How to Apply to Mathematics at the University of Portsmouth: Four BSc Degrees (Mathematics, Mathematics for Finance and Management, Mathematics with Statistics, Mathematics with Machine Learning) With Optional Placement Year, and Entry Requirements for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Year 2 Transfer Applicants

The University of Portsmouth has four mathematics degrees, grouped with physics on its “Mathematics and physics” subject page; the physics course page refers to the School of Mathematics and Physics. This guide sets out what the university’s pages say for September 2027 entry, for UK applicants, international applicants (including students at high schools in China) and students who want to join year 2. Physics, economics and the life-science degrees are not covered here.

1. The degrees and how you are admitted

• Four BSc (Hons) degrees: Mathematics; Mathematics for Finance and Management; Mathematics with Statistics; Mathematics with Machine Learning (the entry-requirements heading on that page reads “Mathematics and Machine Learning”, so the name is not written the same way everywhere). All are three years full-time or four years as a sandwich course with a work-placement year.
• You apply to a specific course through UCAS, and each course has two UCAS codes: Mathematics G101 (three years) / G100 (with placement year); Mathematics for Finance and Management G160 / G161; Mathematics with Statistics GG11 / GG13; Mathematics with Machine Learning G501 / G500. Institution code P80.
• The core modules of year 1 are the same on all four: Calculus, Linear Algebra, Mathematical Methods for Modelling, and Statistics, Data and Computational Methods, 30 credits each, 120 credits a year. The university says that whichever mathematics course you choose you can still take any mathematics module; the difference is which modules are compulsory. Whether and under what conditions you can switch between the four after enrolling is not given on the course pages; ask the department.
• Core modules in years 2 and 3: All four require Applications of Mathematics and Graduate Skills and Calculus II in year 2. In addition: Mathematics requires Real and Complex Analysis (year 2) and Partial Differential Equations and their Applications (year 3); Mathematics for Finance and Management requires Mathematics for Finance and Corporate Financial Management (year 2) and Financial Derivative Pricing (year 3); Mathematics with Statistics requires Statistical Theory and Methods II (year 2) and Statistics Methods in Health Research and Social Science and Statistical Learning (year 3); Mathematics with Machine Learning requires Mathematical Methods for Machine Learning (year 2) and Advanced Machine Learning and Statistical Learning (year 3). Options include Operational Research, Algebraic Structures and Discrete Mathematics, Mechanics and Dynamics, Stochastic Processes, General Relativity and Cosmology and Nonlinear Dynamics; the Project is listed among the year-3 options. Check the course page for the full list.
• Software and teaching: the course page says you will learn programming, symbolic and data-handling languages such as Python and Mathematica and industry tools for building machine-learning models. The mathematics page recommends at least 35 hours of study a week, of which about 19 hours are timetabled teaching, and a daily Maths Café drop-in. After year 2 or year 3 you can take an optional work-placement year (organisations named on the page include IBM, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and British Telecom); in year 3 an Undergraduate Ambassador module places you in a local school or college.
• Accreditation: all four course pages say “accredited” and name the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA).
• Foundation year: the mathematics page says the university’s Engineering and Technology with Foundation Year can lead to degrees including computing, engineering, mathematics and physics, and all four course pages say that if you do not meet the entry requirements you may join the course after a foundation year. Which foundation course maps to which mathematics degree, and the grades needed, are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask admissions.

2. Entry requirements and prerequisites

The typical offers below are from the “Entry requirements (September 2027 start)” sections of the four course pages; the university stresses they are typical, not guaranteed, and decisions also take in the personal statement and reference.

Item	Typical offer (same on all four course pages)
UCAS points	112-120 points, at least 2 A levels, including 40 points from mathematics (B = 40 in the China page’s points table)
A levels	BBB-BBC
International Baccalaureate	25
English	IELTS 6.0, no component below 5.5

• Inconsistency on the course pages: the key-information box of the Mathematics page says “at least 2 A levels, including maths”, while the boxes of the other three say only “a minimum of 2 A levels” with no mention of maths; the detailed entry requirements of all four say “40 points from mathematics”. Treat the detailed requirement as the one to follow and confirm with admissions.
• Further Mathematics: the course pages do not say Further Mathematics is required, only mathematics at 40 points. They add that you “may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs”, linking to the general undergraduate entry-requirements page, which contains no subject-specific rules for mathematics. Specific subject and GCSE rules are not given; contact admissions.
• Admissions tests and interviews: none of the four course pages mentions MAT, STEP, TMUA or any other mathematics test or an interview. The general assessment page says that some courses may ask for a portfolio, interview or test. Whether mathematics applicants are interviewed is not given.
• BTEC and T Level: the entry requirements of the four mathematics pages do not list BTEC or T Level qualifications; whether they are accepted is not given. Contact admissions.

3. UK applicants

• How you apply and how you are assessed: Portsmouth says full-time bachelor’s degrees, integrated master’s degrees and most other undergraduate courses are applied for through UCAS, and you can also apply to the university directly on each course page. It looks at past and predicted achievement, personal statement, reference, extra-curricular and volunteering experience, and on some courses a portfolio, interview or test. It says decisions are “not based purely on exam results”.
• Qualifications: besides A levels, T Levels and BTECs, the entry-requirements page names Access to Higher Education, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers and the Irish Leaving Certificate as commonly accepted, and says the list is not complete. For this subject the course page gives only the grades listed in the entry requirements below. The grades asked of Scottish qualifications, and whether England, Wales and Northern Ireland are treated differently, are not given on the course or admissions pages; contact admissions (+44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course page).
• Adjusted offers: the university says that besides adjusted offers based on widening-participation data it also gives adjusted offers to applicants from its own region; they are lower than the typical offer and are flagged in the offer email. The course page adds that it looks at whether you live and work in the region and at personal and family circumstances (assessed with established data). What counts as “the region” is not given.
• Fees: for students from the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man the 2027/28 fee is £10,050 (“subject to annual increase”); the same page gives £9,790 for 2026/27. The pages do not give separate fees for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; check the course page and your student-finance body.

4. International applicants

• How to apply: international students follow the same process as UK students, through UCAS (institution code P80) or the direct application form on the course page. You can also use an education agent; the country pages list agents by region and the university links a guide to choosing one.
• Documents: the international application page lists a completed application form; a personal statement (some courses ask for specific content, so read the course page); officially certified and translated copies of your school or college qualifications and grades; proof of English (such as an IELTS certificate); and one academic reference on official headed paper for undergraduate courses. It adds that applicants from certain countries must take a video credibility interview, arranged by the regional leads.
• English: all four mathematics pages ask for IELTS 6.0 with no component below 5.5. The English requirements page says most bachelor’s degrees need IELTS 6.0 (no component below 5.5), with higher scores for courses that involve a lot of discussion and writing; read the course page.
• Other English tests: TOEFL iBT 79 for most bachelor’s degrees, with at least 18 Reading, 17 Listening, 20 Speaking and 17 Writing (the institution code to send scores to is 3234); PTE Academic 62 with at least 59 in each component for most bachelor’s degrees (that line is headed September 2025 entry, so check it applies to 2027); Cambridge C1 Advanced 169 overall with no component under 162; Trinity ISE III with a pass in all four components; Duolingo results must be shared with the university and offer conditions may change after a credibility or recruitment interview. Not accepted: IELTS Academic Online, IELTS General Training, PTE Academic Online and the online LanguageCert. The English requirements page also lists a “China TOEFL ITP Level 1” result (Listening 54, Structure and Written Expression 53, Reading 56, Speaking 58) among its English qualifications in Asia.
• Exemptions: nationals of, or holders of a degree-level qualification from, the following countries may be exempt from the UKVI English requirement but must still give evidence of English that meets the course’s academic requirement: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Overseas Territories, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK and the USA. Canadian nationals must provide evidence. China is not on the list.
• If your English is short: the university offers Pre-sessional English programmes. If you need a pre-sessional or foundation course, your IELTS must be taken at a UKVI-approved test centre.
• Foundation and pathway: the international pages describe International College Portsmouth (ICP, part of the Navitas Group), based in the city centre, with undergraduate and postgraduate pathways into the university’s degrees and September, January and May intakes. However, the “ICP Foundation Year courses” page and the foundation-year sections of the economics and science course pages say those foundation years are currently not open to EU or international students, while the MPharm page says international students can progress through ICP’s foundation year. These statements conflict; ask ICP and admissions which routes are open now.
• Deposit and CAS: after an offer you pay a deposit to confirm your place, which counts toward your fees; once you have paid it and met your conditions the university issues the CAS for your visa, at the earliest six months before the course starts. The university advises paying the deposit and meeting conditions as soon as you can. The amount of the deposit is not given on the fees page; UK and Irish nationals, government- or company-sponsored students and students coming from ICP, among others, do not pay one.
• Visa and funds: most international students need a Student Route visa; the visa page gives an advice email and phone (+44 (0) 2392 84 5430) and links to UKCISA and other sources. The amount of funds required and document-verification rules are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the UK government visa pages and the university visa page.
• Deadlines: the international deadlines page gives dates for January 2027 entry only (for example 7 December 2026 for new applications from “Rest of the World”) and warns that courses can close early when full. Deadlines for September 2027 entry are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.

5. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the China country page does not mention the gaokao or how a gaokao score is converted into an entry requirement. Not given; ask admissions or the official representatives listed for China.
• Chinese Senior High School Diploma: the China page says applicants with the Senior High School Diploma plus one year at a recognised university in China are considered for a bachelor’s degree if they have studied relevant subjects with strong grades. Applicants with a Specialised College (zhongzhuan) diploma, the High School Diploma and the High School Graduation Equivalency “usually need to do a foundation year”, and ICP is the recommended route (see the conflict noted above).
• Without the Chinese Senior High School Diploma: you can apply with A levels (the China page gives the points table A* = 56, A = 48, B = 40, C = 32, D = 24, and says your grades must equal or exceed the total required on the course page; science courses usually need passing A-level grades in science subjects) or with the IB (most courses need between 24 and 31 points, depending on the degree).
• Dazhuan: a College Graduation Diploma (Dazhuan) from a recognised college after two to three years, or a BTEC or SQA HND in a relevant subject, may be considered for advanced entry to a relevant degree.
• Mathematics-specific guidance: the China page gives no subject-by-subject requirements. The mathematics requirement (40 points from mathematics) is written in A-level points; how Chinese high-school mathematics results map to it is not given, so ask admissions rather than applying the A-level requirement to your Chinese results.
• English: same as the international section above; the China page says the university accepts IELTS, IGCSE and other certificates.
• Representatives and scholarships: the China page lists the university’s official representatives in China, and Chinese students may be eligible for scholarships (see the fees section). Transcript and graduation-certificate handling, verification bodies and interview arrangements are not given on the pages used for this guide; contact admissions.

6. Joining year 2 (direct entry)

• The course pages do not describe a transfer route into year 2 and do not say whether places are available in each year. The “Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)” page says that university-level learning and experience can be turned into credits so that you start in the second year or reduce the credits you need, depending on how well your past learning matches the course’s modules.
• There are three types of RPL: credit transfer, using credits from a UK higher-education qualification completed in the last 5 years (bachelor’s, foundation degrees, HNC, HND, postgraduate certificates and diplomas, master’s; an HNC is 120 credits and an HND 240); prior certificated learning, such as an unfinished university course or a qualification from a non-UK institution; and prior experiential learning from work or voluntary experience. The page says that if you started but did not finish a UK course, or hold credits from a non-UK institution, you may use prior certificated learning instead of credit transfer, which needs a portfolio of evidence.
• How: you must have applied for the course or be registered on it, then submit the RPL form (the credit-transfer form is attached to your application; for the other two types the admissions centre contacts you about the portfolio). The page also says you can apply directly rather than through UCAS when applying for credit transfer. The RPL deadline depends on what it is used for; no date is given on the pages used for this guide, so check the RPL page.
• There is no specific guidance for students moving from a Chinese university into year 2; contact admissions first (+44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course pages).

7. Fees and scholarships

• International students: all four course pages give £18,800 a year for international (non-EU) students starting September 2027 (“subject to annual increase”). The international fees page gives a typical range for the university of £17,750 to £20,950 for 2027/28 (£17,900 to £20,000 for 2026/27) and says fees may rise each year by up to 5%. If you take a placement year or a year abroad, the fee for that year is £2,875 for international students.
• UK students: £10,050 a year (subject to annual increase); £1,430 for a placement or year abroad. EU students: £12,300 a year (including the EU Scholarship).
• Other costs: recommended books may cost up to about £60 each; the course page suggests budgeting £75 a year for photocopying, printing and similar costs; a final-year project may bring travel or accommodation costs; accommodation and living costs are covered in a separate section.
• Paying: the international fees page says you can pay in full or in two, three or six instalments (the first is 50% of the fee); the deposit counts toward the fee; payment goes through Applicant View and Flywire, and the university warns about payment fraud.
• International scholarships (the university’s international scholarships page): the page opens by saying the scholarships summarised apply to students starting in January 2027 or September 2027, but the detailed terms are written for January and May 2027 entry only. The Chancellor’s Global Academic Merit Scholarship (January 2027 entry) is a £5,000 reduction in first-year fees, for self-funded, full-time, on-campus students who have not studied at Portsmouth before (ICP students are excluded); you complete a separate scholarship form with your application by 2 November 2026. The Vice Chancellor’s Global Development Scholarship (January and May 2027 entry) is a £2,500 first-year reduction for self-funded, full-time, on-campus undergraduates on courses with annual fees of £16,200 or more, decided by nationality; China is on the country list. What applies to September 2027 entry, and the amounts, are not given on the page used for this guide; check the international scholarships page.
• The page also describes Chevening (normally for a one-year master’s) and the £5,000 SQA Advanced Diploma Scholarship for mainland Chinese students who have graduated from an SQA programme, which is for postgraduate study and does not apply to bachelor’s degrees. Scholarships cannot be combined with other scholarships, discounts or fee offers.

8. How to apply and the timeline

• Course codes: Mathematics G101 / G100; Mathematics for Finance and Management G160 / G161; Mathematics with Statistics GG11 / GG13; Mathematics with Machine Learning G501 / G500; institution code P80.
• UCAS: you have 5 choices a year through UCAS (5 courses at up to 5 universities). You need the course’s UCAS code (at the top of the course page; many courses have two codes, one for the standard three-year course and one for the placement-year version) and the institution code P80. Applications for 2027 entry can be submitted from September 2026 (“from September in the year before you start”).
• Personal statement and reference: the personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters; if you are not applying through a school or college you also need a reference from someone who knows you academically or professionally.
• Application fee: the university’s application page quotes only the 2024 figures (£22.50 for one course, £27 for more than one), which are not the fees for 2027 entry; check the UCAS website.
• Deadline: the university says it is best to apply by the UCAS “equal consideration deadline”, usually towards the end of January of the year you start; check the exact date on the UCAS website. You can apply later, but the course may be full or the requirements may change. Check UCAS for the 2027 dates.
• Deferred entry: many courses accept deferred entry but some do not, so ask admissions before applying; if you defer you must meet your conditions by the end of August of the year you apply.
• Direct application: the university says you can use the online form on the course page if Portsmouth is your only choice, if you do not want to use UCAS, or if you are applying for credit transfer.
• Admissions contact: +44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course pages.

This guide is based on the University of Portsmouth’s course pages for September 2027 entry and related admissions pages. Fees, deadlines and English scores can change, so check the website again before you apply.