School of Mathematics & Statistics

Generally, no. We recommend all applicants to join the programme with the intention of completing the MSc programme following the 3 year route or the faster 2 year route, or following the structure outlined for the PGDip and PGCert given in the handbook. Courses are offered in one semester per year only and therefore you cannot take a course out with the semester given in the handbook.

All the learning material is delivered asynchronously on a weekly basis. Most courses offer optional weekly or fortnightly live sessions, similar to online lecturers. The timings of the live sessions depend on the specific cohort of students and the course lecturer(s). Students will be informed of the specific timings at the beginning of each semester. All sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for students who either wish to watch them back, or could not make the session.

The university associate a 10-credit course (where all the taught courses on this programme are 10 credit courses) to 100 hours of learning. This would roughly equate to 8-9 hours per week over a 11-12 week semester per 10-credit course. This is highly dependent on the previous experience of the student. For example, we find students with a programming background will spend significantly less time on programming courses, or students with a statistics background will spend significantly less time on the statistics courses. The 100 hours of learning includes time to complete assessments and attend or watch hourly live sessions. Assessments can take anywhere from 1 hour (for smaller quizzes) to several hours over 2-3 weeks (for larger projects).

The recommended 3 year route requires students to complete 2 10-credit courses each semester in year 1 and 2 with the final project taken in year 3. The faster 2 year route requires students to complete 3 or 4 10-credit courses per semester in year 1 and then 2 10-credit courses and the final project in year 2. Please note that this programme has three trimesters per year (beginning roughly September, January and May). If you decide to take the faster 2 year route, then year 1 encompasses 100 credits. For comparison, a full-time undergraduate programme encompasses 120 credits per year. Please factor in your work and personal commitments to assess if you are able to dedicate potentially 24-36 hours per week (assuming you spend 8-9 hours per week on one course) across the three trimesters in year 1.

No, there is no obligation for you to travel to Glasgow at any point. All assessments on the programme can be taken at home. However, students graduating will be invited to attend a traditional Glasgow graduation ceremony once they complete the programme, although you have the option to graduate in-absentia.

Please see the programme website for the specific deadlines for applications. Please note, we have a separate deadline for applicants who meet all the entry requirements and those who don't.

Please check your Applicant Self-Service to manage your application. If you are in doubt, please contact admissions directly.

Yes the entry requirements are the same for the MSc, PGDip and PGCert. Students can switch between the three options depending on whether they meet the progression requirements if switching from the PGCert to the PGDip of MSc, or switching from the PGDip to the MSc.

Please check out the scholarship database for funding opportunities that may be available to you for this programme.

Students are charged fees as they enrol for courses. Assuming you take the 3 year route, then we highly recommend students enrol for semester 1, year 1 courses to begin with. You will therefore be charged only for those two courses, until you enrol for additional courses in semester 2. Please contact student finance for more details on how to set up a payment plan.

Applicants need to demonstrate how they meet the entry requirements. Please ensure that your first degree is equivalent to an upper second class UK honours degree, that you have a mathematics qualification (i.e. as least A-level or higher maths or equivalent) and that you meet the English language requirement if your first language is not English. If your hold a lower second class undergraduate degree, or equivalent, please provide an updated CV detailing your professional experience. Applicants who fall into this category, with at least 2 years’ professional experience in a data driven role, may be invited to an interview with the team.

For UK GPA equivalents, please consult the international page and select the country relevant to your degree and look under ‘Postgraduate taught entry requirements’.

Applicants with a minimum of three years' working experience within a majority-English speaking business will be considered for exemption if they can demonstrate their experience and provide an employer reference as part of their application.

Please firstly consult the handbook. This contains more detailed information about the programme and the services available to students on the programme. You may also contact the management team via email - maths-stats-analyticsmsc-management@glasgow.ac.uk.