How to Apply to Mathematics at the University of Aberdeen: BSc and MA over Four Years, Shared First- and Second-Year Courses with Other Subjects, a Pure or Applied Choice in Year 3, and Requirements for Home, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Aberdeen is in the north-east of Scotland. Mathematics is taught by the Department of Mathematics, which the University says takes part in the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics together with the Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology. This guide covers September 2027 entry for home applicants (Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, and A-levels from England, Wales and Northern Ireland), international applicants (with a separate section for Chinese applicants) and transfer or direct-entry applicants, based on the University’s published pages. Scottish honours degrees normally take four years, unlike the usual three in England.

1. Degrees and UCAS codes

• Mathematics (BSc) G100 and Mathematics (MA) G102: both full time, 48 months (four years), September start, on campus.
• Applied Mathematics (BSc) G120 and Applied Mathematics (MA) G122: the same core mathematics courses as above, listed under their own UCAS codes in the degree list. The mathematics page also says the University offers a degree in Pure Mathematics and one in Applied Mathematics and that you “only need to make the choice in your 3rd year”.
• BSc or MA? The University says the core mathematics courses are the same; the difference is which other subjects you can choose alongside them, with the BSc leaning to the sciences and the MA to the arts.
• Joint honours: Mathematics and Physics (BSc, FG31, four years), Economics and Mathematics (MA, LG11), Mathematics and Philosophy (MA, GV15), Business Management and Mathematics (MA, GN12), Computing Science and Mathematics (BSc, GGK1), German and Mathematics (MA), and Mathematics and Spanish & Latin American Studies (MA). Major-minor honours: Mathematics with Gaelic (BSc G1Q5, MA G1Q8). Length and requirements for each joint degree are on its own page; only the Mathematics and Physics and the Economics and Mathematics pages were read.
• Accreditation: the Mathematics (BSc), Mathematics (MA), Applied Mathematics (BSc) and Mathematics and Physics pages all state that the degree is accredited by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA).

2. Do you apply directly to mathematics? Years 1 and 2

• The “UCAS application process” page says admission at Aberdeen is to a degree rather than to a department; you should still enter your preferred degree title and UCAS code, but in most cases it is easy to change your degree preference after starting. When you must fix your subject after arrival and with what grades is not published on the pages read; ask Admissions.
• Year 1 (G100 page): compulsory Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002, online, about 2–3 hours), Calculus 1 (MA1005), Algebra (MA1006), Calculus II (MA1508) and Set Theory (MA1511), plus 60 credit points of other courses of your choice. The page says there may be some overlap with school mathematics but the course is brisk.
• Year 2: compulsory Linear Algebra I and II (MA2008, MA2508) and Analysis I and II (MA2009, MA2509), plus a further 60 credit points of your choice.
• Year 3: compulsory Group Theory, Analysis III, Metric and Topological Spaces, Analysis IV, Rings & Fields and Differential Equations, one of Financial Mathematics/Optimisation Theory and one of Knots/Geometry, plus 15 further credit points. Year 4: compulsory Galois Theory, Complex Analysis and a 30-credit Project (regular supervisor meetings, a written report and a presentation), plus options including measure theory, number theory, dynamical systems, algebraic topology, modelling theory and nonlinear dynamics and chaos; an honours degree must include 90 credit points at level 4.
• The Applied Mathematics page additionally lists probability, statistics, financial mathematics, knots, modelling theory, dynamical systems and nonlinear dynamics and chaos.
• Admissions tests and interviews: the mathematics pages and admissions pages read do not require an entrance test such as MAT, STEP or TMUA, and do not set an interview for mathematics (the University says only Education, Medicine and Music applicants may be interviewed); check the programme page and UCAS.
• The University says Honours classes are small, approximately 25 or fewer.

3. Prerequisites

• SQA Highers (BSc Mathematics G100 / Applied Mathematics G120): standard BBBB, including Mathematics and one other science subject; widening access applicants with BBC are guaranteed an unconditional offer. National 5 English and Mathematics at C or above are also required.
• SQA Highers (MA Mathematics G102): BBBB, including two Mathematics/science subjects; widening access BBC; National 5 at C or above in English, Mathematics and one of Chemistry or Physics.
• A-level: standard BBC, including Mathematics and one other science for the BSc and two Mathematics/science subjects for the MA; widening access CCC. GCSE at C/4 or above is required in English (or English Language), Mathematics and one of Chemistry, Physics or Dual Award Science.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: DMM with main subjects in science or mathematics (a BTEC Extended Certificate at Distinction is normally acceptable in place of one A-level at B). Irish Leaving Certificate: five Higher subjects at H3, including Mathematics and one other science for the BSc (two Mathematics/science subjects for the MA), with O4 in English and Mathematics.
• IB: 30 points including 5, 4, 4 at Higher Level, with Mathematics and one other science for the BSc and at least two Mathematics/science subjects for the MA; English and Mathematics at SL or HL.
• Advanced Highers: no Advanced Higher is required for Year 1 on the pages read; Year 2 entry requirements are in the transfer section below. The University stresses that meeting the minimum does not guarantee an offer and that it may ask for more when applications exceed places.
• Each degree page notes that the figures are a shortened summary; check the University’s full undergraduate entry requirements page.

4. Home applicants

• Scottish students: apply with SQA Highers, adding Advanced Highers where needed. The University says it does not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but treats a B at Advanced Higher as equivalent to an A at Higher; one Foundation Apprenticeship counts as one Higher at A but cannot replace a required subject. It adds that applicants who meet the minimum will usually receive an unconditional offer, but where there are more applicants than places it may ask for more, so continued engagement at school is recommended. National 5 requirements (English, mathematics and so on, at C or above) differ by degree and are given in the sections below.
• Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland: apply with A-levels (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma, the Irish Leaving Certificate and the IB are also accepted); the GCSE requirements are given by degree below; the fee is the “Rest of UK” rate (see “Tuition fees and scholarships”).
• Widening access: applicants who meet the University’s widening access criteria can receive a guaranteed offer at a lower grade; the criteria page lists Scottish SIMD quintile 1 postcodes, care experience, free school meals, a list of priority schools, POLAR 4 quintile 1 postcodes in the rest of the UK, caring responsibilities, estrangement and more, and says the list is not exhaustive. The lower grades for each degree are given below; entry to MSci and MEng programmes is not discounted.
• Mathematics note: National 5/GCSE Mathematics is a firm prerequisite and Higher or A-level Mathematics is a required subject; the pages read do not say whether Higher Applications of Mathematics may substitute, so ask Admissions.

5. International applicants

• How to apply: full-time undergraduate applications go through UCAS (check UCAS and your account on its own site); the University’s UCAS institution code is A20 and its short code is ABRDN. The University says admission is to a degree rather than to a department; you should still enter your preferred degree title and UCAS code, but in most cases it is easy to change your degree preference after you start.
• Grade requirements: requirements are listed by country (see “Chinese applicants” below); applicants from some countries must take a Foundation Year first, offered by the University’s International Study Centre, whose website was not used for this guide.
• Funds and visa: the Key Dates page says that after you accept an offer you must return a Financial Guarantee document to Admissions (no CAS can be issued without it); applicants who meet specific criteria must also pay a non-refundable deposit, and should apply for the visa as soon as possible after receiving the CAS. In line with UKVI rules the University recommends budgeting £1,171 a month for living costs, and students who need a Student visa also pay the NHS health surcharge, stated as £776 per year of study. Check the University’s visa page and the UK government for current amounts and documents.
• Work: international students studying for more than six months may work 20 hours a week in term time (possibly more in holidays); the University warns that work must not be relied on to fund your studies.
• Fee status: the University says that if you live overseas and do not hold a UK passport you will probably be classed as an International fee student; it decides your status from your application and points to UKCISA for guidance.

English language requirements (the general undergraduate page, to which the mathematics pages refer):

• IELTS Academic (or IELTS UKVI Academic): 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.0 in Writing. IELTS Indicator, General Training and Online are not accepted; One Skill Retake is accepted.
• TOEFL iBT, MyBest and Home Edition: for tests taken after 21 January 2026 the page gives Listening 4, Reading 4, Speaking 4, Writing 4.5 and an overall of “4–4.5” on the new scale; for tests taken before 21 January 2026 it requires 78 overall with Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20 and Writing 21. The TOEFL institution code is 0818.
• Others: PTE Academic 59 overall and in each skill (the online test is not accepted); LanguageCert Academic 65 overall (60 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 65 in Writing); Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 169 overall (162 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 169 in Writing); Oxford ELLT 6.0 overall (5.0 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 6.0 in Writing); Duolingo 105 overall (95 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 105 in Writing); Trinity ISE II (Distinction in Writing, Merit in the other three); Skills for English SELT B2. LanguageCert International ESOL B2 is listed but marked as not accepted for entry from September 2025. Tests must be within two years of the start date unless stated otherwise.
• Exemptions: nationals of the English-speaking countries the University lists (including the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand); an approved high school qualification on the University’s accepted list, taken within the last 10 years; three A-levels or the IB taught in English (within 10 years); or a degree taught and assessed entirely in English at an approved university, with a medium-of-instruction letter. The full lists and minimum grades are on separate pages; whether Chinese high school qualifications appear on that list is not shown on the pages used for this guide, so check the website.
• Pre-sessional courses: passing the University’s own Academic English pre-sessional is accepted (valid for one year); pre-sessionals at other UK universities must reach B2 with B2 in all four skills.

6. Chinese applicants

• Gaokao and high school results: the University’s China page says undergraduate applicants are considered on the overall score of the Senior High School Diploma: 80% or above for Arts and Social Sciences; 80% or above with 80% or above in two science subjects for Science; 80% or above with 80% or above in Mathematics and Physics for Engineering; and 85% or above for Law. It adds that good Gaokao scores will also be considered, but gives no Gaokao cut-off or conversion table; that is not published there, so ask Admissions.
• Which category your degree falls into: the China page lists only four categories (Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering, Law) and does not map individual degrees. On the degree pages read, the BSc entry-requirements note points to the “Sciences” section and the MA note to the “Arts and Social Sciences” section, but the University does not say which China-page category applies to which degree, so confirm with Admissions.
• Foundation: each degree page lists an “Undergraduate Foundation Programme” as an available pathway, run by the International Study Centre; its entry terms, fees and courses were not used here, so check aberdeen-isc.ac.uk. The China page does not say that Chinese high school diploma holders must take a foundation year first.
• Interview, accreditation bodies, transcripts and document checklist: the China page read does not list a special interview, accreditation body or high school transcript checklist for Chinese applicants; this is not published there, so ask Admissions (ugadmissions@abdn.ac.uk).
• Scholarships: the undergraduate funding list on the China page shows the Aberdeen Global Scholarship (below) and the Arthur L McCombie Bursary (£4,000 a year in 2026–27 for students in the penultimate and/or final honours year, for up to two years; the page gives a deadline of 19 November 2026; its eligibility page was not read, so check whether it applies to you).

7. Transfer students and direct entry to Year 2

• Direct entry to Year 2 (Advanced Entry): the University says highly qualified applicants can join in second year with Advanced Highers, A-levels or the IB and finish an honours degree in three years. It is available for many Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (MA) degrees, Science (BSc, MChem, MSci) degrees and Engineering (BEng only), and is not available for Law, Medicine or Primary Education. Choose “Point of Entry: Year 2” on UCAS; if the Year 2 application is unsuccessful you are automatically considered for Year 1 where appropriate. The mathematics pages give no Year 2 requirement of their own; the entry requirements table lists, for BSc Sciences degrees, Advanced Highers AB in addition to Highers, A-levels BBB and IB 32, and for MA Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences degrees Advanced Highers AB, A-levels BBB and IB 32. Which line applies to mathematics is not stated; ask Admissions.
• College routes: HNC, HND and SWAP qualifications can lead into Year 2 or Year 3; see “Entry from College” on each degree page. Entry to MSci and MEng programmes from HN programmes is not possible.
• Transferring from another university: the pages read have no separate transfer policy and no credit-transfer rules for students from Chinese or other overseas universities; this is not published there, so ask Admissions.

8. Timeline for September 2027 entry

• UCAS deadline: the Key Dates page says to apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 for most degrees (equal consideration date); the How to Apply page says applications submitted by 18:00 UK time on 14 January receive equal consideration. The two pages differ by a day; check UCAS and the latest University pages. Some degrees may still accept applications after this date; check UCAS.
• Information evenings: online and in-person applicant evenings run from December 2026 to February 2027.
• Decisions: by 12 May 2027 at the latest (unconditional, conditional or unsuccessful), with the aim of finishing by the end of March 2027; offer holders are invited to an Offer Holder Day in April 2027. If you have all offers by 31 March 2027 you must choose your firm choice on UCAS by 5 May 2027.
• International applicants: the Key Dates page says applications must be made through UCAS by 30 June (“for September 2027”), and applications up to 13 August 2027 are accepted for those whose results come a little later; after accepting, send the required documents and the Financial Guarantee, pay the deposit if it applies, and apply for the visa.
• Results days: SQA results on 10 August 2027 and A-level results on 12 August 2027.
• Start: Welcome Week begins on 13 September 2027 and teaching on 20 September 2027; the last date to register is 4 October 2027, and the University will not allow students to begin online or register after that date.
• Interviews: the University says Education, Medicine and Music applicants may be invited to interview; the pages read do not require an interview for other degrees.

9. Tuition fees and scholarships

• BSc Mathematics (G100) and Applied Mathematics (G120): £24,800 a year for international students, with £18,800 listed for self-funded international students (including the scholarship). MA Mathematics (G102): £20,800 a year, with £14,800 for self-funded international students (including the scholarship). Both pages give the same figures for 2026/27 and 2027/28. The MA Applied Mathematics and joint honours fee pages were not read; check them.
• Aberdeen Global Scholarship: for new self-funded, international-fee-status, full-time on-campus (Aberdeen campus) students starting in 2026/27 or 2027/28; £6,000 for every year of the programme, deducted from tuition fees; no application is needed, it is applied automatically and shown on the CAS. Students who are fully sponsored, hold fully funded external scholarships or other University scholarships are not eligible (awards from the University of Aberdeen Development Trust excepted). China is on the page’s list of eligible countries; the scholarship does not apply to Dentistry or Medicine. The page says it is available “until further notice”.
• Scottish students: the tuition fee is £1,820 a year (the same for 2026/27 and 2027/28); the University says eligible students (Scottish domiciled, first undergraduate degree, full time) can apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) to have it paid; check the details with SAAS.
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (RUK): £10,050 for 2027/28 and £9,790 for 2026/27; the University says the fee cap will keep rising with inflation and this should be allowed for when budgeting.
• RUK and Ireland Entrance Scholarship: awarded automatically to new undergraduates paying the RUK fee (entering Year 1 or Year 2): a £2,000 discount on University accommodation and a £50 weekly catering card for 27 teaching and exam weeks, in the first year only, with no cash alternative. The scholarship page prints no year, and the funding page labels this scheme “2026 entry”, so check that it applies to 2027 entry.

Checklist

Home applicants:

• Confirm the UCAS code of your degree (G100, G102, G120, G122 or a joint honours code) and check the Mathematics plus one other science (BSc) or two Mathematics/science subjects (MA) requirement
• Apply on UCAS by the deadline (Key Dates says 13 January 2027, How to Apply says 18:00 on 14 January; check which applies)
• Scottish students: apply to SAAS for fee payment; RUK students: check the £10,050 fee and the entrance scholarship conditions

International applicants (including China):

• Ask Admissions which China-page category your high school results fall under (80% overall; Science also needs 80% in two science subjects) and how Gaokao results are used
• IELTS Academic 6.0 (5.5 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 6.0 in Writing) or an accepted equivalent, or check whether you are exempt
• Submit through UCAS by 30 June, then return the Financial Guarantee and apply for the visa after accepting
• The Aberdeen Global Scholarship applies automatically to eligible self-funded international students
• If you need a foundation year, check the International Study Centre’s entry terms

Transfer students:

• For Year 2 entry, choose Year 2 as the point of entry on UCAS and check the Advanced Highers/A-level/IB Year 2 requirements
• Rules for transferring from another university are not published on the pages read; ask Admissions (ugadmissions@abdn.ac.uk)

Sources: University of Aberdeen, Mathematics (BSc) G100 page; Mathematics (MA) G102 page; Applied Mathematics (BSc) G120 page; Mathematics and Physics (BSc) FG31 page; Mathematics subject area page; Undergraduate entry requirements; How to apply; UCAS application process; Key dates; Advanced entry; Widening access criteria; International entry requirements; China entry requirements; China funding; Undergraduate English requirements; Fee status, living costs and work; Aberdeen Global Scholarship; RUK and Ireland Entrance Scholarship; Scottish student fees. Information is for September 2027 entry; check any date that is printed without a year, and rely on the University of Aberdeen for the latest details.