<p>Ok I am just curious about this since it seems that people’s opinions on CC conflict on this. Is math degree useful more so than other majors? At the bachelor’s level, what can it be used for? At the graduate level, what can it be used for? What separates it from other majors? I at one time considered a math major but decided against it because it is never used for anything other than addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in most jobs (even those that a math major is required for). When I was little I liked the short, not-very-in-depth unit in electricity that we did, but I thought it was more of a fun thing to do than something important. Ha! Didn’t discover how useful it is until I had already done my college visits.</p>
<p>A math major will have more “hireability” than a liberal arts major. Math is an objective major - you either get it or you don’t. Thus someone who has received a math degree and has relatively good marks it is quite easy to glean their competency. This is in contrast to - say - an English major, where most things are subjective. If you got all A’s I don’t know if you earned those or just found a lax teacher. Thus, if one is looking for job applicants where the only qualification is a BA, the math major is going to have a bit of a legup.</p>
<p>There are of course any number of jobs one can get out of college (Actuary work seems to be the hot ticket at my campus) where you’ll actually be using your math skills. This is amplified if you do not do a Pure Math major, and instead go for Applied Math of some sort.</p>
<p>I’ve heard actuarial science jobs go to actuarial science graduates instead of math ones now. Is this true?</p>
<p>It’s not about basic operations, it’s about problem solving and abstract thinking. You get a nice well-rounded math degree with some theory, some applications, some statistics and a little bit of computer science, and you can do lots of “quant” and “science” related jobs in different fields. At the undergrad level, you can be a low-level code-monkey/number-cruncher. At the grad level, an actual research assistant, data analyst, etc. With a PhD or above, as long as you don’t veer purely into the abstract deep theoretical end (where academia is almost your only option, and competition is fierce), you can actually do really useful science. Teaching (whether it be in some sort of school or at a business or general public level) is also an option.</p>
<p>(And actuarial science and finance is boring as <em>word for excrement</em>, but that’s just my opinion)</p>
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<p>Getting a job as an actuary has far less to do with the actual degree that you have and much more to do with the number of Actuary exams that you have passed.</p>
<p>An actuarial science major should prepare you for the exams more than a general math degree, because they have specific classes that a math major probably won’t take (life contingencies, financial mathematics, etc).</p>
<p>A math major can easily pass the Actuarial exams, but it would just require self study of a topic they probably haven’t seen before. </p>
<p>Actuarial programs are few and far between across the country, but almost all schools have mathematics majors.</p>
<p>You could also go into business/finance. …or go to Law School, or med school, or grad school.</p>