Careers

BSc Experimental Physics and Applied Mathematics, PhD (UCD)

"I specialised in both Experimental Physics and Applied Mathematics in UCD. The excellent courses and academic staff at UCD meant that I found these subjects both challenging and rewarding. I studied fluid mechanics, which is a major discipline in the field of applied mathematics.

I feel very fortunate now to be working at the heart of the pioneering industry that is marine renewable energy. My job description within Aquamarine Power encompasses a wide variety of research areas, including ocean dynamics, fluid structure interactions and wave and tidal energy devices.

The mathematical and computational skills I need for this job were acquired during my academic career in UCD. By studying Applied Mathematics, I developed the fundamental mathematical and computational skills necessary to achieve my goals. After all, mathematics has the ability to explain everything."

Career: Research Manager

Employer: Aquamarine Power Ltd

Actuarial and Financial Studies (BAFS), MSc Statistics (UCD), MS Statistics, PhD Statistics (Stanford)

"I completed both my undergraduate (BAFS) and Master’s degree (Statistics) in the UCD School of Mathematical Sciences. The decision to study these degrees was motivated by the fact that I always had a keen interest in mathematics, and wanted to pursue an applied career in this field. Actuarial studies at UCD was a challenging and interesting undergraduate degree programme. It provided a broad exposure to many fields of study, from economics to mathematics, and computer science to business management. At the same time, it provided specialized training in statistics and the core actuarial subjects. I decided to spend a further year at UCD to complete an MSc in Statistics, which provided a solid grounding for my future graduate work at Stanford University in California.

The breadth of education I received at UCD has been pivotal in my career. It has allowed me to straddle different subject areas, collaborating with people on problems in actuarial science, biotechnology, education, medicine, the financial industry, internet technology, marine biology and personalized health care. At present, I work for Google as a statistician in the Ads Quality team, where we organise the advertising auction and design algorithms to determine the adverts shown on web search result pages."

Career: Statistician

Employer: Google Inc, Mountain View, California

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 MSc Actuarial Science (UCD)

" I wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone who wishes to pursue a career in the actuarial, trading, investment banking or any other finance and economics related field for that matter.

In 9 months one has the opportunity of clearing 8 of the 9 core technical subjects necessary for becoming a fully accredited actuary. This means that anyone who has not taken any actuarial exams during their undergraduate degree can get on par with someone who has done the four year degree and been granted all the exemptions. This makes the degree challenging but with the help that the teachers and administrative staff provide one never feels burdened.

A bonus for people who have cleared actuarial exams before coming into this course is that they can apply for the CA-1 exemption or do enriching modules in statistical programming languages such as R.

The best part about the MSc in Actuarial Science is that it focuses on professional development along with academic learning. The 2 biggest exhibits of this are the courses available in Excel and Bloomberg which I would suggest everyone makes full use of and the 3 month work placement which is invaluable.

I was fortunate enough to do my placement at Susquehanna International Group as an Assistant Trader Intern. During my time there I learnt about option pricing and various trading strategies which we had studied in Financial Economics I & II. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and am now working there full time as an Assistant Trader."

Career: Options Trader

Employer:  Susquehanna International Group, LLP (SIG)

BSc Mathematical Sciences, MSc Actuarial Science (UCD)

"By the final year of my undergraduate degree in Mathematical Sciences, I honestly didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue. All I knew was that I wanted it to involve the application of the skills I had acquired over my four years as an undergraduate. Moreover, I wanted there to be a strong emphasis on expanding my skill-set to become an industry specialist. Actuarial science seemed to be the natural career progression for me, and the MSc Actuarial Science programme at UCD was definitely the best choice in terms of pursuing these goals. Not only did it give me an insight into what is expected of an actuary on an academic level, it also gave me the opportunity to see what the world of an actuary was like when I went on my research placement in semester three.

Although the exams taken over the year are somewhat demanding, they were seen by students as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, since they afford you the opportunity to acquire exemptions from the professional examinations of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, (mandatory if one wishes to become a fully qualified actuary). With regards to my career as an actuary, the research placement portion of the year was extremely beneficial. It gave me an insight into the typical day of an actuary working in the life insurance sector, and allowed me to show my enthusiasm toward the profession and my willingness to work hard to achieve my goals. The time spent on research placement ultimately got me to where I am today, as I was asked to come back and work for the company when the academic year had come to an end. The goal of the research placement is to complete an actuarial dissertation, ideally combining academic knowledge with the applied industrial experience of semester three. This dissertation allows the student to discuss and even challenge a branch of actuarial work they enjoy and are interested in. For me it was highly beneficial to put together a professional document that displayed my determination and interest, not only to staff in the UCD School of Mathematical Sciences, but also to my peers in industry.

I would highly recommend the UCD MSc Actuarial Science programme to those looking for a challenging yet rewarding year, and a launching pad for their career as an actuary."

Career: Trainee Actuary

Employer: New Ireland Assurance.

BAFS, FSAI, FIA (UCD)

"I still look back on those 4 years in UCD as the best days of my life.

The best thing about studying at UCD is the atmosphere the university has. Some would think that being the largest university in Ireland means that there is a feeling of anonymity within it. However, by the end of my first year, which I was lucky enough to spend in campus accommodation, I had made countless friends both in my degree and in other areas. This was important to me since all of my friends had gone together to Belfast and I had come to Dublin from Newry on my own.

The BAFS classes at UCD are small classes of around 35 people from all over Ireland. My class was a tight knit group; together we braved the tough exams and helped each other work hard and play hard. These people, who are now colleagues and peers within the profession, are to this day some of my closest friends.

The BAFS degree at UCD is undoubtedly the best Actuarial course Ireland currently has to offer. It is the longest established and most highly regarded course by the profession and the one which requires the highest points to get into. Looking back I can see that were it not for the BAFS course at UCD I would not be where I am today. The valuable actuarial technical knowledge as well as some other more practical courses and the 6-8 months work placement that is an obligatory part of 3rd year ensured that by the time I had graduated I was in a prime position to take on the role of a Trainee Actuary at my current employer.

I qualified recently as an actuary after sitting the professional exams that the UK Institute of Actuaries offers. My employer, as all Actuarial Trainee employers, provided great support throughout the months where studying and working full time go hand in hand. Throughout the two and a half years it took me to qualify I was able to use the knowledge acquired at UCD and build on it. My role is within the pricing and risk management areas and this sometimes feeds through into the valuation area. My job has proved to be extremely interesting. I work as part of a small team so I have had a very varied work experience and some extremely challenging periods whereby I was given a lot of responsibility and simultaneously learnt a lot. Working in a reinsurance company means that something different happens every day and my actuarial colleagues and I are constantly challenged by new and different concepts.

UCD should be proud of the School of Mathematical Sciences and the people the BAFS course produces year after year which are highly sought after by Actuarial employers. On the other hand, I know that I have a lot to thank UCD for and continue to maintain close ties with the college and the BAFS class of 2006."

Career: Actuary

Employer: Transamerica International Reinsurance Ireland

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MSc Actuarial Science (UCD)

"I began this course after acquiring a Single Honours Degree in Mathematical Studies, and was at first a little apprehensive about some of the topics covered in the syllabus. However, when the year started, lectures, tutorials, assignments and projects quickly came and went. As the material became more and more engaging, my previous reservations were overcome with curiosity and a desire to further deepen my knowledge and understanding of actuarial science. This course provides a challenging experience and paves the way for a career not only in the actuarial field, but in other areas of the financial sector also, such as trading and investment banking.

An exciting part of the MSc Actuarial Science programme at UCD is the opportunity to acquire invaluable work experience with a leading light of the actuarial or financial world. Luckily, over the course of semester three, I was afforded the opportunity to do my work placement with R. J. Kiln Group, a leading insurance company trading on the Lloyds market in London. The work I was involved in, modeling extreme tail events and associated loss distributions, really opened my eyes to the kind of innovative and exciting tasks I can expect in my future career."

BSc Economics & Finance, MSc in Statistics (UCD)

"I completed the MSc in Statistics in 2012. The MSc in statistic provided me with a great platform to further develop the statistical knowledge I'd founded during my degree in Economics & Finance. The course consisted of a mixture of very technical, theoretical classes alongside the more practical, hands-on classes. The dissertation gave a great introduction to academic research and the lecturers were always on hand to help with it. The presentations given as part of the course were great learning experiences and the course in general made a massive difference to my employment prospects."

Career: Data Analyst

Employer: ERSI, Dublin

MSc Statistics (UCD)

"I have always had an interest in mathematical sciences. After graduating with a BSc in applied mathematics and statistics from another university, I felt I needed to hone my skills further to give me an edge in the business world. After much research, I felt the Master’s degree in Statistics offered by the UCD School of Mathematical Sciences was the best option for me. The core modules of the course seemed to lay the foundations for any career in statistics, and there was a wide choice of optional modules to suit my particular career plan.

I found the lecturers excellent and the modules interesting and applicable. Although my undergraduate degree laid the foundations, I feel my MSc in Statistics from UCD was a real differentiator in terms of career prospects. I am working as a data analytics consultant at Accenture’s Analytics and Innovation Centre, where I use the tools I have learned during my education to identify fraud and non-compliance for major Irish, European and American clients. ‘Analytics’ is the buzz word at Accenture (and all of their clients) at the moment. It is truly one of the most in-demand skills right now and the UCD School of Mathematical Sciences offers the best courses with the best lecturers to equip you with the skills needed to thrive in this area."

Career: Data Analyst/Statistician

Employer: Accenture, Dublin

BSc Mathematical Science (UCD)

"When people were asking me what I would like to study in college, the answer was always obvious to me- Mathematics. As a secondary school student, I wasn't fully aware of how powerful mathematics is, but I always felt that I was going to find statistics and applied mathematics particularly interesting. After doing some research on maths courses, the UCD Mathematical Science course seemed to be a perfect option for me.

Great choice of modules in mathematics, statistics and applied mathematics allowed me to study the subjects that were of the most interest to me. During the course, apart from the theory, I greatly developed problem solving skills and learned how to apply my knowledge in practice by analysing data using software for statistical analysis. These skills proved to be particularly valuable to employers. I found the course challenging and extremely rewarding at the same time. UCD gave me a great experience from both the academic and social side of college life. I would recommend this course to anyone who has a passion for mathematics and science. Currently I am working as a Statistician in Creme Global. My main responsibilities include development of models in the area of predictive microbiology. Working as a statistician is exciting, each day brings new challenges, no two days are the same." 

Career: Statistician

Employer: Creme Global

MSc Statistics (UCD)

"The Master’s degree in Statistics in UCD prepared me well for my current job. The combination of classroom work and analysis of real world data using the current statistical tools make this course exceptional. The lecturers were more than helpful, both inside and outside the classroom, in assisting me whenever I had difficulties with my studies.  I chose to study in UCD because of the interesting modules they offered.  Now, my plan is to gain as much work experience as possible and hopefully obtain a doctoral degree."

Career: Biostatistician

Employer: Monaghan Mushrooms R&D Department, Ireland.

BSc  Mathematical Science, MSc Statistics (UCD)

"I found Mathematical Science in UCD a very enjoyable and challenging course. There were lots of choices and it was exciting to study subjects in all three fields of Mathematics, Mathematical Physics and Statistics. After a year out I decided to return to UCD to pursue a master’s degree in Statistics.  I’m glad I studied at UCD because I had a brilliant five years there, made many lasting friendships and gained the qualifications required for my career.

After completing my masters I joined PPD, a leading worldwide contract research organisation (CRO). PPD offers services relating to all aspects of clinical drug trials, and we work with pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, medical device companies and government agencies. I am an Associate Biostatistician in the Bellshill office near Glasgow in Scotland. Our work is very varied from designing clinical trials to statistical analysis of the resulting data to essentially determine if the drug works and if it is safe. Also we get to work with many different therapeutic areas such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. I really enjoy using my numerical and statistical abilities every day in tasks that may benefit many people in the future."

Career: Biostatistician

Employer: PPD

BSc Mathematics and Statistics, PhD in Statistics (UCD)

"I would recommend the School of Mathematical Sciences in UCD to prospective students - I found it to be a great place to study. At undergraduate level I had many classes with small groups. This allowed a lot of interaction with lecturers and made it easy to get to know other students. My positive experiences as an undergraduate helped in making my decision to continue with postgraduate studies at UCD.

The postgraduate research activities in the School of Mathematical Sciences are growing each year in academic strength and student numbers, making it an ideal environment to do postgraduate research. During my PhD I got to know many members of staff who were always willing to help in different ways. The resources and opportunities made available to me during this period have proved invaluable. Studying in UCD was challenging, rewarding and fun, and it led me into a career that I enjoy very much."

Career: Lecturer in Statistics

Employer: Department of Mathematics, NUI Maynooth

MSc Meteorology (UCD)

"The MSc in Meteorology and Climatology is a very interesting course to undertake. The material covered in lectures is balanced well between theory and practical application. Before taking this course, I did my undergraduate mathematics degree in Trinity. A background in maths or physics is recommended for the MSc. I studied pure maths but only had Leaving Certificate physics, so don’t be put off if you haven’t studied physics at third level yet. The lecturers are world-renowned and actively researching and publishing. They’re always available to answer questions about their courses, or to meet to discuss your future career or any difficulties you’re having in a particular subject. They have a genuine passion and interest in the subject and this always comes across.

Dynamical meteorology gives a very thorough basis in the physics and fluid mechanics underlying all of the other material. I didn’t have a physics background, but if you are good at mathematics and have an interest in the subject, then you will be fine. Physical meteorology, synoptic meteorology and climate dynamics are more practical in nature. In physical meteorology, you learn about the main processes behind the weather we experience from day to day. In synoptic meteorology, the focus is on forecasting and the changing nature of the role of the forecaster in a meteorological station. Climate dynamics is similar to physical meteorology, except that you learn about the processes that drive our climate, which take place over a much longer time scale than those that drive our weather. Synoptic meteorology is good fun as you get to analyse all different types of charts by hand, and do a week-long forecasting course with Evelyn Cusack. Physical meteorology and climate dynamics have a good mix of mathematics and earth sciences, and are both enjoyable courses. Numerical weather prediction (NWP) is also fairly mathematical, but a very interesting module too. A decent amount of linear algebra and statistics is needed to explain how NWP models work to predict the weather in the future.

In addition to the taught and examined modules, you have to produce a thesis over the summer. I’m in the middle of doing mine at the moment, so we shall see how well the final product turns out! My time spent on my thesis so far has convinced me that meteorology and climatology are disciplines that are far from ‘closed’. There is a very broad range of active research being undertaken, in disciplines as diverse as palaeoclimatology, nowcasting, cloud dynamics and extreme weather events. The MSc is a very useful qualification to have, either in order to move directly into industry, or to progress to further postgraduate studies. Industries such as the green energy and environmental sectors, the insurance sector, and meteorological services themselves are all potential employers.

I’ve been offered funding and an opportunity to pursue my studies within UCD further, by studying for a PhD in the use of climate models to predict changes in the nature of extreme weather events. The bottom line is that it’s a really enjoyable course in an exciting sector, and there are many opportunities after you finish. If you think you might enjoy it, I’ll save you some time - just go for it!"

BA Honours Mathematics and Statistics (University of British Columbia in Vancouver), MSc Statistics (UCD)

"I graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada with a bachelor degree in combined honours Mathematics and Statistics. Though I was always fascinated by the study of mathematics and the logic behind it, I was more interested in learning how to analyze a vast amount of data and deduce sensible conclusions out of it. That is why I decided to pursue a postgraduate degree in Statistics.

I came to Ireland in May 2011 for the first time and fell in love with the country. After some research, I found that the taught MSc Statistics program at UCD would be a perfect fit for me, as it would provide me with in-depth understanding of statistics through its coursework, as well as allow me to do my own research for the minor thesis. In addition, the MSc Statistics program at UCD is the only program in Ireland that is recognized by the Royal Statistical Society, which is definitely a plus. So I packed my bags, left Canada and started a new chapter of my life here in Dublin.

It’s been the best experience for me and UCD was everything I had hoped for. I had wonderful classmates who shared the same passion for statistics as me. The instructors in the UCD School of Mathematical Sciences are not only knowledgeable in their fields, but also friendly, kind and approachable. I learned a lot, and had the time of my life with the late night studies, the sudden outburst of singing statistics songs in class, the poems we made for our beloved instructors, and much more. So UCD, thank you for this wonderful time."

Career: PhD student, UCD Shcool of Mathematical Sciences