a difference of £9378. Yet once taxes are considered the final result is two people with remarkably similar take-home pays: a difference of £616 in favour of the student!

Check it out:

Under these circumstances the student would in fact take home £616 more per year than the professional! I used the maximum tax-free allowance to highlight the point and yes it’s unlikely that many students will fully utilise it. Yet the point stands that any additional earnings are much better retained by PhD students.

If someone was running a fully-fledged business on the side then the difference becomes even bigger as the grad salary approaches the next tax bracket for earnings of £50,271 and above, at which point the rate of income tax doubles.

There are very few legal ways of making money which are tax-exempt for everyone. One of these rare cases is also my favourite way to make money on the side: matched betting. Intrigued? I’ve written a huge guide to it here . In this rare instance none of the grad’s extra earnings get eroded by tax.

Grad salary vs PhD student salary conclusion

Starting from a difference of £10,378 in salary, taxes and other outgoings have knocked £6308 off the graduate’s wage. This brings the difference in earnings down to £4070. This equates to £339 per month. More than nothing, but not a huge difference. And this doesn’t include any extra earnings on the side which the student can do a much better job of retaining.

Surprised how small the difference is? I certainly was whilst I was writing this.

Here is a chart for comparing a wider range of salaries:

This analysis doesn’t take in to account the extra earning power that gaining a PhD could bring, nor the potential lifestyle benefits of being a student such as autonomy and flexible working hours which it could be argued level the playing field even further. Plus the opportunities afforded to PhD students, which everyone should seize. And yes, student discount if you use it.

Furthermore if you consider the opportunity to make an additional £12k+ per year before incurring tax  any difference in earnings can become close to negligible!

I hope that this post has helped explain that the wage gap between UK PhD stipends and grad salaries is not as dramatic it first seems. Perhaps it’s even encouraged you to consider a PhD. If so I’ve written posts to help with your application and an article on how to improve your chances of securing a PhD scholarship . Also if you’re curious you can read about life as a PhD student along with profiles of PhD students around the world .

If you’d like personalised help with your PhD application I am now starting to offer a small number of one-to-one sessions. Please contact me to find out more or click here to book a call.

What do you think about this comparison between a UK PhD stipend and grad salary? Do you think there are any additional factors that I have overlooked? Please share your thoughts in the comments below and if you’ve enjoyed this post you can subscribe to hear about more content:

[1] Some people might say that by continuing studying you’re simply delaying your student loan repayment.  Considering most people don’t pay it off in the 30 odd years until any outstanding balance is wiped I think it’s fair to say that this doesn’t ring true.

[2] No council tax is paid on a property if all occupants are students. If you live with one professional they can claim the single occupancy discount of 25% but with two or more professionals the full council tax amount must be paid. If you share in a mixed group it is up to you how you divide it within the group. Ironically given the spirit of this post, last year I voluntarily did pay an equal (third) share of council tax given that my partner was moving to London specifically to live with me…

[3] If you go on to work for a university after your PhD you’ll be enrolled in the USS pension scheme where you’ll usually pay in 9% of your salary and your employer pays in 19%: yes, nineteen! For comparison most often the best private companies may match contributions up to 10%. Pension contributions are often removed from your pay packet before taxes. This effectively leaves you with a smaller salary and hence pay less taxes and national insurance contributions. Between this and your employer’s contributions overall your salary could be “boosted” by quite a bit, around 20% in the USS example, if you consider the pension as part of your long-term salary.

All calculations were carried out using the tax calculator on Martin’s Money Saving Expert. A fantastic website for all things personal finance.

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related Posts

How To Get A Fully Funded PhD Scholarship

14th February 2023 30th January 2024

How to Find PhD Funding in the UK

2nd January 2018 30th January 2024

17 Comments on “PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid Compared to Graduates?”

It’s probably worth factoring in that most HEIs limit PhD students to a maximum I’m of 10hours pw of external work. By my rough estimate, the student would have to earn £25 an hour to make the money you’ve described here. The side hustle, should probably be halved to reflect a more typical salary. Still a fair whack though.

Hi John, yes that’s a good point and I’ll update the post to reflect this. In my experience £25/hour is realistic, at least here at Imperial, though I appreciate it would rarely get fully utilised. Thanks again

Hello Jeff! I am a Sustainability Consultant from India, looking at PhD opportunities in UK. It would be great if we can connect and discuss a bit about your experience and journey. Looking forward!

Hey Akhyata! Great, yes let’s have a chat. I’ve emailed you to arrange it. Best wishes, Jeff

Hi Jeff! I love your article, I’m a pharmacist juggling the idea of a PhD. I would love to take up on your offer to connect.

Hey Kai! Great, I’ll email you now to arrange it.

Hi Jeff, I am a law grad very interested in further study and pursuing a PhD.

I would love the chance to chat to you further about this article and your experience!

Thanks in advance

Hey Clara, Yeah no worries. I’ll send you an email now to discuss.

Hi Jeff, I’m putting together a PhD proposal at the moment and would really appreciate your input on a few things about the process when you have some free time. Cheers, Ben

Hi Ben, sure no problem, I’m happy to try and help. Let’s discuss over email.

Hi Jeff, Thank you for taking the time to write the articles you do. On this particular article, you have saved us all quite a lot of time. With such a minimal difference even without an additional income, it makes a lot of sense, especially with an increase when you graduate.

Those from the UK can take a £24k loan from the Gov (as if they didn’t have enough debt already). Still, it could enable a student to focus more on academia, speeding up the process and increasing the quality of work.

Apologies Jeff, the stipend and student loan are not available at the same time.

Thanks very much for your comments Tyrone. I’m pleased you find the website useful!

If you can get funding, I agree that there isn’t much of a reason to not do a PhD.

I must admit I’ve never looked much at postgraduate loans, in part because I encourage everyone doing a PhD (in STEM at least) to pursue funding. We’re doing PhDs which can help wider society and it doesn’t make sense for people to have to sacrifice even more by adding extra debt if they can avoid it. Interesting to hear that you can’t take out a loan if you have a stipend, thanks for letting me know.

Perhaps of interest to you, there is a post going live tomorrow which should put the length of a PhD in context of someone’s whole career. In short it doesn’t sacrifice much of a career but of course but make a very useful addition!

If there are any other topics you want to see covered please do let me know.

Best wishes.

Tax Free is not a perk. If you are not paying tax in the UK you cannot contribute to your pension. This may not seem important now, but it will later. This is especially important for mature students who can really lose out if there is a break in their NI contributions.

Thanks for your comment Marie.

The point is that normal tax-paying jobs don’t actually pay quite as much more than PhD stipends once you consider tax. I agree that over the long term avoiding paying taxes is neither a good idea because of things like pensions, nor is it socially ethical. But I don’t think there is any harm in taking 3-4 years out for a PhD:

You have to pay NI for a minimum of only 10 years to qualify for some level of state pension in the UK. After this the pension received simply increases linearly with the number of years of contributions, up to a max of 35 years. With retirement age edging up to 70 that gives at least 45 years between undergrad and retirement so most people will comfortably qualify (for now) for the full state pension. I’d argue that there is ample time to earn some tax free money as a PhD student without having to worry about making enough NI contributions. You can even voluntarily pay NI to gain additional qualifying years on your record. More generally I’d suggest also to not rely on receiving the state pension, I’m not personally betting on there even being a state pension by my own retirement (nor do I want to retire at 70+) so it’s always a good idea to build up your own private pension and savings too!

Hi Jeff, I was looking for funded PhD projects in the Marie Curie network and found a few on the EURAXESS website, but they all require a Master’s degree to apply. I was wondering if there is something I am missing or if you know where to find PhD funding opportunities in the Marie Curie network with only a bachelor’s degree. Thank you.

Hi Alex, thanks for your comment. I must admit I’m not an expert on all of the different Marie Curie funding routes available. If you’ve already done an extensive search then it sounds like yes they all may require a Master’s. By the way, when I first wrote this post I believed that all PhDs funded by UK research councils (UKRI) were at the very specific levels as mentioned in the post. However, I now know that there are some exceptions. For example, the Interactive AI CDT here at Bristol pays a stipend of £22,106: quite a bit higher than the standard non-London rate. CDTs such as this one include a foundation year and not everyone has a Master’s, so it may be worth considering schemes such as this. Best wishes, Jeff.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Privacy Overview

Browser does not support script.

• Undergraduate
• Executive education
• Study Abroad
• Summer schools
• Online certificate courses
• International students
• Meet, visit and discover LSE

MPhil/PhD Mathematics

• Graduate research
• Department of Mathematics
• Application code G1ZM
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Open
• Overseas full-time: Open
• Location: Houghton Street, London

This programme offers the chance to undertake a substantial piece of work that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution to the field of mathematics within our four broad disciplines – discrete mathematics and algorithms, financial mathematics and control theory, game theory, and operations research. You will begin on the MPhil, and will need to meet certain requirements to be upgraded to PhD status.

You have a plethora of topics to choose from including combinatorics, combinatorial optimisation, computational learning theory, control theory, financial mathematics, game theory, graph theory, integer programming, mechanism design, polyhedral combinatorics, probabilistic analysis, theory of computation and algorithms, and in the applications of mathematics in areas such as inspections, network optimisation, telecommunications, transportation, and economics.

Over the course of the years, the Department organises a number of personal development workshops for PhD students, designed to provide tailored support for specific areas of interest, such as careers, impact, and final year processes. Crucially, we have close ties with other departments at LSE, such as Statistics, Finance, Economics and Management, and we are an integral part of the mathematical community of the University of London.

All research students in the Department are provided with some funding each year to encourage and support their research activities, such as conference attendance and purchasing books and technology. Additional research funds are also available, upon application.

Programme details

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mphil/phd mathematics.

Merit in a taught master's degree (or equivalent) in a related discipline and a 2:1 degree or equivalent in mathematics. 

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission. 

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

LSE values diversity and strives to promote equality at all levels. We strongly encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, and members of other groups under-represented in higher education.

Assessing your application

Making an application.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - CV - statement of academic purpose - outline research proposal - sample of written work - references

In addition to the general guidelines on application documents available  here , you can find specific guidelines for some of the application documents required as part of your application for the MPhil/PhD Mathematics programme below.  

Academic Achievement Provide detailed transcripts, with individual marks for all courses on your undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes you have completed, and any available/provisional marks obtained in your current degree programme.

CV - Provide details of your education history. - Provide details of any employment history or other professional experience, including internships or volunteering activities. - Mention any relevant prior research experience, such as thesis work, research projects.    - If relevant, mention any career breaks or career changes, for example due to caring responsibilities.

Statement of Academic Purpose (1 page) - Explain your motivation for doing a PhD. - Explain your current career goals and aspirations and clarify how the PhD programme might help you realise them.  

Outline Research Proposal (1-2 pages) Many applicants will have little or no prior experience of research and therefore we do not expect a fully developed research proposal. The following is a recommendation of what to address, in a concise manner, in the research proposal. - Explain which overall research area you are interested in and explain why.  - Provide an example of one or two research papers that you have read or open problems you have heard about (in your proposed research area) and explain why you found them interesting. - Clarify who you see as potential supervisors and explain why.  - Explain how your training and skills are suitable for conducting research in your area of interest. For example, provide specific examples of related courses you have taken, and any research, internship, or work experiences that are relevant to your research area of interest. - If applicable, describe how any dissertation work from your BSc or MSc is relevant to your planned PhD research (be aware that this research will most likely be different).

Sample of Written Work (at least 5 pages) Submit something that showcases your mathematical writing. This could for example be a thesis, a project report, or some detailed exercise solutions. We like to see a writing sample that contains both mathematical details and plain text in which you discuss/interpret/explain the mathematical results. You can submit more than one writing sample if you only have short pieces of written work.

References You will need to nominate two referees. Academic referees are preferred, i.e., people who have taught you at university level.

If you can find a referee who can specifically comment on your research potential and your academic background in your chosen research area, that would be helpful. If you have any previous research experience, you could ask supervisors/project partners for a reference letter. An academic reference from your current degree programme where you already took exams are usually most helpful. If you have not taken any exams in your current programme yet, you can also ask for reference letters from previous degrees.

The referees will be asked to provide a reference letter and answer a selection of multiple-choice questions in which they will need to provide an assessment of your academic performance/potential etc. and research potential. --------------

Completed applications are sent to the Department after they are processed by the Graduate Admissions Office. In the Department, the numbers and quality of competing applications and the availability of an appropriate supervisor are considered. If your application is shortlisted for consideration, an interview will be arranged with the appropriate members of staff by telephone or video conferencing software. Once all interviews have been conducted, the Department will decide on who to accept and who to offer funding. If your application is received before the deadline, we aim to notify you about the outcome by the end of Winter Term.

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do see our  English language requirements  for further information.

When to apply

The application deadline for this programme is 23 May 2024 . However, to be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details.

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme. The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Mathematics

Home students: £4,829 for the first year (provisional) Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for  LSE PhD Studentships and  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding . Selection for the PhD Studentships and ESRC funding is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.

Funding deadline for LSE PhD Studentships: 15 January 2024

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

In addition, students on this programme are eligible for the Department of Mathematics' PhD Prize for Outstanding Academic Performance , which is an annual award for the best PhD performance from a student completing in the previous academic year.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well. 

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

In addition to progressing with your research, you are expected to take the listed training and transferable skills courses. You may take courses in addition to those listed and should discuss this with your supervisor. At the end of your second year (full-time), you will need to satisfy certain requirements, and if you meet these, will be retroactively upgraded to PhD status.

Training courses – Compulsory (not examined) Courses designed for research in Mathematics need to be chosen in consultation with your lead supervisor. Discrete Mathematics and Algorithms, Operations Research and Game Theory students will attend four courses organised by the London Taught Course Centre .

There are separate arrangements for students in Financial Mathematics, where courses are provided by the London Graduate School in Mathematical Finance . You also have the option of attending or auditing LSE Taught Masters modules, where appropriate.

Transferable skills courses – Compulsory (not examined) Mathematics: Seminar on Combinatorics, Games and Optimisation Research Student Seminar – you must attend and make presentations

Second year

Transferable skills courses – Compulsory (not examined) Mathematics Seminar Research Student Seminar - you must attend and make presentations.

Transferable skills courses – Compulsory (not examined) Mathematics Seminar Research Student Seminar - you must attend and make presentations.

Fourth year

Transferable skills courses– Compulsory (not examined) Mathematics Seminar Research Student Seminar - you must attend and make presentations.

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page .  

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.  

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar , or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the  updated graduate course and programme information page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision.

Supervisors are selected during the application process, where we take into account the information and preferences you mention in your application. You will be assigned to:

-  One or two principal supervisor(s) with requisite knowledge in your chosen field. Most of your day-to-day supervision will be with the principal supervisor(s). If the research project or your interests shift during your time in the Department, it is possible to change principal supervisor(s). - If there is only one principal supervisor, an appropriate second supervisor will be appointed. There will always be a principal supervisor from the Mathematics Department. Where appropriate, a second or joint supervisor may be appointed from another department or institution.

Progression and assessment

You are initially registered for the MPhil, and will be able to upgrade to PhD registration during your second year, dependent on satisfactory progress. Progress is assessed regularly by your supervisors, in consultation with the Doctoral Programme Director, on the basis of the extent to which the agreed research goals have been achieved. Any upgrade is dependent on the successful completion of a Major Review, the date of which is determined by the Doctoral Programme Director in consultation with the lead supervisor.

By the end of your first year you will be required to present a more detailed project proposal. The proposal, which should illustrate your command of the theoretical and empirical literature related to your topic, will be a clear statement of the theoretical and methodological approach you will take. It will include a draft outline and work plan, which should identify any periods of fieldwork necessary to your research. This should demonstrate the coherence and feasibility of the proposed research and thesis.

Study facilities

Students are provided with their own workspace and Windows PC within the Department of Mathematics’ PhD study room.  This area was recently renovated, and has been modernised to become a professional, purposeful, and relaxed work environment. Students are thus offered a supportive environment within a community of scholars and are well-placed to pursue a career building on their research accomplishments. 

In addition to the space provided in Columbia House, a dedicated Postgraduate Common Room is available to students in 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields.  Students will also find the  PhD Academy  useful, a dedicated space and services hub for doctoral candidates.

Students will have access to the comprehensive facilities of the  LSE Library  and to the libraries of other colleges of the University of London. They will also benefit from the IT and other facilities available at the School.

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Student stories

To read all our Alumni Stories,  see our webpage here .

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Mathematics

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £39,500

• Financial and Professional Services              
• Information, Digital Technology and Data            
• Accounting and Auditing              
• Real Estate, Environment and Energy 
• Advertising, Marketing, PR, Media, Entertainment, Publishing and Journalism

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career. 

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i or must i teach as a mphil/phd student in the department.

All mathematics MPhil/PhD students are usually expected to undertake some class teaching for the Department. You will be paid separately for this. Further details will be provided on your arrival. 

Will I receive any additional funding to support conference attendance, book purchases, etc.?

Each registered PhD student in the Department is entitled to claim up to £500 per academic year towards their research expenses relating directly to your studies, such as the purchase of books or conference attendance. All claims must be accompanied by full receipts. 

Can I apply to start in the Winter Term (January) or Spring Term (April)?

Under execptional circumstances, starting in January may be permissable.  Starting in the Spring Term is not permitted.

I am already enrolled in a PhD programme at another university and I would like to transfer to your PhD programme. How do I do that?

LSE does not accept transfer of credits. All MPhil/PhD applicants, regardless of previous academic experience, are required to complete a formal application. Previous research will be considered, but all students are initially registered as MPhil students by the School, are upgraded to PhD status according to the Department's standard policy and are required to fulfil the School's minimum registration requirements.

Can I apply to study part-time?

We will consider applications for part-time registrations in the PhD programme, subject to visa regulations. Applicants with personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities who may otherwise not pursue a PhD may consider this route. We emphasise that studying for a PhD requires a serious commitment of regular periods of time and concentration. Pursuing a PhD while holding full-time employment is discouraged.

We would need to see evidence that an applicant:

• Would be available to participate in activities that are essential to becoming an independent researcher (e.g. attend seminars, go to conferences, follow taught courses in their first year(s), etc.)
• Can find mutual times to work with their proposed supervisor
• Can spend sufficient time on their PhD research

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, mphil/phd statistics.

Code(s) G4ZS

Request a prospectus

• Name First name Last name
• Address Address Line 1 Address Line 2 City County Postcode Country

Speak to Admissions

Content to be supplied

Department of Mathematics

PhD and MPhil in Mathematics

Year of entry: 2024/25  ( see 2023/24 entry )

Be part of our vision to advance mathematical knowledge and understanding through impactful research.

Through our research we aim to create new applications and techniques that benefit the mathematics community and society in general. Our connections across the University, and with industrial partners and policymakers, will enable you to exchange ideas and build connections through your research. Our department provides a healthy span of research areas in pure and applied mathematics and statistics in a supportive environment for early career researchers.

Your research

Your research will culminate in a thesis on a topic agreed between you and your supervisor.  Your thesis must contain a substantial piece of research which includes some original work. This could include new ideas, or original commentary on material which is currently considered to be at the forefront of mathematical knowledge. 

Work on your thesis is guided by regular meetings with your supervisor.  You'll be assessed wholly on the basis of your thesis, although your degree will normally include six 10-hour graduate-level courses provided by the MAGIC consortium graduate school.

At the end of your degree, you'll have up to 12 months to finish writing up your research.

Assessment for the award of the degree of either PhD or MPhil will be on the basis of your thesis and an oral (viva voce) examination. The expectation of the Department of Mathematics is that a thesis submitted for the PhD degree will typically consist of between 100 and 200 A4 sized pages and a thesis submitted for the MPhil degree will typically consist of between 70 and 120 A4 sized pages.

[email protected] +44 (0)1904 323 097

Related links

• Research degree funding
• Accommodation
• International students
• Life at York
• How to apply

Impactful research

100% of our departmental research outputs received the highest ratings (3* and 4*) in the latest Research Excellence Framework (2021).

Bespoke employability training

Our dedicated support team will help you present yourself at your best for the next step of your career.

Top 20 UK research department

according to the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

Explore Mathematics funding for postgraduate researchers and wider postgraduate support.

Supervision

You'll be assigned a supervisor who will guide your work throughout your time with us. We'll match your research interests to their area of expertise.

Training and support

Throughout your course you'll have a supervisor to support you and guide your research. 

Work on your thesis is monitored by regular meetings of the Thesis Advisory Panel (at least once every six months for a full-time student and once a year for part-time students). The panel will review the progress of your research and provide additional advice and guidance.

You'll be taught and supervised by staff who themselves produce internationally renowned research. There is a supportive atmosphere among the graduate students and staff are on hand to give you the help you need.

Course location

This course is run by the Department of Mathematics.

The Department of Mathematics is located in James College on Campus West. 

Entry requirements

To apply for these courses you should hold, or expect to hold, an undergraduate degree in which mathematics has formed a substantial part of the course, with a 2:1 or first-class honours (or overseas equivalent). Assessment of your application will include consideration of your full academic record, including progress on courses you are still studying.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must provide evidence of your ability.

Check your English language requirements

Apply for the MPhil

Apply for the PhD

Take a look at the supporting documents you may need for your application.

Find out more about how to apply .

You don't need to provide a formal research proposal, but you should include a short statement on the area(s) of mathematics you wish to work in. In the personal statement section of the application form you should tell us about why you want to undertake a research degree. You should also include details of any relevant experience you have, such as a summer project or a topic that you have researched on your own.

There isn't a deadline for applying to join a research programme. If you're an International student, it's best to apply at least three months prior to your intended start date to avoid any delays in applying for your accommodation and/or visa. For both Home and International students, if you wish to be considered for Departmental funding, the main round of funding will be allocated in early March, with shortlisting and interviews taking place during February. Other sources of funding may have their own deadlines.

Identify a supervisor

Before applying, please look at the lists of academic staff in each of our research groups to see if there is a prospective supervisor working in an area which relates to your own research interests. You're welcome to email a prospective supervisor informally to find out more about their research or to ask if they might be considering taking on a postgraduate researcher.

Find a supervisor

As part of your application, you'll be invited to an interview (either face-to-face or online). If your first language is not English, you should be fluent enough to speak confidently about your intended area of research and discuss your mathematical background and interests with a panel of academics.

Careers and skills

Our dedicated careers team offers specific support, including a programme of professional researcher development and careers workshops and 1:1 career support sessions. These will help to build up your employability portfolio and improve your skills and experience outside of your research work.

Career opportunities

Our graduates have gone on to work in a wide range of sectors and with well-known employers including:

• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• BAE Systems
• NHS Digital

Discover York

We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to deluxe.

Discover more about our researchers, our facilities, and why York is the perfect choice for your research degree.

Graduate Research School

Connect with researchers across all disciplines to get the most out of your research project.

Meet us online or on campus

Find out all you need to know about applying to York

Scholarships

Find scholarships to support your studies

We use cookies to help our site work, to understand how it is used, and to tailor ads that are more relevant to you and your interests.

By accepting, you agree to cookies being stored on your device. You can view details and manage settings at any time on our cookies policy page.

Mathematics PhD

Key information, full-time - 4 years, part-time - 8 years.

Research brochure

Register for updates

Webinars and events

Why choose this programme

From geometry and partial differential equations to fluid dynamics, data science and modelling within the life sciences, mathematics at Surrey offers an extraordinary range of research opportunities that lie at the heart of the critical scientific questions of our age.

Our teaching staff are leaders in their fields, and they offer support for innovative research in a lively, inspiring and intellectually stimulating environment. Our research cuts a broad swathe through both pure and applied areas of mathematics, and we’re unique in the strong emphasis we place on research at the interface between pure and applied mathematics.

As well as developing cutting-edge mathematics, our research also involves innovative applications in areas such as data analytics, wave energy, drug development, ecology, biological systems, mathematical physics, climate change and meteorology, crime forecasting and prevention, and machine learning.

We work closely with other academics, industries and research groups, ranging from internal collaborations with the Surrey Sleep Research Centre , the Surrey Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence and the School of Veterinary Medicine , to partnerships with other institutions from around the globe. Our national and international collaborators include: Harvard, Los Alamos, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and the ETH Zurich; leading businesses, such as AstraZenica and Offshore Wave Energy Limited; and government agencies, such as the Animal and Plant Health Agency , the MET Office and Surrey Police .

We’re part of the MAGIC network, which provides a large selection of PhD courses in pure and applied mathematics, so you’ll be able to explore these fields during your time with us. We also have a joint Mathematics PhD course in partnership with the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy.

Frequently asked questions about doing a PhD

What you will study

Our PhD in Mathematics will give you extensive training for a career as a professional mathematician, ready for a future in academia, industry, government, or a wide variety of other fields.

You’ll work closely with one or two supervisors, who you’ll meet frequently to discuss your research and your career development. They’ll oversee your progress, guide your critical thinking and offer advice throughout your studies.

During the first few months of your PhD, you’ll enrol and attend a series of induction events, and work with your supervisor to design a personal development plan, which you’ll update throughout your PhD.

You’ll complete a number of taught modules, including assessments, to broaden your mathematical knowledge. Most of these will be completed in your first year, with some completed in your second year. These include taught courses from MAGIC, the London Taught Course Centre and the Academy for PhD Training in Statistics, plus our own masters-level modules. You’ll also get training when attending department research seminars aimed at both staff and PhD students. On average, you’ll be attending approximately one or two research seminars a week.

In your second year, you’ll be required to complete a confirmation report and pass an internal viva examination. You’ll present your research in your research group seminar and be encouraged to design a research poster. You’ll usually start working on your first research paper together with your supervisors in your second year.

The last part of your PhD is all about advancing your research and completing your thesis. You’ll have regular meetings with your supervisor, who’ll work closely with you to help you manage your writing and make you critically reflect on the research you’ve done. Often, you’ll write and submit more research papers in this time.

We encourage all PhD students to take part in research summer and winter schools, and to present work at national and international conferences. We can support your travel to these events.

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

You’ll be assessed in the first 15 months of your PhD through a confirmation report and a viva with two internal examiners. You’ll also do short take-home examinations for online MAGIC courses and the assessments for any MSc modules you take.

Research support

The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College , which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.

Studentships

Application of thermally stimulated current (tsc) spectroscopy for qualitative and quantitative characterisation of amorphous pharmaceutical systems..

The funding offer includes 3.5 years of stipend (currently £18,622 per year) and tuition fees (at UK/home level) as well as travel allowance to attend (international) conferences. International applicants are welcome to apply but must identify a source to cover the difference between international and home tuition fees.

Research themes

• Epidemiology and ecology
• Mathematical criminology
• Cellular systems and quantitative systems pharmacology
• Data science and statistical analysis
• Sleep and circadian rhythms
• Dynamical systems
• Analysis of Hamiltonian, dissipative and delayed PDEs
• Perturbation theory (regular and singular) and bifurcation analysis of Hamiltonian and near-Hamiltonian systems
• Numerics of differential equations, numerical bifurcation analysis
• Calculus of variations and nonlinear elasticity theory
• Multi-scale fluid flow analysis
• Geometric mechanics
• Ferro fluids
• Hydrodynamic stability
• Nonlinear water waves and wave energy harvesting
• Data assimilation and data science for large geophysical and social systems
• Quantum field theory, string theory and supergravity
• Gauge/gravity field theory and string theory dualities
• Topological field and string theory
• Classical and quantum integrability
• Twistor geometry and geometric analysis
• Data analytics
• Machine Learning.

Our academic staff

See a full list of all our  academic staff  within the School of Mathematics and Physics.

Research groups

Research facilities.

As a PhD student, you’ll have your own desk and computer, and you’ll be based near to your supervisor.

MSc modules will be taught in small classrooms, normally with five to 15 students.

One of my best moments so far was submitting my paper for review for the first time. Even though it was just the submission, it felt like a true academic milestone had been achieved.

Jessica Furber

I am currently in the process of collecting my current results to create an academic paper, and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help of all my supervisors. I feel very supported by them.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a good first-class degree in an MMath, MPhys or MSc qualification, or a first-class honours degree in mathematics, physical sciences, or engineering.

International entry requirements by country

English language requirements.

IELTS Academic: 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.

These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept. 

If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses , designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.

Application requirements

Before completing your application, please get in touch with the relevant supervisor to discuss your proposed area of research. See a full list of our  academic staff  within the School of Mathematics and Physics.

After registration

Students are initially registered for a PhD with probationary status and, subject to satisfactory progress, subsequently confirmed as having PhD status.

Selection process

Selection is based on applicants:

• Meeting the expected entry requirements
• Being shortlisted through the application screening process
• Completing a successful interview
• Providing suitable references.

Student life

At Surrey we offer the best of both worlds – a friendly campus university, set in beautiful countryside with the convenience and social life of Guildford on your doorstep.

Start date: July 2024

Start date: October 2024

Start date: January 2025

Start date: April 2025

• Annual fees will increase by 4% for each year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100 (subject to legal requirements).
• Any start date other than September will attract a pro-rata fee for that year of entry (75 per cent for January, 50 per cent for April and 25 per cent for July).

View the list of fees for all postgraduate research courses.

Additional costs

There are additional costs that you can expect to incur when studying at Surrey.

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.

Apply online

If you are applying for a studentship to work on a particular project, please provide details of the project instead of a research proposal.

Read our application guidance for further information on applying.

To apply online first select the course you'd like to apply for then log in.

1. Select your course

Select the course you wish to apply for.

To apply online sign in or create an account.

Code of practice for research degrees

Surrey’s postgraduate research code of practice sets out the University's policy and procedural framework relating to research degrees. The code defines a set of standard procedures and specific responsibilities covering the academic supervision, administration and assessment of research degrees for all faculties within the University.

Download the code of practice for research degrees (PDF) .

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures , student regulations , and terms and conditions .

We provide these terms and conditions in two stages:

• First when we make an offer.
• Second when students accept their offer and register to study with us (registration terms and conditions will vary depending on your course and academic year).

View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2023/24 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.

This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.

Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.

It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer .

Course location and contact details

Campus location

Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught. 

University of Surrey Admissions

University of Surrey Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH

• School of Mathematics and Statistics

PhD opportunities

Our PhD programme is your chance to join the next generation of world-class researchers in mathematics and statistics, to contribute to knowledge and develop transferable research skills.

We recognise barriers faced by under-represented groups, and encourage enquiries or applications from all qualified students with a love of mathematics and a strong desire to explore it further, as part of a welcoming and inclusive community.

Advice for PhD applicants

PhD student profiles

Our Research pages list the research interests and contact details of our academic staff: you can use these to get in touch and discuss PhD opportunities and potential projects in their field, some of which may be listed below.

You can find details of recent PhD theses completed in SoMaS, in the White Rose Repository, by inserting the following link:  https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/view/iau/Sheffield=2ESOM/

Projects may come with specific funding (for example, from a research council or Centre for Doctoral Training) to cover your tuition fees and living expenses. More often, this is not the case, but you may be able to  apply for a scholarship .

Once you have found a supervisor you wish to study with, find out  how to apply .

Our standard conditional offer is to require a UK First Class MMath or MSc Distinction (or international equivalent), in Mathematics or a relevant related subject. That is modified to 2.1 MMath or MSc Merit in the following research groups: Statistics, Solar Physics and Space Plasma Research Centre (SP2RC). It is modified to 1st BSc or MMath, or MSc Distinction, in the Probability research group

Our decision on whether to offer you a place will also be based on the research proposal or personal statement you submit, your degree transcripts (and certificates, if available), your masters dissertation/project (if applicable), your CV and academic references (including your masters dissertation/project supervisor, if applicable), and any interviews and additional tasks we ask you to complete.

All documents need to be provided in English, including transcripts and references.

Students will also need to meet our English language requirements , and international students may need to get clearance through the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) .

If you would like any more information or have any questions, please email [email protected] .

Related information

Departmental scholarships

How to apply

Search for PhD opportunities at Sheffield and be part of our world-leading research.

Postgraduate research in Mathematics and Statistics

A PhD (Doctorate) in the School of Mathematics and Statistics usually takes between three and four years of full-time study or equivalent part-time study. The qualification is achieved when you submit and defend a substantial thesis of original research. You will be supported by a supervisory team of at least two academic staff throughout your time.

Research groups

The School only offers PhD places in areas in which they have active research groups . Before you apply, please ensure that at least one of these research groups matches your interests.

Each research group's website gives information about the research interests of its members. When you apply for a PhD place, you should clearly state the research group you are applying for, and who you would like to supervise your studies.

Supervisors

The University will provide you with a supervisory team of at least two academic staff. Working closely with two supervisors means you will have continuous supervision throughout your studies, and makes available a greater range of research expertise.

You can expect to form a close working relationship with your supervisors, meeting regularly throughout your time in the School. Supervisors are responsible for overseeing both your research and your broader career development.

Student testimonials

Read about the experiences of recent research students .

Fees and funding

Details of tuition fees are available on the University's research tuition fees page.

While you may have the possibility to apply for funding for your PhD studies at St Andrews, the offer of a PhD place does not guarantee financial support.

How to apply

Academic entry requirements.

The minimum requirement set by the University for admission as a postgraduate research student is an upper second class Honours degree from a UK University (or an equivalent international degree). However, satisfying the minimum entry requirements is generally not sufficient to gain admission to the School’s PhD programme. Selection is made on the basis of academic quality of the applicants, and you usually need a good to very good first class Honours degree (or equivalent).

The School requires that the first degree of an applicant is in Mathematics, Statistics or a very closely related subject.

English language requirements

The University of St Andrews welcomes postgraduate students from many countries. To enter the University of St Andrews as a postgraduate student you must be able to provide evidence that you meet the English language requirements .

Application procedure

To be considered for a PhD place you must make a formal application via the University of St Andrews online application form . Please read the instructions carefully before you apply . You should clearly state the research group you are applying for and who you would like to supervise your studies.

All applications must include the following supplementary documentation before a decision can be made:

• CV or résumé. This should include your personal details with a history of your education and employment to date.
• Two original signed academic references - these will be requested when you have given contact details in your online application.
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates - upload scanned copies.
• English language requirements certificate.

The School does not require a research proposal or a sample of written work.

Application deadlines

The School does not have a formal deadline for PhD applications, but all candidates are encouraged to submit their applications in early January in the year they want to begin their studies.

Application deadlines for some scholarships and funding may be much earlier than this.

Funding offered through the School

The School can offer financial support to only a limited number of PhD students each year. Some of the funding available for PhD studentships is awarded to the School by UK Research Councils, currently EPSRC  and STFC . Applicants will have the opportunity to apply for these sources of funding during the application procedure, and cannot apply directly to the funding councils in most cases. A small number of places may also be supported directly through School scholarships. 

Financial support by UK Research Councils may be subject to eligibility conditions (such as UK/EU citizenship and UK residency).

Other funding sources

The University maintains a list of scholarships for research postgraduate programmes. Please be aware that many scholarships have early application deadlines.

The University of St Andrews has a collaborative agreement with the China Scholarship Council  to develop research collaborations between the UK and Chinese universities and research institutions. Funding is available through the China Scholarship Council of St Andrews Scholarships (PhD programmes) to full and joint PhD students in Mathematics.

How applicants are selected

The main selection criterion for a PhD place in St Andrews is academic excellence. It is therefore very important that the School receives your complete application, including references, as early as possible.

Applications for PhD places and for funding are usually considered separately. Offers of PhD places are not always accompanied by offers of funding.

Once the School has offered PhD places, they will then select the academically best-qualified applicants for financial support. Financial support is subject to availability of funds and eligibility.

The first meeting to decide about PhD funding is held in mid-January, and subsequent meetings are held approximately monthly until all funding is allocated.

Application criteria

The School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of St Andrews values diversity and nurtures an inclusive community where everyone is treated with dignity and respect regardless of individual characteristics such as age, gender, disability, religion or ethnicity. It is firmly committed to the progression of women, and other historically under-represented groups, in mathematics and holds a Bronze Award of the Athena SWAN programme for women in science. A growing proportion of our Ph.D. students are women, currently approximately 40%. The school supports the principles of the London Mathematical Society Good Practice Scheme.

The University is committed to equality for all, demonstrated through our working on diversity awards (ECU Athena SWAN/Race Charters; Carer Positive; LGBT Charter; and Stonewall).  To support the diversity of our staff, the University supports the Staff BAME Network; Staff with Disabilities Network; Staff LGBTIQ+ Network; and the Staff Parents & Carers Network. We also promote the ‘BAME Staff Profiles’ and the ‘LGBTIQ+ Staff Role Model Members’ initiative. For details refer to: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/

The School of Mathematics and Statistics is committed to a transparent and equitable selection process for PhD places and funding. The following criteria will be used when evaluating applicants:

• Academic merit: degree type and classification; at least an upper second class degree (or equivalent) is required
• Research potential: e.g. previous research experience or employment, published papers
• Alignment of research interests with research areas of supervisors in our school
• Personal and professional development: e.g. non-research work experience
• Outreach: public communication of mathematics and statistics

Applicants should explain how they meet these criteria in their application materials and personal statement.  The personal statement may also address other issues such as why the applicant wants to study in St Andrews, in a particular research area, or with a specific supervisor. We will consider the accomplishments of prospective students in the context of their background. We also consider factors internal to the School, such as whether the proposed supervisor is a new supervisor (weighted positively) and whether the research group applied to has relatively few PhD students.

Prior to submitting an application, prospective applicants are welcome and encouraged to contact potential supervisors and/or the Director of Postgraduate Research ( [email protected] ) to discuss PhD studies in our school, and to seek guidance or clarification on preparing and submitting an application. This will not form part of the assessment of an applicant.

We welcome all applications and will assist the selected applicants so that they can thrive in St Andrews. In the event that two or more applicants rank similarly using the criteria above, preference may be given to applicants to a research group where the ratio of Ph.D. students to permanent academic staff members is lower than other research groups. Applications may by unsuccessful if there is no supervisor currently available for the proposed research project or research area.

Applications for PhD places and for funding are usually considered separately, both using the above criteria. Offers of PhD places are not always accompanied by offers of funding.

The award of externally funded places may have additional criteria that applicants are required to meet, e.g.  a particular research area or project, or residency of a particular country.  Details of these criteria can be found in the University of St Andrews Funding and Scholarship’s portal: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/postgraduate/

PhD applications are reviewed by the school PGR committee approximately monthly from mid- January onwards.

Cookies on our website

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use our site. And we'd like to serve you some cookies set by other services to show you relevant content.

Mathematics PhD

Key information.

• 95%  of our research overall in Mathematical Sciences was assessed to be world leading or internationally excellent  (REF 2021)  
• analysis and partial differential equations
• geometry and topology
• mathematical physics
• mathematical biology
• numerical analysis and scientific computing
• probability and statistics.

My PhD work may soon inform marketing campaigns of our industrial partners. This experience will make me a strong candidate in the job market for data analysts. ” Shane Black Mathematics PhD

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Masters and P h D events

Meet us on campus or online

Book your place

Entry requirements

• UK requirements
• International requirements

Please select your country from the list.

Philippines

Saudi arabia, south africa, south korea, switzerland, united arab emirates, my country is not listed.

If your country is not listed, you need to contact us and find out the qualification level you should have for this course. Contact us

English language requirements

Ielts (academic).

Standard level (6.0 overall, including at least 6.0 in each component).

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.  Find out more about IELTS

We accept IELTS One Skills Retake.

We do not accept IELTS Online.

Check full details of our English Language requirements and find out more about some of the alternative English language qualifications listed below

Alternative English language qualifications

Proficiency tests, cambridge advanced certificate in english (cae).

169 overall, including at least 162 in each skill.

We would normally expect the CAE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test.  Find out more about Cambridge English: Advanced

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

We would normally expect the CPE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test.  Find out more about Cambridge English: Proficiency

LanguageCert International ESOL SELT

Standard level (International ESOL SELT B2 with a minimum of 36 in each component)

LanguageCert International ESOL scores are valid for two years from the test date. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about LanguageCert SELT

We only accept LanguageCert when taken at SELT Test Centres. We do not accept the online version.

Pearson PTE Academic

Standard level (59 overall, including at least 59 in all four skills)

PTE (Academic) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about Pearson (PTE Academic)

We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test.

TOEFL (iBT)

Standard level 80 overall, including at least 19 in Listening, 19 in Reading, 21 in Speaking, 21 in Writing.

TOEFL (iBT) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about TOEFL (iBT)

We do not accept TOEFL (iBT) Home Edition.

The TOEFL Institution Code for the University of Sussex is 9166.

English language qualifications

As/a-level (gce).

Grade C or above in English Language.

Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE)/ AS or A Level: grade C or above in Use of English.

GCE O-level

Grade C or above in English.

Brunei/Cambridge GCE O-level in English:  grades 1-6.

Singapore/Cambridge GCE O-level in English:  grades 1-6.

GCSE or IGCSE

Grade C or above in English as a First Language (Grade 4 or above in GCSE from 2017).

Grade B or above in English as a Second Language.

Ghana Senior Secondary School Certificate

If awarded before 1993:  grades 1-6 in English language.

If awarded between 1993 and 2005:  grades A-D in English language.

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)

 Level 4, including at least 3 in each component in English Language.

Indian School Certificate (Standard XII)

The Indian School Certificate is accepted at the grades below when awarded by the following examination boards:

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) – English Core only:  70%

Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - English:  70% 

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

English A or English B at grade 5 or above.

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

Grades A - C in English language

Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) 1119/GCE O-level

If taken before the end of 2008:  grades 1-6 in English Language.

If taken from 2009 onwards:  grade C or above in English Language.

The qualification must be jointly awarded by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).

West African Senior School Certificate

Grades A1-C6 (1-6) in English language when awarded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Country exceptions

Select to see the list of exempt english-speaking countries.

If you are a national of one of the countries below, or if you have recently completed a qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree or higher in one of these countries, you will normally meet our English requirement. Note that qualifications obtained by distance learning or awarded by studying outside these countries cannot be accepted for English language purposes.

You will normally be expected to have completed the qualification within two years before starting your course at Sussex. If the qualification was obtained earlier than this, we would expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have maintained a good level of English, for example by living in an English-speaking country or working in an occupation that required you to use English regularly and to a high level.

Please note that this list is determined by the UK’s Home Office, not by the University of Sussex.

List of exempt countries: 

• Antigua and Barbuda
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• The British Overseas Territories
• Trinidad and Tobago
• United Kingdom

** Canada: you must be a national of Canada; other nationals not on this list who have a degree from a Canadian institution will not normally be exempt from needing to provide evidence of English.

English language support

If you don’t meet the English language requirements for your degree, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course

• Visas and immigration

Admissions information for applicants

If your qualifications aren’t listed or you have a question about entry requirements, contact us

• How to apply

If you’d like to join us as a research student, there are two main routes:

• browse funded projects in this subject area
• browse our potential supervisors and propose your own research project.

Find out how to apply for a PhD at Sussex

Full-time and part-time study

Choose to work on your research full time or part time, to fit around your work and personal life. For details  about part-time study, contact us at  [email protected]

PhD or MPhil?

You can choose to study for a PhD or an MPhil. PhD and MPhil degrees differ in duration and in the extent of your research work.

• For a PhD, your research work makes a substantial original contribution to knowledge or understanding in your chosen field.
• For an MPhil, your work is an independent piece of research but in less depth than for a PhD. You’ll graduate with the degree title Master of Philosophy. You might be able to change to a PhD while you study for an MPhil.

Our supervisors

My PhD has been the most challenging and rewarding part of my life so far. The University of Sussex and especially my supervisor have been crucial in my development as a young professional aiming for a career in academia .” James Van Yperen   Mathematics PhD

Explore our research interests and find potential supervisors.

Dr Miroslav Chlebik

Reader in Mathematics

[email protected]

View profile of Miroslav Chlebik

Dr Masoumeh Dashti

Senior Lecturer in Mathematics

[email protected]

View profile of Masoumeh Dashti

Prof Peter Giesl

Professor of Mathematics

[email protected]

View profile of Peter Giesl

Dr Gabriel Koch

[email protected]

View profile of Gabriel Koch

Dr Konstantinos Koumatos

[email protected]

View profile of Konstantinos Koumatos

Prof Michael Melgaard

Professor of Mathematics (Analysis and Partial Differential Equations)

[email protected]

View profile of Michael Melgaard

Prof Ali Taheri

[email protected]

View profile of Ali Taheri

Prof Xavier Calmet

Professor of Physics

[email protected]

View profile of Xavier Calmet

Prof Enrico Scalas

Professor Of Statistics & Probability

View profile of Enrico Scalas

Prof Konstantin Blyuss

Professor of Applied Mathematics

[email protected]

View profile of Konstantin Blyuss

Prof Yuliya Kyrychko

[email protected]

View profile of Yuliya Kyrychko

Dr Omar Lakkis

[email protected]

View profile of Omar Lakkis

Prof Charalambos Makridakis

Professor Of Mathematics

[email protected]

View profile of Charalambos Makridakis

Prof Vanessa Styles

Head of School MPS

[email protected]

View profile of Vanessa Styles

Dr Chandrasekhar Venkataraman

Senior Lecturer In Mathematics

[email protected]

View profile of Chandrasekhar Venkataraman

Dr Antoine Dahlqvist

Senior Lecturer in Statistics and Probab

[email protected]

View profile of Antoine Dahlqvist

Dr Nicos Georgiou

[email protected]

View profile of Nicos Georgiou

Dr Nicholas Simm

Senior Research Fellow

[email protected]

View profile of Nicholas Simm

Dr Vladislav Vysotskiy

Reader in Statistics and Probability

[email protected]

View profile of Vladislav Vysotskiy

Dr Minmin Wang

Senior Lecturer

[email protected]

View profile of Minmin Wang

Funding and fees

How can i fund my course, funded projects and scholarships.

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals. Don’t miss out on scholarships – check the specific application deadlines for funding opportunities. Note that funded projects aren’t available for all our PhDs.

Up to 10 4 year EPSRC scholarships in Quantum Information Science and Technologies

Find out more

£3,000 scholarships available to environmental influencers bringing about real-world behaviour change

£800 scholarship available to reward talented organ player studying on any course at Sussex.

5 scholarships of £800 are available to reward talented musicians studying on any course at Sussex

A 4 year PhD studentship in mathematics, funded by the Royal Society.

PhD studentship in the Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing Group

PhD studentship in the Groups of “Mathematics Applied to Biology” and “Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing”

PhD studentship in the Groups “Analysis and Partial Differential Equations” and “Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing”

Cash scholarships available for students who have demonstrated sporting excellence

Up to 10 scholarships for outstanding PhD students holding China Scholarship Council awards

Applying for USA Federal Student Aid?

If any part of your funding, at any time, is through USA federal Direct Loan funds, you will be registered on a separate version of this degree which does not include the possibility of distance learning which is prohibited under USA federal regulations. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid .

Part-time work

We advertise around 2,500 part-time jobs a year so you can make money and gain work experience. We have a special scheme to employ students on campus, wherever possible.

Find out more about careers and employability

How much does it cost?

Fees for self-funding students.

Home students: £4,786 per year for full-time students

Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: £4,786 per year for full-time students

International students: £21,500 per year for full-time students

Home PhD student fees are set at the level recommended by United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) annually, rising in line with inflation. Overseas fees are subject to an annual increase - see details on our tuition fees page

Additional costs

Note about additional costs.

Please note that all costs are best estimates based on current market values. Activities may be subject to unavoidable change in response to Government advice. We’ll let you know at the earliest opportunity. We review estimates every year and they may vary with inflation. Find out how to budget for student life .

Empirical research costs

On top of your PhD fees and living costs, you may also need to cover some research and training costs, relevant to your research project. These costs will depend on your research topic and training needs, but may include: - travel (to archives, collections or scientific facilities) - a laptop - overseas fieldwork costs (travel and accommodation, and language training) - conference costs (travel, registration fees and accommodation) - laboratory consumables and workshop materials - participant costs - transcription or translation costs - open-access publication costs. If you have a scholarship from one of the UK Research Councils, your scholarship should cover these types of costs. You'll receive details of how to claim this additional funding. If you're self funded, or if your scholarship doesn’t cover these costs, check with the Research and Enterprise Co-ordinator in your School for details of School or Doctoral School funding that may be available.

• Living costs

Find out typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

Explore our campus

Experience Sussex life in our virtual tour.

Start your virtual tour

PhD Information Sessions

Visit campus and chat to staff and students. Book your place

Online PhD Sessions

Join a live webchat. Book your place

International

Meet us in your country

Course enquiries

+44 (0)1273 876787

Send us a message

Admissions enquiries

If you haven’t applied yet:

+44 (0)1273 876762 mps-pgrsupport@​sussex.ac.uk

Find out about the Department of Mathematics

After you’ve applied:

+44 (0)1273 877773 [email protected]

Find out how to apply

Quick links

• Guide to PhD study
• PhD support
• Academic facilities
• Open Days and events
• Accommodation
• International students
• Student life
• Order a printed prospectus

What do you want to do next?

• Courses Browse our courses by subject area
• Sussex Life Find out about life at Sussex
• Visit Come to a PhD Open Evening
• Apply Find out how to apply

Please start typing and select a location from the list

Mathematics & Statistics PhDs

  Hide introduction

  View introduction

Explore academic Mathematics and Statistics jobs on jobs.ac.uk, from lecturer to professor, postdoctoral associate, and more. Discover vacancies in mathematical modelling, biostatistics, medical statistics, and more. Browse jobs and sign up for our email service to stay updated on the latest opportunities.

91 PhDs Found

Agriculture, Food & Veterinary 22

Agriculture 18

Food Science 4

Veterinary Science 2

Architecture, Building & Planning 9

Architecture & Building 4

Urban & Rural Planning 7

Biological Sciences 120

Biochemistry 47

Genetics 22

Microbiology 29

Molecular Biology & Biophysics 49

Other Biological Sciences 66

Business & Management Studies 28

Accountancy & Finance 9

Business Studies 19

Hospitality & Leisure 2

Human Resources Management 3

Management 15

Marketing 5

Other Business & Management Studies 12

Real Estate Management 0

Computer Sciences 173

Artificial Intelligence 89

Computer Science 147

Cyber Security 13

Information Systems 59

Software Engineering 53

Creative Arts & Design 11

Other Creative Arts 4

Performing Arts 2

Economics 18

Education Studies (inc. TEFL) 2

Education Studies 0

Research Methods 1

Teacher Training 0

TEFL/TESOL 0

Engineering & Technology 363

Aerospace Engineering 60

Biotechnology 42

Chemical Engineering 75

Civil Engineering 56

Electrical & Electronic Engineering 150

Maritime Technology 26

Mechanical Engineering 120

Metallurgy & Minerals Technology 27

Other Engineering 168

Production Engineering & Manufacturing 55

Health & Medical 103

Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology 43

Medical Technology 33

Medicine & Dentistry 57

Nutrition 10

Pharmacology, Toxicology & Pharmacy 23

Historical & Philosophical Studies 18

Archaeology 2

History of Art 3

Philosophy 5

Theology & Religious Studies 2

Information Management & Librarianship 11

Curatorial Studies 5

Information Science 6

Librarianship 0

Other Information Management & Librarianship 2

Languages, Literature & Culture 17

Cultural Studies 10

Languages 1

Linguistics 6

Literature 5

Mathematics & Statistics 91

Mathematics 78

Statistics 35

Media & Communications 6

Communication Studies 4

Journalism 3

Media Studies 4

Publishing 1

Physical & Environmental Sciences 402

Chemistry 136

Environmental Sciences 66

Geography 19

Materials Science 195

Ocean Sciences 10

Other Physical Sciences 145

Physics & Astronomy 263

Politics & Government 17

Psychology 30

Social Sciences & Social Care 50

Anthropology 6

Human & Social Geography 14

Other Social Sciences 24

Social Policy 21

Social Work 4

Sociology 29

Sport & Leisure 13

Sports & Leisure Management 0

Sports Coaching 0

Sports Science 13

Administrative 0

Estates & Facilities Management 0

Finance & Procurement 0

Fundraising & Alumni 0

Health & Wellbeing 0

Hospitality, Retail, Conferences & Events 0

Human Resources 0

International Activities 0

IT Services 0

Laboratory, Clinical & Technician 0

Legal, Compliance & Policy 0

Library Services, Data & Information Management 0

PR, Marketing, Sales & Communication 0

Project Management & Consulting 0

Senior Management 0

Sports & Leisure 0

Student Services 0

Sustainability 0

Web Design & Development 0

Integrated Masters / Doctorate 0

International Doctorate 0

Professional Doctorate 1

EU Students 59

International Students 56

Self-funded Students 1

UK Students 87

Baden-Württemberg 1

Karlsruhe 1

Heidelberg 1

Netherlands 1

Groningen 1

United Kingdom 86

Brighton and Hove 5

Bristol City 1

Cambridgeshire 1

Cambridge 1

Colchester 2

Greater London 9

Greenwich 2

Greater Manchester 7

Manchester 7

Hertfordshire 1

Oxfordshire 2

South Yorkshire 2

Sheffield 2

Southampton 14

Guildford 2

Tyne and Wear 4

Newcastle upon Tyne 4

Warwickshire 1

West Midlands 7

Birmingham 2

West Yorkshire 3

Edinburgh 4

Up to £9,999 3

£10,000 - £14,999 0

£15,000 - £19,999 29

£20,000 - £24,999 5

£25,000 - £29,999 0

£30,000 - £39,999 0

£40,000 - £49,999 0

£50,000 - £59,999 0

£60,000 - £69,999 0

£70,000 - £79,999 0

£80,000 - £89.999 0

£90,000 - £99,999 0

Over £100,000 0

Full Time 91

Part Time 2

Permanent 0

Fixed-Term/Contract 91

Commercial Organisations 0

European Universities and Colleges 4

North American Universities and Colleges 0

Other Public Sector 4

Public Sector - Education 0

Research and Other Institutes 0

UK and Irish HE Institutions 83

UK FE Colleges 0

• Date Placed
• Closing Date

Welcome to jobs.ac.uk’s academic section for Mathematics and Statistics jobs. We regularly advertise hundreds of academic opportunities in our maths section, such as lecturer in statistics and data analysis and teaching fellow in mathematics. Our roles range across all levels, from researcher to professor, senior lecturer and postdoctoral associate, research fellow and tutor. We have vacancies in mathematical modelling, biostatistics, medical statistics, ecological modelling and many more. Browse mathematics and statistics jobs here and sign up for our jobs by email service to get the latest opportunities delivered to your inbox.

91 Mathematics & Statistics PhDs Found

Phd alert created, job alert created.

Your PhD alert has been successfully created for this search.

Your job alert has been successfully created for this search.

Account Verification Missing

In order to create multiple job alerts, you must first verify your email address to complete your account creation

jobs.ac.uk Account Required

In order to create multiple alerts, you must create a jobs.ac.uk jobseeker account

Alert Creation Failed

Unfortunately, your account is currently blocked. Please login to unblock your account.

Email Address Blocked

We received a delivery failure message when attempting to send you an email and therefore your email address has been blocked. You will not receive job alerts until your email address is unblocked. To do so, please choose from one of the two options below.

Max Alerts Reached

A maximum of 5 Job Alerts can be created against your account. Please remove an existing alert in order to create this new Job Alert

Creation Failed

Unfortunately, your alert was not created at this time. Please try again.

Create PhD Alert

Create job alert.

When you create this PhD alert we will email you a selection of PhDs matching your criteria. When you create this job alert we will email you a selection of jobs matching your criteria. Our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy apply to this service. Any personal data you provide in setting up this alert is processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice

Max Saved Jobs Reached

A maximum of 500 Saved Jobs can be created against your account. Please remove an existing Saved Job in order to add a new Saved Job.

Please sign in or register for an account to save a job.

Explore the Career Advice section on jobs.ac.uk to jumpstart your math and statistics job search. With resources that provide valuable career advice guidance, tips, and insights to enhance your job search. From crafting a standout CV to preparing for interviews, you'll find articles tailored to your needs. Whether you are applying for an academic or professional services position, our expert insights and tips are here to assist you in crafting a standout job application.

Never miss exciting job opportunities! Stay informed about the latest job openings by signing up for our convenient jobs by email service. Join now by visiting our jobs by email service and stay one step ahead in your job search.

Targeted PhDs

Copyright © jobs.ac.uk 1998 - 2024

• Career Advice
• Jobs by Email
• Advertise a Job
• Terms of use
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility Statement

Browser Upgrade Recommended

For the best user experience, we recommend viewing jobs.ac.uk on one of the following:

• Log in
• Site search

Research scientist (maths)

Research mathematicians use their findings to further knowledge in academia or to improve performance and solve problems in commercial settings

As a research mathematician, you can work in a variety of areas, however, you'll typically be involved in proving deep and abstract theorems, developing mathematical descriptions (models) to explain or predict real phenomena, and applying mathematical principles to identify trends in data sets.

If you work in applied research you could be contributing to the development of a commercial product or developing intelligence about business trends.

You can undertake research into a range of pure and applied maths, including:

• combinatorics
• differential equations
• dynamic systems
• fluid mechanics
• geometry and topology
• mathematical biology
• numerical analysis.

Collaboration with other scientists and people in commercial functions in industry is common because the application of mathematics is so varied.

Types of research mathematician

You could work for:

• Academic and research organisations - where you'll undertake projects to develop the understanding of particular areas of maths. There are relatively few pure-research posts, and it's you'll likely have additional teaching responsibilities.
• Commercial organisations - where you'll help to develop new products and provide an insight into business performance. You may be allocated specific projects or could be involved in all stages of the product, from concept to customer.

Responsibilities

As a research mathematician, you'll typically need to:

• use specialist mathematical software such as Mathematica, MATLAB or Mathcad or programming languages such as C/C++ to develop programs to perform mathematical functions
• produce original mathematics research
• identify solutions by learning and applying new methods, for example designing mathematical models that interpret data in a meaningful way
• present findings at group and departmental meetings, as well as to senior management
• attend, and sometimes present at, national and international scientific conferences and meetings in your field of interest
• meet with clients throughout projects to discuss ideas and results
• advise clients on how to benefit from mathematical analysis, making recommendations based on these analyses
• keep up to date with new mathematical developments
• write applications for funding
• manage a research team (or group of research students in academic settings)
• produce tailored solutions to business problems using innovative and existing methods, as well as suggesting new ways to analyse data
• provide more sophisticated insights into available data
• share the implications of new research by producing regular reports on the development of work, as well as writing original papers for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• If you're doing a PhD and have been awarded a studentship, it will usually come with a tax-free stipend to help cover living costs. This is currently at least £18,622, although some may be higher if industry funded or if you're based in London.
• If you've completed a PhD, you're likely to earn in the region of £25,000 to £40,000, depending on your background, experience and specialist subjects.
• With experience, salaries for mathematicians can range from £30,000 to over £50,000.
• Salaries at top senior levels and for university professors or researchers with high levels of responsibility can range from £50,000 to more than £75,000.

For current details on PhD studentship stipends, see UKRI - Funding for research training .

Most academic institutions in the UK have a  single pay spine  for all grades of staff. Pay varies according to whether you're a leader of your own research group, part of a team of researchers or whether you've secured a lectureship while continuing your research.

Pay is generally higher in the private sector. Larger companies may pay more than smaller, specialist employers, although these smaller employers may offer earlier responsibility and a broader range of activities.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours may include regular extra hours, although weekend work is rare. If you're an academic researcher with additional responsibility for postgraduate students you may do more evening or weekend work.

What to expect

• Much of the work is office based and you'll use specialist computer systems. There'll often be strict deadlines and projects can be long in duration with no guarantee of a successful outcome.
• Jobs are fairly widely available throughout the UK, but posts related to specialist research are restricted to a few institutions in certain areas.
• Self-employment and freelance work is possible once you've developed a technical specialism.
• Initiatives are in place in various sectors to encourage equality, inclusion and diversity. This includes the Institute of Mathematics & its applications , which has several diversity and inclusivity policies, including one on women in mathematics. UKRI also has equality, diversity and inclusion policies and guidance with the aim to create a dynamic system of research and innovation in the UK.
• You'll travel within the UK and abroad to present the results of research at conferences and symposiums, and you may also need to travel to meet with colleagues you're collaborating with on projects.

Qualifications

You'll need a good honours degree, usually a 2:1 or above, to become a research mathematician. Relevant degree subjects include those with significant mathematical content, particularly mathematics or physics.

Most people entering this field of work will have completed, or be working towards, a postgraduate qualification, usually a research-based Masters or a PhD. The high-level, technical communication skills developed through writing a thesis are very attractive to employers. Career progression without a PhD (particularly in academia) is likely to be limited.

Funding is made available to research institutions via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) . This is then passed on to students in the form of scholarships and bursaries. Contact individual institutions to find out more about funding options.

If you're planning to do postgraduate study or undertake postdoctoral research contracts, identify researchers in your field of interest using directories, scientific journals and your own network of contacts. You should also discuss your interests with your academic tutor or supervisor. Make applications for research degrees early on, so academic departments have time to apply for funding on your behalf.

You'll need to have:

• a creative approach to, and a deep interest in, mathematics
• the intellectual ability to understand and analyse complex problems
• tenacity and patience for developing research projects
• excellent oral and written communication skills
• great attention to detail
• the ability to collaborate and work well in a team
• independent thinking
• commercial awareness
• the ability to make quick decisions
• flexibility in order to adapt quickly to changing market needs or develop original solutions.

Work experience

Pre-entry work experience is desirable, and your undergraduate dissertation topic can be a good starting point for your PhD research.

Postdoctoral research experience is useful, and usually essential for academic posts. Speculative applications to potential academic supervisors is a good route into work experience or shadowing.

Gaining experience in both academia and industry is useful as it helps to show how the two environments differ and will aid your decision as to which area you’d like to work in.

You should also try to keep up to date with developments in the area. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council can help with this. See EPSRC News, Events and Publications for more information.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Mathematicians conduct research in any environment where data is analysed and used to identify patterns. These environments include industrial areas and academic disciplines, where mathematics is applied in order to understand such issues as commercial trends or social network development.

You'll find research mathematician positions in:

• research councils and other research institutions
• government departments, including Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
• private research laboratories
• manufacturing companies
• universities.

Job adverts are likely to ask for specific techniques or areas of knowledge.

Research and development is not restricted to major companies. Small to medium-sized companies also offer opportunities to mathematicians in the early stages of their career.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Institute of Mathematics & its Applications (IMA)
• London Mathematical Society
• Nature Careers
• New Scientist Jobs

Individual companies and academic institutions advertise vacancies on their websites. National newspapers also advertise vacancies. See, for example, Times Higher Education unijobs .

Research potential employers thoroughly and be prepared to make speculative applications.

Professional development

If you're studying for a PhD while employed in a research post, you'll be supported by a supervisor. You're likely to get additional training, which may be offered by the institution or by Vitae , which supports the professional development of researchers.

If you work at a university you'll typically have access to postdoctoral training during the early stages of your career. In industry, most employers will provide access to training and support to ensure that you have the required skills.

You'll need to keep up to date with developments in your field through attending conferences and events, and by networking with peers. Relevant opportunities are offered by professional bodies and research organisations, such as:

• International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS)
• Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Professional networks focused on specific areas of research also provide peer support and the opportunity to share knowledge.

IMA membership is offered at five grades, which reflect your status as a skilled researcher. This includes student membership, for those studying a mathematics degree or a degree with a significant mathematical component, such as some physics and engineering courses. When you have graduated from your degree, you can apply for associate membership.

Once you’ve progressed in your career and built up substantial experience, you can gain advanced membership either at member (MIMA) or fellow (FIMA) grades. You can then go on to apply for Chartered Mathematician (CMath) status but you will need to demonstrate that you meet certain criteria first.

Career prospects

Companies in industry provide opportunities for promotion and development. For example, you could work as a specialist in a senior research role, or in a more commercial role such as sales and marketing, or as a manager of a technical team. If the company is international there may be scope to take on projects or secondments overseas.

You can take on greater responsibility for projects after gaining several years of practical experience. Once you've managed the work of other mathematicians you can progress to roles such as project manager or technical director.

In academic settings, following your PhD, you'll typically move on to fixed-term postdoctoral research contracts of up to three years in length. Most newly qualified postdoctoral fellows take up advertised positions or apply speculatively to an established scientist.

Career development at this stage can be challenging. Although postdoctoral fellowships and other schemes are offered by the EPSRC, all awards are extremely competitive.

Academic promotion depends on your research achievements. These are measured by the quality and quantity of original papers you've had published, and your success in attracting funding. Presenting material at national and international conferences will help boost your career prospects.

Further career development is into lectureships, and ultimately to professorial level with managerial responsibility. Permanent research posts without teaching or administrative responsibilities are highly sought after.

How would you rate this page?

On a scale where 1 is dislike and 5 is like

• Dislike 1 unhappy-very
• Like 5 happy-very

Thank you for rating the page

• Lecturer and Professor Salaries – Explained
• After a PhD

Based on the 2018/19 HE Single Pay Spine and the typical 2019/20 university grade system, the average possible salary for university staff in the UK is: £40,761 for a Lecturer, £51,590 for a Senior Lecturer, £64,356 for an Associate Professor and £90,891 for a Professor.

Introduction

On this page, we discuss how the UK academic pay scale works, the average salaries of university lecturers and professors, and how they change with academic rank. While we’ve summarised the salaries at the top of this page, we go on to provide a full breakdown for each rank, so continue reading for the full picture.

How Salary Scales Work within UK Universities

In the United Kingdom, there is a single national pay spine that governs the salaries of university staff. The pay spine, formally known as the ‘ HE Single Pay Spine ’, is led by University and College Union ( UCU ) which negotiates salaries, pay structure and employment conditions on behalf of higher education (HE) and further education (FE) institutions.

It’s important to recognise that although the vast majority of UK universities adopt the HE Single Pay Spine, a handful of institutions do not. In such cases, staff salaries are regulated internally and may differ from those stated on this page.

Many considerations go into determining a staff member’s salary, but to summarise, staff members are assigned a grade based on their level of responsibility, experience and position (e.g. Lecturer, Senior Lecturer or Professor) and a corresponding spine value. In turn, the spine value corresponds to a pre-determined salary listed in the ‘HE Single Pay Spine’.

Note: London universities generally offer slightly higher Lecturer and Professor salaries, but this is only to offset the higher cost of living associated with working in the capital. This offset, more commonly referred to as a ‘London Allowance’, is typically in the region of £3,000 per year .

Average Salaries of University Lecturers and Professors in the UK

Based on the 2018/19 HE Single Pay Spine and the average 2019/20 grading levels adopted by three UK universities, we have determined the average salaries of research assistants, lecturers and professors as shown in the table below.

Note: Although the average salaries provide a quick, useful insight, it would be equally advantageous to know the salary range for each position, as academic salaries are relatively dynamic; the reason for this is discussed later.

Table showing average salaries and ranges for Research Assistants, Lecturers and Professors in the UK

The following image shows these salary ranges in the context of the typical progression paths observed for higher education positions within UK universities.

It is worth noting that while salaries can exceed £100,000 per year for positions with significant managerial responsibility, very few individuals will reach these positions. In fact, data from the Office for Students (OfS) shows that in 2017/18, only 1.5% of academic staff were paid over £100,000.

How Salary Increases Works

Salary increases within a grade.

The expectation is that each year, staff members will move up the spine scale and receive a pay increase in line with their new spine level. This will continue until the ceiling of their current grade is reached. At that point, with the exception of inflation-adjusted increases, the staff member will stop receiving wage increases until they move up a grade.

Note: The grade of a staff member reflects the level of responsibility they have, which usually coincides with their job title, i.e. whether they are a Lecturer, an Associate Professor or a Professor.

Increasing Grades

Moving up a grade is only possible when the responsibilities of a staff member increase noticeably or when they are promoted to a higher position, such as from a Senior Lecturer to an Associate Professor.

Non-Monetary Benefits

As with most professions, a university Lecturer or Professor’s job position comes with non-monetary benefits that complement their salary. These will vary between universities, and sometimes even within the same university, but can include:

• Allowances for travel or relocation,
• Discounted or fully waived access to training, university courses and on-site recreational facilities,
• Private healthcare,

UK vs US Lecturer and Professor Salaries

Unlike the United Kingdom, the United States does not have a national academic pay scale. This means that the salaries of Lectures and Professors in the US vary considerably not only between universities but also between states, institution types (public or private) and academic fields.

In addition, because the US does not have a national academic pay scale, it’s common for staff members to negotiate a pay increase when moving to a new institution. This is not generally the case in the UK as it would place staff members outside of the single pay spine.

According to ‘ The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2018-2019 ‘, produced by the American Association of University Professors ( AAUP ), the average university lecturer salary and average university professor salary within the United States is as per the comparison table below.

Table comparing average salaries for Lectures and Professors in the UK and the US

It should be noted that the US salaries stated above have the potential to be skewed. This is because the data provides a total sum only for the number of universities forming the data, and not for the number of staff members holding each position type.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

Average graduate salaries by university and subject: Where to go and what to study to earn top dollar

By: William Turvill

Going to university at Oxford or Cambridge pays. But it doesn’t pay as much as the London School of Economics or City University London. But it pays a lot more than going to Cardiff Metropolitan University.

And if you want to earn top dollar as a graduate it’s also worth aiming for an economics degree rather than fine arts and design.

Salary benchmarking site Emolument.com has compiled a ranking of 84 UK universities by analysing 2,400 salaries from graduates (defined as those with less than two years of experience in the workplace) with bachelor degree.

It marks the latest in a long line of graduate pay studies undertaken by Emolument, including research into which universities produce the most business leaders and which MBA courses are best for pay .

London School of Economics grads can expect to earn an average of £38,000, slightly above £36,000 at City University. Cambridge (£35,000) pips Oxford to third place (£34,000). Bath, Edinburgh and Durham, with £33,000, £32,000 and £31,000, come next in the ranking.

Cardiff Metropolitan props up the table, with an average graduate salary of £18,000, slightly behind Liverpool John Moores, Goldsmiths, Anglia Ruskin, University of Central Lancashire, Queen’s University Belfast and Aberystwyth on £19,000.

As for degree subjects, economics pays £33,000, ahead of engineering in second with £28,000. Fine arts and design is at the bottom of the table, with £19,000, just behind English literature and media, marketing and communication, both of £21,000.

Read more : Three-quarters of millennials will never pay off their student loan

And here is what you need to study…

Economics: £33,000

Engineering: £28,000

Management & Strategy: £27,000

Mathematics & Statistics: £27,000

Computer Sciences: £27,000

Accounting, Business & Finance: £27,000

Physics, Life Sciences & Healthcare: £27,000

Law: £26,000

Modern Languages: £26,000

Humanities (History, Geography, Politics…): £25,000

Chemistry & Natural Sciences: £23,000

Psychology: £23,000

Media, Marketing & Communication: £21,000

English Literature: £21,000

Fine Arts & Design: £19,000

Read more : This PE firm's slashed grad salaries – it's buying them houses instead

Subscribe to the City A.M. newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Your news your way

Subscribe to get the essential daily news updates from City A.M's top stories to your inbox.

Entry level pay for finance quants with a Bachelor's, a Masters and a PhD

Should you bother getting a Masters qualification if you want to be a quant in the financial services industry ? Maybe. But if you really want to make a difference to your entry-level pay, you'll need to achieve a PhD. 

So say compensation figures six months after graduation for mathematics graduates from the London School of Economics (LSE). LSE mathematics students have the option of taking a Bachelors in mathematics and economics, a Masters in applicable or financial mathematics, or a PhD in mathematics.

All LSE mathematics cohorts go into banking or hedge funds (although PhD students also have a tendency to teach). But only the PhD students earn a lot more than the rest from the outset.  

For the most recent graduating class, LSE's 161 mathematics bachelor's graduates with jobs earned a median salary of £29.9k ($36.5k). Its 86 masters graduates with jobs earned a median of £30k. And its 10 PhD graduates earned a median of £39.5k. 

So, only a PhD really moves the dial on compensation.

This might be because the longer you stay in education the more chance you have of skipping quant jobs in banks and going straight to the higher paid jobs in tech firms or on the buy-side.

The LSE's quants with bachelor's degrees got jobs with the Big Four accounting firms, plus places like Bank of America, Barclays, Citi, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Jefferies. Credit Suisse alone took six, Deloitte took nine, and Deutsche Bank took four of its bachelors graduates last year.

The LSE's quant graduates with Masters degrees also got jobs with banks like JPMorgan, but more turned up on the buy-side at places like Blackrock or Brevan Howard. And the graduates with mathematical PhDs mostly went into academia, with one also going to hedge fund Cantab Capital Partners (a subsidiary of GAM Systematic holdings which paid its 59 employees an average of £240k in 2018 according to company accounts) and another going to Amazon.

Notably, the LSE's pay figures suggest you can earn more doing a Masters qualification in finance (entry level pay of £42k) or economics (entry level pay of £34k) than in mathematics. Some of the school's best paid recent graduates have studied the Masters in Finance and private equity, and command entry level salaries of £45k, reflecting the fact that being a quant is not always the most remunerative career path . 

Photo by  Samuel Zeller  on  Unsplash

Have a confidential story, tip, or comment you’d like to share? Contact: [email protected] in the first instance. Whatsapp/Signal/Telegram also available.

Bear with us if you leave a comment at the bottom of this article: all our comments are moderated by human beings. Sometimes these humans might be asleep, or away from their desks, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. Eventually it will – unless it’s offensive or libelous (in which case it won’t.)

Sign up to Morning Coffee!

The essential daily roundup of news and analysis read by everyone from senior bankers and traders to new recruits.

Boost your career

Citigroup's 20,000 job cuts are not what you think

"I stopped coding to manage developers in a bank and now I can't find a job"

Bank of America still has an issue with people leaving

Senior women seem to be leaving Citi's functions

Multiple banks cutting jobs after 'lowest bonuses for a decade'

Investment bank head pays tribute to "courageous" first year analyst who died aged 22

The former JPMorgan MDs becoming product executives in fintech

Morgan Stanley will be opportunistically hiring bankers as "pot pourri" of deals returns

"Please help, my junior fixed income sales job is very dull"

A veteran Citi MD in New York was rescued by a Japanese bank

Related articles