Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Good at maths & humanities

21 replies

MilanAndHisCroissant · 31/03/2026 15:48

What interesting university degrees are there for someone who is passionate about math and very good at it but who also loves to read anything and everything fiction, non-fiction and is also interested in history, politics philosophy and maybe a bit in psychology too.

This is ds in year 11 and unsure what to study but very academic and keen to go to uni.

OP posts:
Spirallingdownwards · 31/03/2026 15:53

PPE maybe? (Politics, Philosophy and Economics)

Economics degrees tend to need Maths A level rather than economics.

At some unis they do Combined Honours Social Sciences or Liberal Arts which would also cover a spread of those subjects.

Have a look at degrees they may like and work backwards to see which A level combinations are suggested or preferred for those course.

MilanAndHisCroissant · 31/03/2026 16:00

He will be doing math and FM in year 12. Also history and politics (or maybe change politics to philosophy he's not sure). He's excellent at maths but math alone will bore him he says. He has been considering PPE as a possibility. Are there PPE course other the Oxford and LSE that are good?

OP posts:
MilanAndHisCroissant · 31/03/2026 16:02

He has been thinking Law but won't make use of maths PPE pr maybe Economics and history combined?

OP posts:
Dearover · 31/03/2026 16:03

Lots. Warwick, York, Edinburgh, Durham were the 4 which DD applied to in addition to Oxford. You can make the degree as wordy or mathsy as you like. History and maths are the 2 usual recommended A levels.

Dearover · 31/03/2026 16:04

Your DS should also take a look at MORSE at Warwick for a slightly different slant.

FrancisBlundy · 31/03/2026 16:04

A humanity with quantitative methods at one of the unis with QStep (or similar)? The one of mine who is the biggest reader (but also has A level equivalent maths) did Government, Policy and Society with Quants. Graduated last year and has found work in the area.

ninja · 31/03/2026 16:06

Maths and philosophy - lots of universities offer it.

check the courses carefully to check the range of options in each department

Ponderingwindow · 31/03/2026 16:11

Economics. It opens up all sorts of career possibilities including becoming a data analyst.

ParmaVioletTea · 31/03/2026 17:54

Sociology might fit the bill?

poetryandwine · 31/03/2026 19:09

I agree that Maths and Philosophy Joint Hons is definitely worth exploring.

I went a different direction, into a very maths heavy STEM subject. In my home country, we did much more maths for my subject than British students do. When I eventually came to the UK as an academic, I had my own research line where a different way of looking at things has worked out for me.

When you write papers, putting some effort into writing well and getting feedback for this can be satisfying. A number of scientists and mathematicians do public outreach of various forms. Writing skill is crucial here, and SM forums offer many opportunities to grow as a communicator.

But that in the future. For now, I think your DS needs to pick a tentative primary focus. As a scientist of course I prefer that he pick maths, but both choices are equally valid.
In favour of math I will say that it is easier, pragmatically, for a mathematician or scientist to get seriously involved in writing and the arts than for a humanist to gain any realistic appreciation of mathematics or an intensely mathematical field.

If DS wants to maintain a foot in both camps, I think Maths and Philosophy or a degree in Maths or a Maths intensive science, with self directed involvement in the Humanities, is his best bet.

If he wants synthesis then obviously PPE, Economics, Politics, Sociology and possibly some aspects of medical and education research could be what he is looking for.

He sounds an interesting lad. Best wishes to him.

Meredusoleil · 01/04/2026 04:50

My Y12 dd1 is doing A Levels in Maths, History and Politics and is thinking of a Law degree (possibly with International Relations).

sashh · 01/04/2026 06:36

Have a look at 'liberal arts', it's more similar to US college structure in that you study modules from a range of departments / subjects.

The actual modules vary by uni so it is worth comparing them.

It might not suit him but certainly worth a look.

warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/ba-liberal-arts/#:~:text=Course%20overview,research%20by%20your%20final%20year.

DeQuin · 01/04/2026 06:45

My DD started Y12 doing Law, Philosophy and English Lit and then switched to Maths, Further Maths and Physics a few weeks in when she started looking at uni courses and figuring out she was much more drawn to maths / engineering / physics degrees. Her first choices for uni are currently Physics and Philosophy ; she's also looking at Maths and Philosophy. If we were at in the early weeks of Y12 again we would probably go Maths, FM, Physics and Philosophy. As it is, she is doing lots of maths and reading lots of books in her free time.

poetryandwine · 01/04/2026 07:01

Law, of course! I did not mean to omit that from my list of synthesis subjects.

PerpetualOptimist · 01/04/2026 07:29

At this stage, it would be sensible to get him to look at past papers and perhaps revision guides, for the relevant exam boards, for Politics and for Philosophy A levels, so that he can make a more informed choice in the run up to next September.

My children did a mix of Maths, FM, a science and a social science at A level and one had several onward paths in mind. They found early engagement on Open Days (Autumn Y12) very helpful in giving elapse time to rule out and rule in different options.

Be prepared to go to the Mathematics, Economics, Philosophy and Management (the latter links to psychology) depts/talks at each uni visited. It will make for long and intense days but 'information is power'. There are often online sessions run by unis about specific subject areas and, again, my undecided child found those helpful.

The beauty of Maths is that it can be formally combined 50:50 or 66:34 with a range of other subjects such as Economics, Management, Philosophy or taken 'under a different name' with a skew towards certain areas of Maths eg Economics focuses on stats as well as allowing qualitative exploration of policy etc.

Ceramiq · 02/04/2026 17:53

@poetryandwine "In favour of math I will say that it is easier, pragmatically, for a mathematician or scientist to get seriously involved in writing and the arts than for a humanist to gain any realistic appreciation of mathematics or an intensely mathematical field."

This is a popular opinion but I disagree with the sentiment because proper study and understanding of visual arts requires a lot of geometry (alongside many other things). Obviously not talking here about post-1945 "art" which is mostly just projection and narrative onto meaninglessness ;)

KruelladeVille23 · 02/04/2026 18:03

DS studied Maths and Philosophy. Physics and Philosophy is also a great choice for an all rounder.

Carambol · 03/04/2026 19:31

Have a look at EPP @ Warwick.

3WildOnes · 11/04/2026 15:30

I was going to suggest PPE.
History, Politics and Economics at UCL.
I think quite a few universities offer Economics & Politics degrees.

HallaBol · 11/04/2026 16:11

Economics!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page