Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

Mathematics and theoretical physics is a combination that places you at the very foundations of scientific knowledge. Mathematics is the language in which physical laws are expressed, and theoretical physics is the endeavour of discovering those laws through mathematical reasoning, modelling, and comparison with experimental observation. The two disciplines are so deeply intertwined that studying them together is, in many ways, more natural than studying either in isolation.

Some of the most important ideas in mathematics were discovered in the course of physical investigation, and some of the most important advances in physics required the development of entirely new mathematics.

At the University of Lincoln this three-year, full-time programme explores the interplay between mathematics and physics, examining the ways in which they co-exist and complement each other. You will study pure and applied mathematics alongside classical and modern physics, including quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, relativity, and the mathematical structures that underpin them. The programme develops your ability to work rigorously with abstract mathematical ideas and to apply those ideas to the physical world.

A sandwich year and work placement opportunities are built in, giving you professional experience in a mathematically or scientifically demanding environment.

Graduates of mathematics and theoretical physics are among the most analytically capable of any degree, and they go on to careers across a very wide range of fields. Many enter academic or industrial research in physics, mathematics, or adjacent disciplines. Others move into data science, quantitative finance, actuarial work, software engineering, cryptography, and the technology sector, where the combination of mathematical depth and physical intuition is highly valued.

Teaching mathematics or physics at secondary level is also a well-established and consistently in-demand path. Further study at Masters or doctoral level in theoretical physics, applied mathematics, or mathematical physics is a natural route for those drawn to research careers.