Careers

Graduate destinations

There are many misconceptions about where a maths degree can take you, and it is often assumed that a career in finance or teaching are the only options available. Whilst a mathematics degree can equip you for both of these career paths, our graduates go on to work in a broad range of employment sectors due to the large number of transferable employability skills a maths degree can provide.

Employment sectors include:

• finance (accountancy, actuarial, banking, insurance, tax)
• data science and statistics
• IT (programming)
• operational research
• energy
• construction
• manufacturing
• PR
• retail
• utiliites

Major employers over the last few years have included: Aegon, BDO, the 'Big 4' accountancy/professional service firms, City of Edinburgh Council, JP Morgan, Lloyd's Banking Group, RBS, Scottish Government, Scottish Widows, Standard Life, Teach First, plus a good number of graduates becoming self-employed.

Further study

In addition to entering employment, many of our graduates progress onto further study. This might be to:

• continue their maths education (e.g. masters in pure or applied mathematics),
• train in a specialist, often applied area of maths (e.g. masters in actuarial, data science, mathematical modelling, operational research),
• carry out research (masters by research or docorates in maths),
• train to teach maths (PGCE, PGDE),
• change direction and 'convert' (e.g. business, economics, IT,  journalism, law).

Further study in the School of Mathematics

For more information about further study opportunities in the School of Mathematics, please see our webpages.

Explore our taught postgraduate studies

Explore out postgraduate research studies

Transferable skills

Mathematics graduates are able to go on to such a range of careers due to the transferable skills they develop throughout their degree, and the unique approach they bring to problems.

Throughout your degree, you will have many opportunities to develop skills such as coding, data handling and problem solving skills. However, less obvious skills include things such as:

• independent working and self-management
• attention to details
• ability to follow complex reasoning
• ability to construct logical arguments

You will also have the change to develop a different set of employability skills through studying outside subjects; as each subject will provide students with a different skill set.

Careers Support

Careers Service

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We want to help our students to gain other skills alongside your strong academic profile to make sure they are fully equipped to maximise their potential in the global market. This is why we work closely with the University's award-winning Careers Service to support our students. As well as being able to make personal consultations (booked online), our students can take part in workshops and events organised by Careers Consultants during semester time.

The Careers Service's Employer Team work hard to make connections between students and a diverse range of employers through employer panels, and dedicated Careers Fairs.

Learn more about the Careers Service

School of Mathematics employability support

In collaboration with the Careers Service, the School organises regular employability events designed specifically to provide additional support for School of Mathematics students. Events cover a range of topics:

• Applications e.g. CV writing, interview preparation, how to network
• Specific career advice e.g. Actuarial careers, how to apply for PhDs.
• Interactions with organisations and alumni e.g. School's annual Careers Showcase with alumni, Public Health Scotland, Capgemini, Moody's Analytics, GORS (Government Operational Research Service), Lloyds Banking Group.

Curriculum

In addition to regular employability events, the School has inbuilt employability skills development within our curriculum. As part of our Year 3 curriculum, each Honours course contains a skills component, focusing on skills that we think are particularly valuable to our students. These cover group work, programming and presentation skills.

The Careers Service also run sessions within our curriculum on planning for your future.