nick7ps

I'm thinking about pursuing a Mathematics/Statistics degree. My school offers a Mathematics/Statistics major which combines both the math and statistics departments. It sounds like a good idea to bring these 2 fields together so I can have more options when it comes to applying for jobs or grad school. Also, I've been reading up on bioinformatics and it sounds interesting and I am considering it has a possible minor.
I have heard conflicting information about math majors. Some have said it's useless outside of school, while others have said being able to do math well/above average is extremely beneficial when looking for jobs in particular fields. The problem is that I don't want to study something that would be useless out of college.
So can someone give me some advice as to whether this is a good path to follow?

Thank you

ucbalumnus

University Graduate Career Surveys can give you ideas. Berkeley, Cal Poly SLO, Virginia Tech, MIT, and CMU have relatively detailed surveys that include more information about job types and employers.

nick7ps

Thanks, that helps a bit. But I'm looking for someone with experience in this field to explain what kind of jobs are ahead of me and give me their overall experience in school studying math.

nick7ps

I'm currently a sophomore, in my 3rd semester. I've been majoring in accounting. My classes have consisted of business math, calc for business, accounting, 2 econ courses, statistics course, and general requirements. Will I be able to graduate on time if I change my major to math or applied mathematics?

ucbalumnus

Take a look at the requirements for the math and statistics majors and see how long the longest prerequisite sequence is. If it is 5 semesters or fewer, and it does not leave too many courses at the back end, then you can complete the major within 8 semesters if you plan carefully. However, you may have to retake calculus since the calculus for business majors course probably does not count for the math and statistics majors.

nick7ps

I do have to retake calculus. Starting my junior year, I'll be able to take the requirements for a B.A. in Math/Statistics or a B.A. in Mathematics. The courses are:

Math/Statistics Degree -
Multivariable Calculus
Applied Linear Algebra
Elementary Differential Equations
36 more Credits in Math or Stats

Mathematics Degree -
First 3 courses above
Transition to Advance Math
Abstract Algebra
Analysis I
1 Proof based course
1 Math Writing Intensive course
12 more credits in related areas

I am a bit behind and won't have much room for extra courses. Both of the majors require the same amount classes ahead of me. I would like hear from someone about how this is looking so far? Am I in an ok position to still graduate on time or should I stay an extra year to take more specific classes towards my interest?

ucbalumnus

As far as graduating on time goes, map out the sequence of prerequisites you need to your remaining semesters and see if it would require going beyond eight semesters.

If you are at University of Connecticut as one of your other posts mentions, then the prerequisite sequence for the BA in math is:

1131Q/1151Q -> 1132Q/1152Q -> 2110Q/2130Q, 2210Q, 2410Q/2420Q, 2710 -> 3150/4110, 3230, 2720W, others -> various

So the longest sequence is four or five semesters long, though five is a more realistic number based on the number of math courses you need (note that the third semester involves taking four math courses).

Undergraduate Catalog › University of Connecticut
Undergraduate Catalog | UConn

You can do a similar check for the BA in math and statistics.

b@r!um

Pure math by itself is quite useless and about as employable as a philosophy major. Applied math, in combination with a field of application, is extremely useful.

FYI, many "applied math" jobs require a graduate degree.

PKDfan

^Not really.

Best College Majors for a Career - WSJ.com

There are other similar stats out there if you want to look them up. But yeah, pure is very employable. Not quite as much as applied, but still much better than most degrees.

nick7ps

Yes I do go to Uconn.

Are the best jobs for someone with any kind of math degree in finance or business?

GLOBALTRAVELER

I am a little surprised that you can get a B.A. in Math (even if it is the Stats emphasis) and not take at least an Analysis or another proof-based course, but hey, every school makes their own rules. Having said that, let me suggest some electives:

1) Probability (solo course...not combined with Statistics)
2) Statistics (solo course...not combined with Probability)
3) Computational Statistics
4) Operations Research/Optimization/Linear Programming
5) Numerical Analysis
6) Combinatorics & Graph Theory
7) Experimental Design (for the Stats emphasis)
8) Stochastic Processes (for the Stats emphasis)
9) Simulation (if offered as a Stats course)
10) Analysis of Variance (for the Stats emphasis)
11) Numerical Linear Algebra
12) Cryptology (may need to take Number Theory first)

Probably won't hurt to toss in some CS courses in there too.

raiders83

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medicine

Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medicine

These are profiles of people who graduated in math/stats and where they found work, their' advice for work/school, how to get jobs, etc. There is also a page for actuaries. Also, I can't find the other sites, but I've seen more of the same. It's a good way to see what they do, and how they got there. Math majors can work in research, as engineers, programmers, analyst, and lots of other things. Alot of those jobs need classes in the respective careers though. You need to take some engineering classes to be an engineer, how much I don't know. I've also come across in my research that companies love math majors as management because of the problem solving skills learned. From what I've read the best options for math majors is to major in math and specialize in the field you want to work in like economics, computer science, engineering, etc.

ucbalumnus

Connecticut's math major (BA and BS programs) require 3150 (Analysis I) and 3230 (Abstract Algebra I) (or the more advanced versions of these courses, 4110 and 4120). The BS program also requires 3151 (Analysis II).

Undergraduate Catalog › University of Connecticut

However, the math/statistics major does not require any of these courses.

Undergraduate Catalog › University of Connecticut

ysingh

According to payscale.com Math/CS majors get a starting salary of $10k more than CS majors.

As far as Pure maths go the NSA and intelligence agencies hire a lot of math majors as does the finance industry.

I don't think Math is useless outside of college. There is Grad school > PHD > Research, Teaching. Govt jobs. Intelligence Agency jobs, Financial sector jobs, Technical jobs. Statistician jobs. Computer science is math based and algorithms are very important in today's world.

Big Data is an up and coming field and requires math majors.

If you are worried about employment you could do a double major such as Math/CS or Math/Econ, Applied Math/Business, Statistics/Business or a 5 yr Bachelor in Maths+MBA program if your school offers one.

nick7ps

Thank you for the help and interesting links. I'm going to go down the applied math route and start doing some research on possible grad school programs.

Unfortunately I won't be able to do that because I am already a sophomore in college. I should be finished with my majors required courses by fall of senior year or possibly spring of junior year. If I intend to graduate on time I don't have much room for many other classes. But I am planning on taking my time and doing it right. So if that takes an extra semester or 2, then that's alright with me.