Information for New Students (PGT)

Information for New Students

Congratulations and Welcome to Mathematical Sciences

Please note that this page is currently under construction and will be updated shortly.

MSc Maths Welcome Message

Welcome to the MSc programme in Mathematical Sciences, we are looking forward to seeing you in Durham!

The programme offers you a variety of pathways in mathematics, including pure and apply mathematics, mathematical physics, probability and statistics. Over next year you will be able to take various modules at advanced level to build on your previous knowledge and try something completely new.

You will also gain a research experience in your chosen domain of mathematics while writing your dissertation over summer, receiving plenty of help and advice from the members of staff supervising you.

This will be an interesting and challenging year, and we hope you will enjoy your time in Durham!

A picture of Professor Pavel Tumarkin
Pavel Tumarkin, Maths MSc Programme Director

CPT MSc Welcome Message

Welcome to the MSc in Particles, Strings and Cosmology!

The aim of the course is to bring students in twelve months to the frontier of theoretical high-energy physics. You can look forward to an enjoyable year with exciting and demanding lectures given by leading experts in the field, in topics ranging from quantum field theory to supersymmetry and string theory to Higgs and astroparticle physics. You will also write a dissertation where you will explore a topic in depth, working closely with a faculty advisor.

Like all aspects of physics, the course can be both rewarding and challenging, We encourage you to make the most of it, by engaging wholeheartedly with the material and discussing physics both with your fellow students and with the many faculty members that you will have the opportunity to meet.

We hope you enjoy your time in Durham!

A picture of Dr Nabil Iqbal

Dr Nabil Iqbal, CPT MSc Course Director

Your Checklists

Before You Arrive

Before your arrival, you should have received:

IT log-in details for Blackboard Ultra, so that you can regularly keep up to date with staff communication and select modules.
A link to our PGT material on our Sharepoint:

If you have not received this information by September 16th, please contact our Learning and Teaching team at maths.teaching@durham.ac.uk, or phone (0191 334 3050).

You should also look through the following content available online before arriving in Durham:

The Degree Programme Handbook which contains information about the department, our staff and who you should contact, teaching and learning policies, assessment policies, progression regulations and student support.
Information on how to make the most of our online materials, via Blackboard Ultra.
The booklet for your course. Maths MSc booklet. CPT MSc Handbook.

Programme and Module Registration

Assuming that you already have a valid(ated) CIS username and password (see Enrol Online), you can proceed to register for your programme and modules as follows:

Log into Learn Ultra - Blackboard Learn Ultra
Open the Course called 'Maths Induction'
From within the Before You Get Here section, click on Enrol Online and click on the link to “Banner Self Service”
Choose Registration and Enrolment

Module registration

Module registration is a two stage process which includes:

Selection of modules
Approval of modules

The first stage is where you confirm your programme of study and choose your optional modules. The second stage of the process is where department(s) approve your choice of modules.

More information on module registration can be found at: www.dur.ac.uk/student.registry/student/registration/modreg/

You might also want to take a look at the Faculty Handbook, which contains descriptions of the available modules. Further information on all of the modules offered by the Maths department can be found on our module description pages (you need your new CIS login to access these pages).

Your first week in Durham – University Induction Planner

To help you keep track of where you need to be, and what you need to do during your first busy days at university, in your College and your Department, we have created a day-by-day University Induction Planner. This should help you to plan your schedule, so you don't miss anything - from being issued with your Campus Card or meeting the staff in your Department, to trying out for a sports team or joining a student society.

Induction Planner

Students on laptop with cups of tea in Josephine Butler College café

Once Term Begins

Lectures, tutorials and practicals

Week 1 of term starts on Monday 5 October. Lectures start immediately, so make sure you are familiar with the timetable and room locations by this point. You can find out individual module timetables in our teaching pages: Click here. On this page you will also find a link called "My Maths timetable", which will display your personal timetable of Maths activities once you are fully registered.

Tutorials and practical classes begin (with some exceptions) in week 2 of term. You will be allocated to specific tutorial groups at the start of term, so please be aware that these classes will not appear on your timetable until then.

Academic Advisors

We hope that one of the highlights of your time studying Maths in Durham will be interacting with the staff, who are hoping to share their passion for the subject with you.

One particularly important member of staff is your personal academic advisor. Over the year, they will be able to help you with your module choices, more generally provide academic guidance, and when the time comes be a natural person to ask for a reference. See here for more information on what you can expect from your Maths departmental advisor. Your academic advisor is the Course Director for your chosen course.

You will first meet with the Course Director in the first week of term.

Further questions?

We are all looking forward to meeting you in the Maths department in October. If you have any other questions before then, please feel free to contact the department and we will help you.

Email: maths.teaching@durham.ac.uk

Main office phone: 0191 334 3050

Once you arrive in Durham, you are very welcome to email us or to call into the main office, MCS 2093: go into the main Maths entrance, up one flight of stairs, go straight ahead turn right and you'll see the sign for Mathematical Sciences Reception. If you have any problems or questions, we will be happy to help you.

Student updates

Check out our student blogs to read more about life at Durham from our students. Don't forget to follow us on social media!

Highlights

What to bring to University

Read our top recommendations to add to your packing list ready for your arrival at Durham.
Welcome to Durham – and stop worrying!

Moving to University can be a daunting prospect but there’s no need to worry, you’ll feel right at home here.

What to bring to University

Read our top recommendations to add to your packing list ready for your arrival at Durham.

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Welcome to Durham – and stop worrying!

Moving to University can be a daunting prospect but there’s no need to worry, you’ll feel right at home here.

Durham Cathedral and Framwellgate Bridge over the River Wear

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Find out more about your matriculation and induction, Durham University colleges, libraries and collections, the wider student experience, self-guided tours around Durham, and the Durham Students' Union.