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I'm interested in starting a PhD in computational mathematics at one of the top 5 universities in the UK.

My first degree is in Electrical Engineering. I went to one of the top 2 public sector universities in my country of birth. Owing to difficult personal circumstances and also the political turmoil in the country, I didn't perform well and graduated with a CGPA of 2.9/4. It's noteworthy the US style grading system was introduced for the first time in the country. The CGPA in question is still categorised as 'first division' by the higher education authority in that South Asian country. Later I completed a master's in Computer Science with an overall distinction. I have worked as a software engineer in the UK for well over a decade.

I don't think I have the mathematical background that would be expected of applicants for a rigorous computational maths PhD programme. Whilst I can master all the required maths on my own through self-study using resources like MIT OCW, I'm not entirely sure if I would be able to convince the admissions committee of my maths ability.

Would it make sense to complete a second master's degree in mathematics?

PS: I'm 40 and a UK citizen.

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  • I admire your drive. Would you elaborate a bit on your motivations? That might help us think through the paths you might consider. There are, to be sure, several flavors of computational mathematics and computational science.
    – A rural reader
    Commented Aug 7 at 1:41

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Unless the program is heavily application-oriented, you probably will have a hard time to handle a math-heavy PhD out of the box.

Of course, we do not know your personal talents and you may be a fast learner. But advanced math is one of these topics, such as high-performance sports, where time investment and structured guidance matters in almost all cases.

I would suggest taking a master's degree in math at a university with a strong math program. This will give you also the opportunity to gauge how well you are doing, and you'll learn useful skills in a structured way. Whatever you decide to do afterwards, it will not be wasted time, and puts you in a much better position subsequently.

Your age should not play a role (and neither should your citizenship, except for visa issues, perhaps funding, as mentioned in the comments).

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    Citizenship helps for funding as well in this case, and by admittedly n=1 personal anecdote I've seen that correlated with whether or not a program will deign to send an acceptance in the UK, for whatever it's worth.
    – user176372
    Commented Aug 5 at 16:19
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    I strongly second Captain Emacs answer. I would advise getting your mathematics up to scratch before applying. This will not only be good for you in your studies, but also may put potential advisers at ease and make them more willing to accept you. A masters course in the UK is only around 9 months and there are various funding options available for British citizens in the UK.
    – user27119
    Commented Aug 6 at 11:51
  • I agree with the following 2 comments, In general doing a masters that has a research/publication component will significantly increase you chance of being accepted into a PhD program in the first place (in Australia in particular it's pretty much expected that you do an MPhil/MRes) plus it gives you a bit of time in a (slightly) lower pressure situation to plan out and prepare for your PhD topic.
    – David Waterworth
    Commented Aug 6 at 22:59
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Perhaps this isn't strictly an answer to your question, but my advice is to contact the person offering the PhD (probably the prospective supervisor) and have a conversation. Get their advice. If you are not going to cope then they will not want you and you will also not want to be there. Conversely, maybe your industry experience is just what they are looking for, and they can advise you on the best way to evidence your mathematical ability.

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