Careers in Mathematics
A mathematics major is more about learning a way of thinking, or a set of tools, than learning a specific skill which prepares a student for one particular job. In fact, the critical thinking, problem solving, logical reasoning and communication skills gained during undergraduate math education are among the top skills that employers seeks in many different areas.
The first career that comes to mind when a math major is considered is teaching. A math major with an emphasis in elementary or secondary education may lead to a teaching career in the elementary and secondary schools, while a math major complemented with a graduate degree may lead to a teaching and/or research career in higher education. However, there are many other careers open to a graduate with a math major. Some of these options are actuarial positions, consulting positions, research positions, financial engineer positions, software developing positions, information systems positions, cryptography related positions, management positions.
Math majors are also welcome in various graduate school programs and professional schools. For more information on graduate school, check out the graduate school information page.
Check out the career paths of some of our recent GVSU graduates at the Early Career Profiles page.
Also, explore the following links for more information about the possible careers with a mathematics major, information on applying for jobs, and much more.
- Sloan Career Cornerstone Center pages on career options with a math degree
A valuable resource which includes many career options available for mathematics graduates, earnings information, degree options, job hunting advice, and much more. A particularly useful page is the A Day in the Life of a Mathematician page.
- Mathematical Association of America(MAA) career page
This page includes brief descriptions of some common mathematical careers, as well as links to other resources for math careers, and an online job board. Check out also the Career Profiles page for another extensive collection of career profiles of math graduates.
- American Mathematical Society(AMS) career page
This page includes a list of career profiles mathematicians working in non-teaching positions, information on applications of mathematics in industry and government, and other resources on mathematics careers. Check out also the Early Career Profiles page of the AMS, which is a collection of job profiles of recent math major alumni (including some GVSU alumni profiles, which can be found at GVSU Early Career Profiles page).
- National Council of Teachers of America page on becoming a math teacher
Information on becoming a math teacher in the US and Canada.
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics(SIAM) career page
This site includes an online guide to careers in applied mathematics, an online job board, internship information, and other resources on careers.
- Plus magazine's career interviews page
A large collection of interviews with people in mathematics related careers, many math graduates. These interviews show the wide range of uses of mathematics in the real world.
