<p>Are there any majors that combine math and english extensively? I’m mostly curious. I’d like to find an enjoyable major that utilizes my strengths. I’m more of an English person, but I’m decent at math. The humanities majors aren’t too practical in the job market right now though…</p>
<p>I’m aware that engineering and science require strong writing and reading skills. I’m wondering if there’s any major that combines math and english more extensively.</p>
<p>When you say English, do you mean writing in general or literary analysis in particular? And what does math mean to you? Solving equations, analyzing statistics, designing computer models, writing proofs? Math and English are two very general terms that mean different things to different people. We can make more appropriate suggestions if you tell us a bit more about your strengths and interests.</p>
<p>You could double major in math and English. =P</p>
<p>Those really are different fields, and it may be hard to combine them effectively. What about economics? There is definitely some hardcore math involved depending on the program your school offers, but you need to be able to write and communicate well in the field as well. (Look at all the books and columns economics majors have written.)</p>
<p>A man I know double majored in math and English at Yale, graduating summa cum laude in both subjects. He is now a law professor with a specialty in pension law. Apparently few lawyers have the math chops to understand how pensions are financed and to evaluate the plans for soundness.</p>
<p>The good news is that strong writing, analytical and quantitative skills will help you in almost any major. Every major has to communicate in writing, even math majors. (I wrote 20 pages a week in full sentences and full paragraphs for a single math classes last year.) Statistics show up all over the place, from public health to psychology to marketing. Nurses and accountants do a lot of arithmetic. You can choose almost any major you like and find some math in it.</p>
<p>Are you happy with the “normal” amount of math and writing that any major will entail, or are you looking for majors that are particularly quantitative or particularly heavy on analytical writing?</p>
<p>When I read English and math, my first thought was philosophy. Then I realized that you are probably thinking of numbers rather than proofs.</p>
<p>I recommend Mathematical Poetry. You could work on something like this:</p>
<p>I fear that I will always be
A lonely number like root three</p>
<p>The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine</p>
<p>For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic</p>
<p>I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality</p>
<p>When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three</p>
<p>As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer</p>
<p>We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands</p>
<p>Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback.</p>
<p>Barium: I mean writing and reading in general. I don’t like literary analysis much. I guess I’m mostly thinking in terms of applied math (the kind you would encounter in engineering). I’m not very interested in pure math.</p>
<p>L’Hopital: That made my day…:)</p>
<p>Possibly Philosophy. It is kind of like word math, using logic and expressions to prove a point and the ready is very intense. If you major in philosophy you could minor in math and it would give you a strong math/english background.</p>
<p>computer science is math and English. Seriously, look at how important is it in Google Translates, Google search. There are algorithms and data structure experts working these things. Of course, you get to learn how to do this when you are in upper-undergraduate and graduate studies.</p>
<p>you could major in engineering and minor in writing. its what i’m doing since i love both math and english. my college doesnt offer english as a minor but i’d prefer writing anyway since i’m pretty good at it.</p>
<p>Seconding philosophy. You would be doing a lot of writing and analyzing, and lots of philosophy uses enough logic (Russell, Wittgenstein) so that it’s almost indistinguishable from math at times. This is especially true since analytic philosophy is pretty big in English-speaking countries.
You know, the thing is about humanities is that majoring in, say, business won’t really necessarily help you. Businesses want to hire someone who they’ll have to “reteach” over everything they learned in college. Philosophy, I think, is really one of the more “practical” humanities degrees.</p>
<p>Double major in Physics and Philosophy. BEST EXPERIENCE EVER. You will come out of college with an intellectual orgasm.</p>
<p>I think statistics does, if interepreting data is at all like english.</p>
<p>
Wow. Just wow.</p>