Bachelor's degree in Mathematics - FAQs and file

With a mathematics degree, can you work as a secondary school teacher?

• In order to get a job as a secondary school teacher, in public schools as well as private ones, you must study a Bachelor's degree and, afterwards, study the Master in Secondary School Teaching.
• In the last years a really low percentage of graduates have chosen this path, partly due to the large raise in the number of work offers for mathematicians in the finance, consulting, technology and engineering sectors while the amount of graduates has not varied.
• Currently, there are many secondary schools that look for mathematicians to teach mathematics.

Mathematics in the UPC?

• Engineering requires a good mathematics base: in UPC there are more mathematics doctor teachers that in the rest of Catalan universities together. The mathematics research groups in the UPC research in practicly all the topics that arise interest internationally, from the most theoretical and abstract ones to the most applied ones.
• Mathematics research in UPC stands out in every report, where it usually takes the first place nationally and distinguished positions in some aspects internationally. Take a look at the research section in this website.
• The FME has the privilege of counting on this group of teaching and researching staff to teach the courses in the Bachelor's degree in Mathematics. Therefore, the teachers are always experts in what they teach, with a high level of academic, educational and research excellence.
• The FME academic offer in Mathematics responds to the will to educate our students in rigorous thinking and supply solid knowledge in all the basic Mathematic's topics, while focusing in the applied aspects of the technological and business world.
• The CHE ExcellenceRanking 2010 identified 56 universities in Europe with mathematical studies qualified as excellent, among which five of them are Spanish: three from Barcelona (UPC, UB and UPC) and two from Madrid (UAM and UCM). The UPC takes the first place out of the Spanish ones and is one of the five best ones at a European level, with Berlin (Humboldt), Cambridge, Paris 11 (Orsay) and Viena.
• The FME offers degrees in Mathematics for all the university cycles: in addition it offers a Master in Advanced Mathematics and Mathematical Engineering, as well as a Doctorate program in Applied Mathematics.

How to study a double degree in Mathematics + Engineering in the UPC?

• The UPC has a specialized center that offers these double degrees: The Superior Interdisciplinary Training Center (CFIS). Visit their website for more information.
• To access double degrees you do not have to pre-enrol, but you access via a really demanding selection process.
• In the academic year 2010/2011, out of the total of 67 new students that started the Bachelor's degree in Mathematics in FME, 24 where CFIS double degree students.
• The academic year 2011/2012, the CFIS offered the following engineering degrees to combine with the Bachelor's degree in Mathematics
• Data Science and Engineering
• Telecommunication Technologies and Services Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Aerospace Technology Engineering
• Industrial Technology Engineering
• Physics Engineering
• Informatics Engineering

What is the cut-off mark in the FME?

• The FME offers every year 50 places for university pre-enrollment. There is always a higher demand. In addition to these places, some students access the Bachelor's degree as CFIS double degree students having requested an engineering degree as a first priority.
• In 2018 the cut-off mark was 12,68 (out of 14). In 2017 it was 12,54, in 2016 it was 11,802/14, in 2015 it was 11,890/14 and in 2014 it was 10,50/14.
• The subjects that have a 0.2 weighting in the university entrance exam are Mathematics and Physics.

What are the continuance regulations and the initial phase?

• The UPC demands high academic performance at the beginning of the studies during the "initial phase", which is the first academic year (two semesters) of the Bachelor's degree: the requirements to be able to continue studying in the FME are passing at least 15 ECTS credits the first year in the FME (two out of the 8 courses in the first year of the Bachelor's degree in Mathematics) and also to have passed all the courses of the first year by the end of the second one (probably this condition will change soon allowing students to fail one or two courses). You will find more information in UPC Regulations
• In this way, we achieve that almost all the students that pass the initial phase finish their studies in the expected time, while redirecting the students with problems to other studies more adequate to their capabilities and interests.
• At the FME approximately 30% of the students do not get past the initial phase (in many cases students abandon the studies shortly after starting); almost the totality of the remaining end up graduating. The mean time the students invest in finishing their studies is less than 5 years (from 4) for the Bachelor's degrees. These mean is notably lower than the usual in the other UPC degrees and mathematics degrees in other Spanish universities.

Which advantages has studying Mathematics in the FME?

• The FME mathematics graduates have gained prestige for their capacity and solid education in the fields where they work at. Companies ask for our students.
• We offer the students a really high level training in the theoretical as well as in the applied aspects, giving them the chance to choose once they have finished the degree between a wide range of possibilities and options of professional future.
• In the FME the students are the first priority: they like and are interested in what they study, and you can tell by the daily life in the Faculty.
• The FME is a small center where everyone knows each other and it has a great environment.
• The infrastructure and the services: own building with garden, study rooms open 24h a day, laptops loan, informatics equipment and audiovisual aid, facilities for the student delegation...
• The FME has more than 50 agreements with foreign universities where the Bachelor's degree students can study part of the degree in exchange programs. Approximately a quarter of our students take advantage this option.
• The FME students are very active in the organization of extra academic activities: there is a theater group that performs a play every year, a choir that organizes two concerts each year, a sports club (Solà-Morales trophy), excursions, day trips, parties...

I can not make a decision. What should I do?

• Inform yourself: In the university and faculties websites, in the open-days, in the Saló del Ensenyament (a fair for educative offer), and if you still lack information, speak directly with the academic responsibles for the degrees you are interested in. In the FME you can request an interview at deganat.fme@upc.edu or +34 934017301.
• Take part in activities (conferences, expositions, workshops, contests, preparation of the Cangur test or the Mathematics Olympics, etc.) that allow you to get to know better if you really like Mathematics.
• Ask for advice: family members, teachers, people you know that study in university...
• Be aware that there are a lot of preconceived ideas around mathematics and its research, the career opportunities, its relation with other fields of knowledge, etc. contrast the information and more importantly the opinions you hear.
• At the end you will have to make a decision that will ALWAYS be THE BEST POSSIBLE DECISION for sure!