MA English and Mathematics
About this course
English and mathematics is a combination that joins two of the most fundamental intellectual disciplines, one concerned with how meaning is made and communicated through language and literature, the other with the structure of quantity, pattern and logical reasoning. The combination is unusual, and students who are drawn to it tend to be those who resist the arts-science divide: genuinely passionate about both the close reading and creative thinking that English demands, and the rigorous abstraction and problem-solving that mathematics requires. At the University of St Andrews, you will be taught to close-read texts across a range of genres and historical eras, considering the ideas, human values and historical forces that have helped shape literature. Alongside this, you will develop substantial mathematical knowledge and technique, working across pure and applied mathematics as your interests develop. The programme runs for four years full time, which in the Scottish tradition gives you time to develop breadth before specialising in your later years. It includes a year abroad, which gives you the opportunity to study at a partner institution in another country, experiencing both disciplines in a different academic environment. The typical entry tariff is 200 points, reflecting the dual demands of a degree at one of the UK's most selective universities. The skills that English and mathematics develop together are genuinely complementary: precision of expression, analytical rigour, sustained concentration and the ability to move between different modes of understanding. These qualities are valued in a wide range of careers. Graduates from this combination move into careers in education, data science, financial analysis, actuarial work, journalism, the civil service, consultancy, publishing, law, software development and research. The rarity of this combination in the graduate market can itself be an advantage, as it signals the breadth and intellectual confidence that employers across many sectors look for. Postgraduate study in either English or mathematics, or in interdisciplinary fields, is another well-established route.
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