Course summary

Shifting markets and an ever-changing political landscape make for a complex world. Every organisation – industrial, financial or governmental – needs to embrace technology and data to optimise their performance. Smartphone use, the role of social media data, risk planning, retail patterns; all of these can be counted and analysed. They can also help forecast the future, deciding where to invest or what route to take. This needs creative, technically competent and business-savvy people; the kind of graduates our MORSE degree produces. We have combined the highly influential subjects of Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics into one coherent degree ideal for mathematically-gifted students who want to use numbers to solve real-world problems in business and industry. In your first year you will gain a strong foundation in mathematics, operational research, statistics and economics. You then tailor your programme, developing a broad knowledge base or specialising in topics relevant to your future career. Taught across our world-class departments of Management Science, Mathematics and Statistics, and Economics, the focus is on practically applying mathematical theory. In addition to mathematics, you will learn business modelling, economic theory, statistics and analytics, and how all these skills can come together to create better solutions to intricate problems. Your third year is spent on an industrial placement, giving you practical experience of a work environment and allowing you to apply and refine the skills and knowledge acquired in the first two years of study. You will be supported in finding a position with companies such as IBM, Lloyds Bank, Microsoft, PwC and the Bank of England. Our careers team, including a dedicated departmental careers coach, will work with you from day one to help with internships, placements and graduate employment. We will supply training in CV writing, interview assessment centres and telephone interviews, helping you with your future career ambitions. You will graduate with an enviable array of quantitative and analytical skills in high demand by industry, commerce, finance, the public sector, consulting and the government. The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills. If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and would continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.