The MSc in Applied Mathematics at the University of Manchester is designed for individuals who wish to pursue further PhD studies or to work in industry.
Our mandatory flagship course unit Transferable Skills provides a wide variety of practical skills via projects, including group work, posters and written reports.
This MSc consists of five core course units covering the main areas of mathematical techniques, modelling and computing skills necessary to become a modern applied mathematician. Students then choose three options from a list including specialist units relevant to numerical analysis and industrial modelling. Finally, a dissertation is undertaken with supervision from a member of staff in the applied mathematics group, with the possibility of co-supervision with an industrial sponsor.
The Applied Mathematics group has a long-standing international reputation for its research. It has a strongly interdisciplinary research ethos, which it pursues in areas such as Mathematics in the Life Sciences, Uncertainty Quantification & Data Science, and within the Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics.
Course duration 12 months (full time) 24 months (part-time)
Total study time Approximately 40 hours per week (full-time) or 20 hours per week (part-time)
Teaching time Approximately 12 hours per week (inc. lectures, tutorials and lab sessions)
WHAT CAREER PATHWAYS ARE AVAILABLE TO ME?
Whether you are interested in working in industry or pursuing a PhD, you'll be ready with the MSc in Applied Mathematics.
On graduating, you’ll possess highly sought-after expertise in computation, analysis and mathematical modelling.
You’ll also be well-prepared for doctoral studies in mathematics, computer science or a wide range of science and engineering fields where applied mathematics play a vital role.
OUR STUDENT'S MSc PROJECTS
The MSc project is one of the most exciting parts of a master’s degree. You are paired with an expert supervisor and get a chance to dive deep into a topic you’re passionate about, solve real-world problems, and bring your ideas to life. It’s where everything you’ve learned comes together, showcasing your skills, creativity, and potential to stand out in your field. Here are some projects that have previously been suggested by academics to our MSc students.
🔎 Discretization of Maxwell's equations in 3D with finite differences in time domain
The discretization of Maxwell’s equations in 3D is a challenging task. In this project we will not try to develop from scratch a new discretization scheme, but instead we will analyse some codes that are available as open source codes. In particular, we will focus on one particular implementation of a finite differences in time domain (FDTD) code called gprMax which is written in Python and CPython. We will use this software to model and simulate practically relevant situations of imaging and tracking of objects based on radar sensors.
🔎 Flame-acoustic interaction in premixed combustion A premixed flame usually excites acoustic modes of a combustion chamber through unsteady heat release. The spontaneously emitted sound waves in turn modulate the flame. Such a coupling leads to different types of combustion instabilities, which may have catastrophic effects on the combustion chamber. Recently, a general first-principle flame-acoustic model has been developed. This project will focus on understanding how different simplification assumptions would affect this model.
🔎 Spin coating of thin films A number of important applications involve rotating liquid layers to generate uniform solid films. Typically solvents mixed with the material evaporate leaving behind a film on the surface. However, the process does not always generate the desired uniform film and non-uniformities can arise because of various factors. The main objective of this project is to review previous work on the instability of spin coating of a viscoelastic fluid, and investigate the instability problem using asymptotic methods.
🔎 Mathematic of imaging from seismic reflections
This project will look at the mathematics underpinning the exploration of the interior structure of the earth from seismic experiments, and in particular the determination of reflectors within the earth, corresponding to discontinuities or rapid changes in material properties, from reflected seismic waves. This problem is complicated by the fact that the velocities of seismic waves are not constant, and so there is refraction.
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