School of Mathematics

Careers

Our students have access to a range of careers and employability support, and our graduates go on to a variety of successful destinations in multiple sectors.

Graduate destinations

There are many misconceptions about where a maths degree can take you, and it is often assumed that a career in finance or teaching are the only options available. Whilst a mathematics degree can equip you for both of these career paths, our graduates go on to work in a broad range of employment sectors due to the large number of transferable employability skills a maths degree can provide.

Employment sectors include:

  • finance (accountancy, actuarial, banking, insurance, tax)
  • data science and statistics
  • IT (programming)
  • operational research
  • energy
  • construction
  • manufacturing
  • PR
  • retail
  • utiliites

Major employers over the last few years have included: Aegon, BDO, the 'Big 4' accountancy/professional service firms, City of Edinburgh Council, JP Morgan, Lloyd's Banking Group, RBS, Scottish Government, Scottish Widows, Standard Life, Teach First, plus a good number of graduates becoming self-employed.

Further study

In addition to entering employment, many of our graduates progress onto further study. This might be to:

  • continue their maths education (e.g. masters in pure or applied mathematics),
  • train in a specialist, often applied area of maths (e.g. masters in actuarial, data science, mathematical modelling, operational research),
  • carry out research (masters by research or docorates in maths),
  • train to teach maths (PGCE, PGDE),
  • change direction and 'convert' (e.g. business, economics, IT,  journalism, law).

Further study in the School of Mathematics

For more information about further study opportunities in the School of Mathematics, please see our webpages.

Taught Postgraduate Study in the School of Mathematics

Postgraduate Research Study in the School of Mathematics

Transferable skills

Mathematics graduates are able to go on to such a range of careers due to the transferable skills they develop throughout their degree, and the unique approach they bring to problems.

Throughout your degree, you will have many opportunities to develop skills such as coding, data handling and problem solving skills. However, less obvious skills include things such as:

  • independent working and self-management
  • attention to details
  • ability to follow complex reasoning
  • ability to construct logical aruguments

You will also have the change to develop a different set of employability skills through studying outside subjects; as each subject will provide students with a different skill set.

Careers Support

Careers Service

Careers Service reception

To support our students, the Careers Service has a dedicated team of Career Consultants, one of which takes particular responsibility for students in the School of Mathematics. They work closely with the School to put on and support weekly events, but also run their own activities.

As well as being available for personal appointments (booked online), the Careers Consultant offers a weekly drop-in session in the School of Maths during semester time.

The Careers Service's Employer Team work hard to make connections between students and a diverse range of employers through employer panels, and dedicated Careers Fairs.

School of Mathematics employability support

Employability Tuesday events

In collaboration with the Careers Service, the School organises regular employability events designed specifically to provide additional support for School of Mathematics students. Events cover a range of topics:

  • Applications e.g. CV writing, interview preparation, how to network
  • Specific career advice e.g. Actuarial careers, how to apply for PhDs.
  • Interactions with organisations and alumni e.g. School's annual Careers Showcase with alumni, Public Health Scotland, Capgemini, Moody's Analytics, GORS (Government Operational Research Service), Lloyds Banking Group.

Curriculum

In addition to regular employability events, the School has inbuilt employability skills development within our curriculum. As part of our Year 3 curriculum, each Honours course contains a skills component, focusing on skills that we think are particularly valuable to our students. These cover group work, programming and presentation skills.

The Careers Service also run sessions within our curriculum on planning for your future.