Mathematics BSc (Hons) with foundation year

Study level: Undergraduate
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Build your analytical thinking and problem-solving skills by studying both pure and applied mathematics, and the chance to apply your knowledge to challenges and projects the world faces.

Course features

Course option

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry) and
Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

4 years full-time
5 years sandwich

UCAS codes

GTDF

Start date

September 2027
November 2027
January 2028
March 2028
May 2028
July 2028


Course overview

If you're curious about how things work, enjoy logical reasoning or love solving problems, studying pure and applied mathematics could be a great fit. You’ll examine real-world applications, strengthen your critical thinking, analytical and computational skills, and develop knowledge that could support your development in areas such as science, finance, data analytics or technology.

Key highlights

  • Core and applied maths: learn to use algebra, calculus and computational tools like Python, MATLAB and R to solve real-world problems.
  • Pure mathematics: develop your understanding of abstract theory, proofs and logical reasoning to understand how to apply mathematical methods, why those methods work and how they fit into the broader logical framework of mathematics.
  • Career-focused skills: apply your knowledge through problem-solving activities and the use of industry-relevant tools. You may also have the opportunity to undertake a placement2 or work on projects that reflect real-world scenarios.
A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2026

Why you should study this course

  • Tailored learning: in your final year, you'll have the opportunity to choose from a range of optional modules, allowing you to shape your studies around your interests and develop expertise in areas that matter to you.
  • Contemporary tools: you'll use mathematical software, AI tools and programming languages to explore and apply mathematical concepts to prepare you for a future where mathematics and computing increasingly intersect.
  • Teaching expertise: you’ll be taught by academics who are active researchers in applied mathematics, including areas such as fluid dynamics and complex systems. Their research informs their teaching and project supervision (staff subject to change).
  • Independant research project: undertake an individual research project, allowing you to get a deeper understanding of applied or pure mathematics under the guidance of an academic supervisor.
  • Career-ready skills: graduate with the mathematical, problem solving and computational skills, which could help you prepare for roles in a wide range of sectors including finance, technology, research and data analysis.

What you'll study

The course has three key themes.

  • Core Mathematics forms the foundation of essential techniques.
  • Applied Mathematics demonstrates how these techniques can be used to solve real-world problems.
  • Pure Mathematics reveals the conceptual underpinnings that both unify the subject and allow for future innovation.

A strong computational element supports analytical methods, enhancing problem-solving through technology and programming.

 

Modules

Modules

A placement year2 provides optional first-hand industry experience and helps you discover where your skills and interests truly lie. Taken between your second and final years, it allows you to step into a professional environment, apply your learning and gain valuable insight into your chosen sector.

By spending an extended period in industry, you should develop confidence, build professional networks and strengthen the transferable skills that employers value most. This experience offers a powerful way to explore career paths and return to your final year with real -world expertise and a clearer sense of direction.

Key opportunities

  • Complete an approved work placement: gain practical experience aligned with your course and career ambitions, typically lasting at least 26 weeks.
  • Reflect on professional development: recognise and document the specific skills, knowledge and experience you gain during your time in industry.
  • Broaden your global perspective: optionally undertake an international work or study placement to experience a different professional or cultural context.

While this optional year is non-credit-bearing, successful completion ensures your experience is formally recognised on your final degree certificate to showcase your expertise to future employers.

Students sponsored by the University who opt for an international work placement must ensure they comply with the UKVI immigration regulations and should contact us for further guidance.

Modules

This year introduces you to your chosen subject while building essential skills.

  • Explore everything from pure and applied mathematics to software, databases and data visualisation, giving you a solid understanding of the subject before you progress.
  • Perfect the research and writing styles you’ll need to ace your degree-level assignments.
  • Learn core principles so you feel completely prepared when you start Year 1 of your degree.

On successful completion of this foundation year, you will be able to progress to year 1 of the degree.

Modules

We regularly review our course content to keep it relevant and current for our students. Consequently, we may update modules to reflect the latest industry standards.


How you'll learn

Forget stressful end-of-year exams. We focus on applied learning using a mix of lectures, tutorials and online study to get you ready for the real world. Instead of one big test, we assess your progress through coursework and phase tests. This better reflects the way you’ll likely work in your future career.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours and guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average, you will have between 10 and 12 teaching and learning hours each week. You will also have the option to attend additional sessions, including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.

Online learning

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods, including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

The foundation year will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module and may include:

  • essays
  • phase tests
  • group work
  • presentations
  • reports
  • projects
  • coursework
  • individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Learning will be facilitated through a variety of methods which may include lectures, seminars, lab, workshops, online activities and group work.

Students are expected to engage in both class and online activities and discussions. This course also requires students to participate in additional guided reading and self-directed study to reinforce the learning gained from timetabled sessions.

Formative feedback will be used to prepare students for summative assessment and give students an early indication of their progress towards the module's intended learning outcomes. A portion of this module’s contact time will be dedicated to course support sessions. The course support sessions are timetabled sessions where students can explore areas of the course which they find challenging or get support with personal projects and employability efforts (subject to availability).


Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours and guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average, you will have between 12 and 15 teaching and learning hours each week. You will also have the option to attend additional sessions, including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.

Online learning

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods, including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods may include:

  • formal examinations
  • phase tests
  • essays
  • group work
  • presentations
  • reports
  • projects
  • coursework
  • individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

If you have a desire to gain international experience, there are opportunities2 to spend a year studying abroad. In the past, students have chosen to study Mathematics in St Marcus University in California, University of Malta, Stockholm University in Sweden, also universities in the Netherlands, Germany and Australia. Courses in all these Universities have been delivered in English.

The opportunity for a sandwich placement means we aim to support you in finding an internship and in seeking ways to finance that experience. Past students have gone to work in countries such as Malaysia, Belgium, and Spain.

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements, and are therefore not guaranteed2.


Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

64 UCAS tariff points. All foundation courses require GCSE maths and English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification. For T levels: overall grade of Pass (D or E on the Core) in the T level qualification in any subject.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual/Fair Access Offers

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Offer, you could automatically receive a contextual offer which is 16 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Offer.

Got higher grades? Have you considered direct entry to the degree without foundation year?


Fees and funding

Foundation year

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2027/28 fees TBC
2026/27 fees: £9,790
Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

Degree

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2027/28 fees TBC
2026/27 fees: £9,790 per year
Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement2 or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee3 to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2028/29 will pay £1,575 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,900 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the table above for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI), a UK measure of inflation that tracks changes in the cost of living.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement or study abroad year, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2028/29. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above RPI.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) you may be charged the tuition fees in force at the time you take that additional period of study, and/or in line with any legislative changes that apply at that time.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

Applies to degree only

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad) which may include costs of travel, accommodation, equipment or uniform required for the placement and any visa-related costs.

Foundation year funding

To secure funding for a degree with a foundation year, you must complete the full four-year programme. If you do not finish the entire course, including the integrated foundation year, you may have to pay the foundation year fees yourself. For further information, please refer to the 'Tuition Fee Loan' details in the 'Funding your undergraduate course' section of our 'Fees and finance' page.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**This degree with foundation year is not currently available to international students who require a student visa to study in the UK.


Facilities

You’ll spend your foundation year at our CU Coventry Mile Lane building, just a short walk from Coventry city centre. You can still make the most of all the facilities at the main Coventry University campus whenever you like.

Once you successfully complete your foundation year, you’ll move over to the Coventry University campus to study your degree.

Facilities are subject to availability4. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

The School of Computing, Mathematics and Data Science is based in the Engineering and Computing Building, and the attached Beatrice Shilling Building. Both buildings are high-specification learning environments that benefit from extensive social learning facilities, well-appointed laboratories, lecturing facilities and classrooms, facilitating our innovative teaching methods across a diverse suite of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

A student sat using a laptop in the digital literacy centre

Digital Literacy Centre

The Digital Literacy Centre provides a range of help and support for digital, programming, and IT skills. From programming to email etiquette, from Word and Excel to enhancing your Google-Fu, the DLC provides a range of online and in person help and support. Students can make use of drop-in sessions or book one-to-one appointments online and face to face.

sigma centre

sigma Centre

The sigma Centre is a mathematics support centre, which provides a wide range of learning resources in mathematics and statistics. Students can make use of drop-in sessions or one-to-one appointments (subject to availability).

maths laboratory

Mathematics laboratory

Set out like a traditional classroom with a large whiteboard at the front and a social space for brainstorming at the back, it is the only teaching room in the Frank Whittle Building laid out in this way, designed to suit the teaching style required for this subject.

Facilities are subject to availability4. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.


Careers and opportunities

Studying maths develops skills in logical thinking and strategic knowledge, demonstrating to employers your advanced numerical and analytical ability, both of which are rare and in demand on the graduate job market.

A mathematics degree opens a range of career opportunities in industry, accountancy, banking, computer analysis, marketing, industrial design, management, and scientific research. You could be employed in a variety of roles, for example, as an actuarial analyst, actuary, forensic accountant, operational researcher, research scientist, teacher, statistician, or stockbroker.

Where our graduates work

Previous students have worked as:

  • Financial Analysts at IBM
  • Gaming Financial Analysts for Warner Bros
  • Finance Assistants at Scottish Power
  • Business Performance Process Analysts at National Grid
  • Power Analysts at E.ON
  • Customer Service Analysts for Cummins.

Others have also used their qualifications to progress into teaching careers, as well as postgraduate study to obtain MSc, MPhil, and PhD qualifications.

The graduate destinations listed above illustrate potential career paths. You may need to gain additional qualifications or practical experience, pass professional examinations, complete training, cover associated costs and meet specific visa or immigration requirements to secure employment in these fields.

Further study

You may decide to pursue postgraduate study opportunities by studying courses such as Data Science MSc. You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

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Phoenix+ brings you together with other students to learn, experience and develop essential knowledge and skills. Whatever destination you choose, it's about preparing you for life after university.

Learn more about Phoenix+

How to apply

This course with foundation year is not available to international students.


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