Mathematics
Our mathematics courses develop graduates who are skilled at solving problems that arise in many settings including environmental, medical, industrial, commercial and physical contexts. Highly numerate and analytical maths graduates are in high demand by employers.
Our mathematics graduates have built careers with organisations such as Experian and Parexel and they practice in diverse areas such as finance, business and technology. In the Guardian league table 2011, we are equal second in the country for career prospects.
The BSc (Hons) Mathematics course is approved by the Institute of Mathematic and its Applications. Our students are highly satisfied with the course, consistently placing us in the top 5 in the country in the National Student Survey.
Dr Neil Challis talks about our Mathematics courses and the types of qualities we look for in a student.
Find out about mathematical modelling research opportunities.
Read about our mathematics teaching team.
Find out about our continuing professional development modules and short courses.
Find out about our annual Pop Maths quiz, which is primarily at South Yorkshire students aged 10–18.
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Study mathematics and its practical application on a course that comes highly recommended by its students. You learn how to understand the context of problems and develop the mathematics to represent and solve them in • environmental • medical • industrial • commercial • physical contexts. Using technology to apply mathematical techniques, you... More information
This course focuses on mathematics and its use in solving problems that arise in • environmental • medical • industrial • commercial • physical contexts. Highly numerate graduates who can solve problems are much in demand by employers.In the first year, you develop a range of mathematical, IT and practical skills such as communication, teamworking... More information
If you do not have the usual A level or equivalent qualifications, successfully completing this one year course allows you to continue on to an engineering or mathematics degree. It is ideal for mature students who have been out of education for some time, or do not have relevant qualifications, and school leavers with A levels or equivalent... More information
There’s currently a shortage of maths teachers in the UK. This shortage means that newly qualified mathematics teachers tend to find it easier to secure their first job. Maths is so crucial to every aspect of life that there’s a very fulfilling challenge in helping people gain confidence in the subject. Mathematics is a priority subject, so you... More information
As a qualified maths teacher you will be in a position to take advantage of a current shortage of trained professionals in this subject area. You benefit from the course’s strong partnerships with secondary schools in the area and many of graduates find employment in their placement schools.Over the three years your time is balanced between... More information
Undergraduate
Full-time
UCAS code XG11
Subject area
Related subjects
If you are a bit rusty or don’t have all the qualifications to begin postgraduate teacher training right away, this short course helps you top up your subject knowledge in aspects of the current secondary school (11-18) mathematics curriculum. It ensures that your maths knowledge and skills are appropriate for teaching the 11-16 curriculum, and... More information
Other
Part-time, Short course
Subject area
Related subjects
If you are enthusiastic about maths and would like to teach it but don’t have all the qualifications to begin our maths PGCE, this course is the ideal stepping stone. This full time one-year (36-week), DfE Teaching Agency approved, subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course helps you to deepen your knowledge so that you are ready to train to teach... More information
This course is for mathematics teachers working in all educational sectors including • primary • secondary • learning and skills. Increasingly both government and schools recognise the importance of mathematics teachers having subject-specific masters qualifications.You develop an in depth understanding of the key issues in mathematics education... More information
This course is the first two years of our extended degree in engineering and mathematics. It allows you to study an engineering or mathematics degree if you do not have the usual A level or equivalent qualifications. It is ideal for• mature students who have been out of education for some time• school leavers with A levels that do not include... More information
This course is not currently running. For more information, please contact p.j.smith@shu.ac.uk or you may be interested in our BSc (Hons) Mathematics with Education and QTS (three year route).
Undergraduate
Full-time
UCAS code XG1C
Subject area
Related subjects
Careers and employment (2:02)
Neil discusses the range of diverse career options some of our graduates complete following their degree.
Placement years (1:48)
Neil talks about the benefits of a placement year.
Course support (1:25)
Neil talks about the support offered to students on this course.
Student qualities (1:59)
Neil describes the qualities we look for in our BSc (Honours) Mathematics students
Mathematics research
We offer research opportunities within the theme of mathematical modelling. Recent research and development has included involvement in the national More Maths Grads project and employability development projects.
We also work with the Cultural, Communication and Computing Research Institute (C3RI).
Please contact us if you have any queries about mathematics and statistics research at Sheffield Hallam University.
Dr Sue Forder
Principal lecturer
Sue obtained her industrially-sponsored PhD in 'Mössbauer Spectroscopy of Borate glasses' at the University of Sheffield, having studied there for her first degree in physics and materials science. She continues to use Mössbauer spectroscopy to support research projects and consultancy, publishes papers and presents results at international conferences. Sue is a chartered physicist and chartered engineer.
Sue trained to teach and, after teaching physics in local schools, joined the staff of Sheffield City Polytechnic just before it became Sheffield Hallam University. Sue enjoys teaching physics and mathematics to engineering and maths students, as well as trainee teachers. She has a strong interest in developing learning, teaching and assessment (LTA) styles that support students' learning. Part of her principal lecturer responsibilities are as LTA lead in the department of engineering and mathematics. Sue is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Jeff Waldock
Principal lecturer in mathematics
Jeff joined Sheffield Hallam in 1987. Previously he spent six years employed as a research associate in ionospheric physics at Leicester University. This followed a first degree, a PGCE in Mathematics, and a PhD in Physics - in the area of solar-terrestrial physics, particularly in connection with auroral plasma processes, and led to 20 published papers.
Jeff developed a keen interested in teaching and learning practice, and in the appropriate application of technology in higher education. With the expansion of the internet in the 1990s, the opportunity to develop web-based tools to support these activities became realistic. He continued to create more and varied web tools for this purpose, including a mathematics website, our custom e-Portfolio system, and numerous other similar tools aimed at improving student engagement, support and fostering an online mathematics community. Jeff has also been keen to develop custom desktop applications that support key areas of our curriculum.
Jeff has been a faculty learning, teaching and assessment teaching fellow (2005-8), and is currently the faculty employability teaching fellow, funded via the University's Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, in embedding, enhancing and integrating employability. He is interested in all aspects of skills developments, but particularly in encouraging mathematics students to acquire better communication skills, and is a member of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) Maths, Stats and Operational Research Subject Centre skills development team.
For many years Jeff has had an interest in photography, and with the widespread adoption of digital cameras has been able to combine this with his interests in mathematics and computing. He developed a tool to decompose a digital image into its pixel values and place them in to a spreadsheet. This allows students to use existing spreadsheet skills, implementing mathematical algorithms to carry out a variety of existing visual effects. Through this activity they are able to bring a degree of artistic skills and creativity into their mathematical studies.
Harry Gretton
Principal lecturer in mathematics
Harry Grettonstudied mathematics at the University of Sheffield, obtaining his PhD from there in 1970 in magnetohydrodynamics. He has taught mathematical sciences since then, both at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University and has been a consultant on many courses, both in mathematics and mathematical education with the Open University since it was conceived in 1970.
Harry has taught many different students on many varied mathematically-related courses. In recent years he has developed a particular interest in the impact of technology on the way mathematics is taught, practiced and assessed.
He is a consultant with Texas Instruments. He is an author of many papers, a co-author of a book on the teaching of mathematics to engineers and winner of several international prizes.
Harry is the general factotum of the mathematics department with main responsibilities for recruitment. He has also presented many papers on teaching mathematics with technology at conferences in the UK and abroad.
Dr Ros Porter
lecturer
Ros has just started at Sheffield Hallam having recently completed a PhD in Applied Mathematics at the University of Stirling.
Her research interests so far have been in modelling, in particular the dynamics and potential control of a tick-borne disease in wildlife.
Steve Spells
Senior lecturer in mathematics
Steve obtained his PhD for work on spectroscopy and thermodynamics of amorphous polymers at the University of Manchester, following a first degree there.
He then spent 10 years as a research associate at the University of Bristol, studying polymer crystals with vibrational spectroscopy and scattering techniques. These research interests have since developed at Sheffield Hallam, where his research is mainly in spectroscopic methods of characterising polymer structures and structural change.
Steve has around 60 publications in this area and has edited a textbook on solid polymers and contributed book chapters, as well as acting as an examiner for research students in the UK and abroad.
Steve's teaching interests cover materials physics, sports science (particularly the development and testing of synthetic surfaces) and the teaching of mathematics in science and engineering courses.
Dr Claire Cornock
Lecturer
Claire has recently completed a PhD at the University of York in Semigroup Theory, a branch of pure mathematics. Also having done an MSc in Applied Mathematics, she is interested in a range of mathematical topics.
Claire enjoys researching into teaching and learning pedagogy. She is particularly interested in projects that involve innovative teaching and assessment methods, as well as those that incorporate skills training into courses. In 2010 she received a Vice-Chancellor's teaching award for the excellent feedback she received from students, the care with which she approached her teaching, and the variety of roles she undertook within the department of mathematics at York whilst doing her PhD.
Mike Robinson
Second year tutor
Mike originally studied engineering at Cambridge, specialising in fluids. He then worked as an irrigation engineer in Bangladesh, before returning to study for a PhD in maths at Leeds. After gaining a post doctorate at Leeds, he joined the maths department at Sheffield Hallam in 2000.
Although still interested in mathematical modelling – for example the use of cellular automata to model epidemic spread – his research interests are now are in undergraduate mathematics education. Along with Mike Thomlinson and Neil Challis, he recently completed work on the higher education strand of the More Maths Grads project, looking at student and staff experiences of undergraduate mathematics in four diverse universities, and is now leading a project looking to improve feedback on maths courses across the country. Mike is currently working to embed the findings from the More Maths Grads project into his own teaching. He is also year tutor for the second year mathematicians.
Stuart Johns
Faculty head of undergraduate operations
Stuart has been working at Sheffield Hallam University since 1992. He studied mathematics at Sheffield University followed by an MSc in Operational Research at Birmingham University before completing a PhD in Production Scheduling at Liverpool University.
He currently has responsibility for all the undergraduate courses within the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences (ACES), with particular reference to student experience. He also teaches optional modules 'business mathematics' and 'graphs and networks' on the BSc Mathematics course.
His research interests are in the areas of vehicle routing and sports scheduling and he has also acted as a consultant on cricket fixtures lists for recreational cricket.
Stuart is very active within The Operational Research Society, as a Board member since 2007 and Chair of their Education and Research Committee since 2005.
Professor Neil Challis
Head of mathematics and statistics
Neil has been working at Sheffield Hallam since 1977 and is a Professor of Mathematics Teaching and Learning.
He studied mathematics at Bristol University, worked for some years as an industrial research mathematician and modeller for British Gas at the Engineering Research Station at Killingworth, then while lecturing obtained his PhD in computational fluid dynamics from the University of Sheffield in 1988.
His enthusiasm for modelling continues, but in recent years his interest has focussed on developing teaching and learning practice in mathematics in higher education. He has been particularly concerned with the impact of technology upon the ways we can help students to understand and use mathematical ideas. The use of such technology is thoroughly embedded in the BSc (Honours) Mathematics course at Sheffield Hallam, and Neil has written and spoken much about this issue at conferences and in various papers and books, occasionally winning prizes with his friend Harry.Neil is active in the world of mathematics nationally, being the Treasurer of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, and also being closely involved with the Higher Education Academy. Recently he led the Higher Education Curriculum Theme of the £3.5M, HEFCE funded More Maths Grads project. The aim of this is suggested by its title, and aligns with Neil’s enthusiasm for engaging more people in mathematical thinking, both for its pleasure and beauty, and for its sheer usefulness.
Liz Erett
First year tutor
Liz gained her masters degree from Cambridge University in 1980 specialising in pure maths and then did a PGCE at Sheffield University. She taught at South East Derbyshire College and Castle College in Sheffield as well as offering private tuition.
She started working at Sheffield Hallam after her private tuition students studying engineering here recommended her to provide maths help. She now works as a first year tutor and still provides maths help as well as teaching pure maths and mathematical skills.
In 2005 she had 16 months working as a volunteer in Zambia, in a secondary school in the middle of the bush, teaching Maths and Biology and swimming and making bread and cycling and running and anything else anyone wanted to learn. Then she went to New Zealand for eight months travelling and working voluntarily on organic farms through WWOOF.
She is a keen cyclist and leads rides for the Bolsover Wheelers club and also does rock climbing, fell running, hill walking and sea kayaking and specialises in getting very muddy! She leads an annual 20 mile walk to survey the mountain hare population on the Derwent Moors for the Sorby Natural History Society. She is very concerned with issues concerning the environment and the developing world. She is an astrologer.
She got married to Cliff in April 2010 and together they have spent the last two summers exploring various parts of Indonesia and Borneo on bikes and finding out why nobody else goes cycling there!
Her surname used to be Thompson and still is in lots of places round the university despite her continuing attempts to change it!
David Cooper
Senior lecturer
David received a DPhil from Oxford University for work on finite permutation groups. He then worked at the University of Sheffield on techniques for improving the efficiency of computer-based information systems, and in the computer industry on the development of interactive graphics systems. At the same time he worked as a part-time tutor at the Open University.
Since 1989 he has been a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University. He teaches pure mathematics, and mathematics for computing students. His research interests have included 3D computer vision, pattern recognition, and formal methods of software development; he is currently working on a project concerned with the automatic generation of information on ground conditions from the descriptions of soil extracted from boreholes.
Profiles
Dr Sue Forder
Principal lecturer
Jeff Waldock
Principal lecturer in mathematics
Harry Gretton
Principal lecturer in mathematics
Dr Ros Porter
lecturer
Steve Spells
Senior lecturer in mathematics
Dr Claire Cornock
Lecturer
Mike Robinson
Second year tutor
Stuart Johns
Faculty head of undergraduate operations
Professor Neil Challis
Head of mathematics and statistics
Liz Erett
First year tutor
David Cooper
Senior lecturer
Continuing professional development
If you are a graduate or professional looking to enhance your career potential, you can study stand alone modules. For more information visit the Pathways website.
We also offer professionally accredited and certified short courses in IT and management. For more information visit the Training Foundry website.
Pop maths quiz
You can get involved in our annual Pop Maths quiz. Aimed primarily at South Yorkshire students age 10–18, this inspirational event encourages young people to enjoy mathematics by demonstrating that it can be fascinating, challenging and fun. We regularly fill the space available, with around 800 students taking part.
Dubbed a non alcoholic pub quiz, this event sees schools return year after year. Schools from as far as Lincolnshire and Warwickshire have attended, as well as schools from Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Students taking part in the free event compete by conferring in their teams and submitting answers to questions for calculation. The highest scoring teams from each age group are the winners.
The quiz is usually held in March each year, and teams must register online. The quiz is usually followed by two guest lectures. Admission is free but tickets must be obtained in advance.
For further information about the quiz, email aces-reception@shu.ac.uk or contact Anne-Marie on 0114 225 6737.