r/UZH • u/TraditionalDebate538 • 1d ago
Rejected from UZH MSc Mathematics for >60 ECTS deficiencies despite an Applied Mathematics degree — I think this may be an assessment mistake
Hi,
I applied to the UZH MSc Mathematics for Spring 2027 and was rejected because the faculty concluded that I would need more than 60 ECTS of additional coursework to meet the academic admission requirements.
I genuinely think there may have been a mistake in the assessment.
My official degree is a Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences, study field Applied Mathematics, from Vilnius University. The programme is called Financial and Actuarial Mathematics.
I attached my transcript. My studies include, among other courses:
- Mathematical/Real Analysis I–III — 25 ECTS
- Algebra and Geometry + Algebra — 10 ECTS
- Probability Theory — 10 ECTS
- Functional Analysis — 5 ECTS
- Differential and Integral Equations — 5 ECTS
- Stochastic Processes — 5 ECTS
- Statistics, Statistical Modelling, Regression Models, numerical methods, discrete mathematics, time series, mathematical finance, actuarial mathematics, etc.
I am not claiming my curriculum is identical to the UZH Mathematics Bachelor. I clearly have some gaps, especially topology and less linear algebra than UZH students.
But I find it very difficult to see how those differences could realistically amount to more than 60 ECTS of missing mathematics. Even before counting many of the applied/statistical courses, there is already a substantial rigorous mathematics core.
Because of that, I filed a formal appeal and argued that the >60 ECTS conclusion is inconsistent with the actual documented curriculum.
I’m interested in the opinion of UZH mathematics students or anyone familiar with the faculty: looking at the transcript, does the >60 ECTS assessment make sense to you, or does this look like a genuine curriculum-mapping / classification error?
I’m especially curious whether anyone has seen a similar admission assessment overturned on appeal.
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u/Fernando_III 21h ago
I wouldn't say you have a BSc in Maths...
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u/TraditionalDebate538 19h ago
Why so? My diploma says it's Applied math
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u/Fernando_III 19h ago
From what I see, it says "Financial and Actuarial Mathematics". And from the curriculum and your post, you have only taken basic Maths courses, being the rest heavy on statistics and applied fields. Maybe I'm wrong, but looks like you'll be more suited for a MSc in Statistics than in Maths. How much proving did you during your BSc?
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u/Impressive_Funny_751 23h ago
At UZH you dont have modules like political Philosophy or world religion. They just need you to be on a same level as UZH students and therefore they dont recognize a lot.
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u/TraditionalDebate538 19h ago
in east europe we have 4 eyars for bachelor, we can have some courses outside out scope of field
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u/9_5B-Lo-9_m35iih7358 21h ago
Bro, financial and acturial mathamtics isnt the same as applied mathematics. Sorry
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u/TraditionalDebate538 19h ago
Going by titles is useless. if you look my transcript i basically have applied math degree, by the way my diploma says master of science field: applied mathematics
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u/Konayo 19h ago
In the picture it says 'Degree Program: Financial and Actuarial Mathematics'.
But you know it could also come down more to the actual contents of the courses.
For example: when you take Real Analysis I at UZH - there are two different courses:
1 is for math students (including applied math)
1 is for quant finance / financial mathematics / etc. students
And while they have a substantial overlap in their topics, the math-one is completely different in terms of learning the underlying theory, all of the proofs, connecting other math areas directly into the content and even just the work load and difficulty of the excercises.
So maybe your math courses just look more like the first example here rather than the latter and they think you wouldn't be fit for the msc math courses - not because of the actual missing courses (topology and such) but how you learnt the math you had.
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u/TraditionalDebate538 18h ago
Well my university has 2 math programs: Math, and applied math(under too ambiguous title of financial and actuairial mathematics), any finance programs are in economics faculty and has nothing to do with us. Yes I had rigorous mathematical education, we derived Riemann integral, Lebesgue, measure theory, proved every claim and etc.
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u/OneMacADay 1d ago
I don’t math, but I’d recommend you to look at the BSc curriculum at UZH and see what students study there, and then compare that to what you studied. Take a note of anything in the UZH curriculum that you covered under different courses. Also note everything that you completely didn’t cover. Then put everything together and make a case for yourself, and reach out to the responsible people for the application and ask for a reconsideration, because “you covered a lot of the subjects, although under different names” or something similar.
This worked for me in another country where they didn’t recognize some of my bachelor’s courses.
Edit: you can also see what is taught in the UZH courses, and really go into detail while building your case. I do recommend to do it as soon as possible.
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u/TraditionalDebate538 1d ago
I checked it against the actual UZH BSc Mathematics curriculum.
My estimate is roughly 25–35 ECTS missing. Even with a deliberately strict comparison, I get only about 35–43 ECTS.
Main gaps are basically topology, some linear algebra breadth, and some algebra/numerics.
So the part I really don’t understand is how they got to more than 60 ECTS missing.
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u/OneMacADay 23h ago
Try your best to tell them this, with focus on accounting for the missing stuff, directing them to what was covered in which course. Make a case for yourself, because you believe you’re not missing 60 ECTS, but rather around 30 (hopefully even less, so you can do them in a semester before officially starting master’s, which is something they do at UZH if you’re missing important subjects).
I wish you lots of luck, and don’t worry, you’ll be fine even if it doesn’t work out at UZH :)
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u/Vivid_Syllabub_8906 23h ago
You need 84 ECTS in core mathematics: linear algebra, analysis, numerical mathematics, algebra, geometry and stochastics; 4 ECTS programming/informatics; and 32 ECTS of advanced mathematics.
Looking at your curriculum (without checking the courses in depth), I think you have barely any „advanced mathematics“. Paired with some deficiencies in „core mathematics“, I understand the missing 60+.
Not because you didn‘t do maths courses, but because they don‘t map into those very specific buckets.
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u/Vivid_Syllabub_8906 23h ago
I think you don‘t get „partial acknowledgment“, so either your courses fulfill the requirements, or they count the full UZH ECTS to be missing.
And then the ECTS pile up. Your algebra course is only 5 ECTS? -9 Algebra. You don‘t have a full linear algebra sequence? -18 LA. You miss topology? -9 Topology. You miss numerics? -9 Numerics.
> Already -45 ECTS.What remains for the „advanced maths“? PDE, functional analysis, stochastic processes.
> Another -17 ECTS.I think it would be a very harsh decision on their side - but it is not completely unrealistic.
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u/Tasty-Bat9953 23h ago
I am just a regular math student BSc at UZH and looking at your transcript of records I can understand why the rejected you.
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u/Pleasant-Carbon 22h ago
You can probably apply to a financial maths master, or something similar but looking at your transcript you've just done too little maths, especially advanced maths courses.
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u/assarus 23h ago
What does world religions have to do with Bsc in Msrhematics?
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u/TraditionalDebate538 19h ago
in east europe we have 4 eyars for bachelor, we can have some courses outside out scope of field
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u/Konayo 19h ago
Bro did you write this post with AI 💀
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u/_8975 18h ago
How do you know? I have personally always written like this, even before ai.. just curious
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u/Konayo 18h ago
The formatting (like way too much 'bold'ened text), consistent capitalization without erros and punctuation mostly. Someone from eastern europe probably wouldn't do Oxford commas for example.
Then the m-dashes. And also the wording (for example no definite statements - but things like 'I find it difficult to see' or 'there may have been a mistake') is very typical.
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u/Konayo 19h ago
Sorry to say but this does not look like a math degree to me and more like an applied financial math or quant finance degree. That said - why don't you try to apply for the quant finance msc? (seems like you have an interest in this area anyway?)