Careers in Mathematics
Below are described some of the possible careers that mathematics majors enter.
- Actuarial Science
- Teaching - Research
- Applied Mathematics
- Secondary Education
- Statistics
- Operations Research
Additional information can be found on the MAA Career Profiles site or the AMS Career Information site.
A brochure on mathematical careers can be found here.
Actuarial Science
Actuaries use mathematics and financial theory to determine the financial effect that uncertain future events such as birth, death, retirement, fire, accident, and sickness have on insurance and other benefit plans. Actuaries may work for insurance companies, employee benefits, consulting firms, or the benefits departments of general business and government agencies. The competitive actuarial profession requires mathematics graduates to have analytic, statistical, and computational skills, which will allow them to solve industrial problems, predict the financial effects of uncertain future events, and carry out decision-making analyses. Students graduating from the program who plan to pursue careers in Actuarial Science can expect to succeed on the first one or two Actuarial Science Exams, and thus be ready to enter the actuarial profession. To find out more about a career in Actuarial Science, please visit the Society of Actuarial Science website, the website of the Casualty Actuarial Society, or the website Be An Actuary.
A brochure on the BS in Actuarial Science can be found here.
College Teaching and Mathematical Research
Students who enjoy solving challenging mathematical problems may wish to pursue post-baccalaureate studies leading to an advanced degree (usually the Ph.D.) and a career in college teaching and mathematical research.
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Applied Mathematics
Government and industry hire graduates with significant backgrounds in science-related applied mathematics. In addition to major coursework in calculus, analysis, linear algebra, differential equations, and mathematical modeling, you should also minor in some scientific field such as physics or chemistry. As an applied mathematician, you would work with teams of scientists and engineers in constructing appropriate mathematical models of physical processes.
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Secondary Education
Because of competition from industry for mathematically educated graduates, the secondary schools are now facing a serious shortage of qualified mathematics teachers. IU South Bend offers a complete program leading to secondary certification in the mathematical sciences.
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Statistics
Statisticians do more than simply collect and describe data--they attempt to draw inferences about the data or the mathematical model it is supposed to obey. There is a great demand for statisticians, particularly in government, which has not been satisfied in recent years. The department offers a statistics sequence which, when combined with similar coursework in business and economics, prepares you to help meet that demand.
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Operations Research
This area of mathematics blends together principles from calculus, linear algebra, industrial engineering, and management science to provide an analytical tool for the operations of various systems, from economies to small production lines. An operations researcher is often concerned with optimizing certain quantitative measures of the system, such as profit or cost. In conjunction with the appropriate mathematics you should also take several business courses in quantitative methods.
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