PhD

Mathematics

Key Facts

Course Code G1310

  • Qualification

    PhD

  • Typical Course Length

    3 Years

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Mathematics represents one of the supreme achievements of the human mind. The subject has fascinated thinkers throughout the ages, from the ancient civilisations of five thousand years ago to those of the present day. It is an evolving, living discipline; the boundaries of mathematics have expanded way beyond the geometry and number theory of the Greeks and the algebra of the early Indians and of Islam. Mathematics was called "the Queen of the Sciences" by one of its greatest practitioners, C F Gauss.

The Department of Mathematics at Aberystwyth offers facilities for students to read for PhD and MPhil degrees by research. Some possible ideas for Mathematics PhD projects are available. 

Overview

Why undertake a PhD with the Department of Mathematics at Aberystwyth University?

Aberystwyth University has a proud tradition of research excellence, as demonstrated in the most recent Research Excellence Framework assessment (REF 2014), which placed the university in the top 50 institutions for research power and intensity.

The Department of Mathematics submitted almost 90% of our staff to REF2014, the highest proportion of any Welsh mathematics department. Results show that 1 in 8 of our research outputs are world leading, and more than 60% are either world leading or internationally excellent. All of our research and the impact it has outside universities was judged to be of an international standard.

We have a dedicated Physical Sciences library on campus that houses excellent research material for the study of mathematics, physics and computer science, including the Scott Blair Collection, a comprehensive and important resource for the study of rheology. 

  • Mathematical Modelling of Structures, Solids and Fluids: this group covers diverse problems in solid and fluid mechanics and mathematical analysis.
  • Quantum Structures, Information and Control: this group works in the area of quantum systems in interaction with their environment, and in particular the emergent field of quantum computing and information.
  • Statistics: this group’s interests include the application of statistical shape analysis to biological data sets and the statistical analysis of high-dimensional biological data sets. 

Researchers in all groups are involved in wider collaborations, both within the university and beyond. 

Our Staff

All lecturers in the Department of Mathematics are qualified to PhD level and are research active. The majority have a postgraduate teaching qualification and new staff are required to complete the PGCTHE. The department also employs a number of part time tutors, with extensive teaching experience, and some student demonstrators, who are selected from our undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Course Details

Those interested in MPhil or PhD study are encouraged to contact the department so that a viable research topic can be developed through discussion with members of staff with relevant research interests. Members of the department are always happy to consider research proposals relating to their research interests.  

To apply for a place on the PhD programme you will need to prepare a research proposal, personal statement, complete an application form and provide two references. Please see the How to Apply pages for more detail.

English Language Requirements:

If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a UK University, you do not need to take an English proficiency test.

Non-native English speakers who do not meet this requirement must take a University-recognised test of academic English language proficiency. For further information please see our English Language requirements page.

Course Fees:

Please see the tuition fee pages for current tuition fees. Please note that all fees are subject to an annual increase.

Funding:

Funding opportunities may be available, please check our funding calculator for details.

Contact

To discuss possible research projects, please contact the Department at maths@aber.ac.uk.

For more information on the application process, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions Office at pg-admissions@aber.ac.uk or +44 (0) 1970 622270.

Mathematics PhD projects: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/maths/study-with-us/postgrad/mathprojects/ 

Scott Blair Collection: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/library-services/collections/scottblair/

Employability

Our PhD students have gone on to a variety of research posts, academic positions, teaching, and industry.