Introduction

The Institute’s Course Accreditation scheme accredits university degree courses from which all its graduates will meet the relevant educational requirements for the Chartered Mathematician (CMath) designation. The scheme is available to approved courses validated by higher education providers in the United Kingdom to enable graduates to readily demonstrate the attainment of educational requirements for professional registration.

The CMath designation recognises individuals as professional mathematicians, whose skills, experience and professionalism are alongside that of other chartered designations. Chartered designations provide numerous benefits to both individuals and employers, which include:

  • Careers options are broader for individuals;
  • Members of a professional body who hold a professional qualification have a greater probability of employment and an increased salary compared to those without professional qualifications;
  • Employers benefit from an assurance of expertise and competence from their employees who hold a chartered designation;
  • Employees develop highly valued transferable skills whilst gaining professional recognition;
  • Employers can engage with suitable STEM graduates as their degree will have been recognised by the relevant professional body.

Universities who have their degree courses(s) accredited by the Institute help make their mathematics undergraduates aware that professional recognition is available to graduates. Accreditation can provide them with their first steps towards gaining professional recognition – which will help them to progress in their careers. Accredited degree courses can be identified within Institutional course literature, HESA Key Information Sets (KIS) and on the UNISTATS website. Accreditation is only available to UK University degree awards.

Levels of Accreditation

Accreditation is provided at two levels:

  1. Accredited by the Institute to meet the educational requirements of the Chartered Mathematician designation.
  1. Accredited by the Institute to meet the educational requirements of the Chartered Mathematician designation when followed by subsequent training and experience in employment to obtain competencies equivalent to those specified by the QAA for taught master’s degrees.

Criteria

To be considered for accreditation, a degree course must be:

  1. An honours degree, normally consisting of 360 credits for a Bachelor’s degree or 480 credits for an integrated Master’s degree within the framework of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Code of Practice. Degree courses should satisfy the relevant version of the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) and the current QAA Benchmark for Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research at the appropriate level (Bachelor, integrated Master etc). Further details can be found on the QAA website.
  1. Mathematically-based modules must normally constitute at least two-thirds of the total content at each stage of the course. If any particular year has less than this it can be compensated for in later years.

Increasingly, mathematics courses incorporate relevant generic and specialist skills to enhance both the educational and employability potential of their graduates.

  1. The degree course must provide graduates with the opportunity to have developed transferable skills that will be of value in a wide range of situations, including
  • The ability to apply their skills in:
    • Problem solving;
    • Professional communication;
    • Digital capabilities including information retrieval, programming, and the effective use of general IT facilities;
    • Working with others.
  • Reflection, to support:
    • Planning self-learning and improve performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD;
    • Monitoring and adjusting a personal course of work on an on-going basis.
  • Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader.

More Information

More information about the Course Accreditation scheme, the criteria, the requirement for an External Assessor and how to apply, can be found in the following documents in the Related Documents section below:

  • IMA Course Accreditation – Overview
  • IMA Course Accreditation – Appendix A (Graduate Requirements)

If you have any additional questions concerning the scheme, please contact Vanessa Thorogood, Education Manager.

Related Documents

Download IMA Course Accreditation – Overview

Download IMA Course Accreditation – Appendix A (Graduate Requirements)

Download IMA Course Accreditation – Application Form

Download IMA Course Accreditation – University Checklist

Download IMA Accredited Degree Courses (5 January 2024)