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What can you do with a math degree? (pg. 5)
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| Orbax |
| quote: | Originally posted by Beat Blog
:haha:
Respect for the self-deprecating humoUr.
I didn't expect that. |
Dude, biggest realization...possibly ever.
American comedy vs British.
American: Its not funny if U are in it !
*tap dances naked*
edit: its funnier if you think about americans hating jokes about themselves...i think. |
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| Epicurus |
First of all, I assume you mean an undergrad degree in math. Second of all, it's a great choice in my opinion, contrary to what most people (who usually don't know anything about math) will tell you.
From an intangible perspective, the analytical skills you acquire through a math degree are priceless. All thoses days spent doing epsilon-delta proofs will pay off when you realize that you know how to think logically, and thus correctly. I can't stress that enough.
From a tangible perspective, there are literally tons of careers that are open to you. If really depends on what you like, and what interests you. Here's a brief list of careers that are math-oriented and only require an undergrad degree in math:
1-) Highschool math teacher
For someone who: loves teaching, has good communication skills and patience, is not averse to dealing with bratty teenagers and illiterate parents that threaten your life if you flunk their dumb kids, wants a relatively relaxed life-style with good job security (especially if unionized), and doesn't mind low pay.
2-) Software developer for a software company with an applied math bend to it (think Mathworks (who make MATLAB), Wolfram (who make Mathematica), MapleSoft (who make MAPLE) etc)
For someone who: loves coding (mostly in C++), has strong numerical analysis and computational linear algebra skills, doesn't mind being glued to his computer debugging lines of code.
3-) Government jobs
For someone who: doesn't mind working for the government, wants good job security, doesn't mind dealing with enormous amounts of bureaucracy.
Here are some job options:
a) Government planner (can be in the transportation ministry, in the military etc)
Required focus: Operations Research (think linear programming, integer programming etc) with strong computing skills.
b-) Statistician (for the census bureau, IRS etc)
Required focus: Probability and Statistics
c-) Cryptorapher (for the National Security Agency (NSA) - the NSA is the single largest employer of mathematicians in the US)
Required focus: Discrete Math, algorithm analysis and design. Very strong computing skills needed.
4-) Actuary
For someone who: likes finance, is good in probability and statistics, enjoys managing risk, wants good pay, doesn't mind working for an insurance company.
5-) Trader (with a focus on Derivatives)
For someone who: loves finance and constantly has his eye on the markets, doesn't mind working in an extremely stressful job environment, is a quick decision maker, has strong probability and stochastic calculus skills, loves money and wants to be rich.
If you eventually want to pursue a graduate degree, then whole new worlds open up to you. The power of a math undergrad degree is that it allows you to literally choose to pursue almost any graduate degree you like.
If you want to stay in a math, math related, or math-intensive area, should consider the following options (other than professor at a university):
6-) Wall street quant
Required degree: Masters in financial engineering / PhD in mathematical finance (you're in Pittsburgh, so check out CMU's programs in computational finance (at the Masters level) and mathematical finance (at the PhD level).
For someone who: loves coding (mostly in C++), enjoys algorithmic work, is very strong in probability, stochastic calculus, numerical analysis (especially finite difference methods for solving PDEs) and optimization, wants to work in "sell-side" finance (investment banks) or "buy-side" finance (hedge funds, asset management firms). Some very prominent mathematicians who have gone down that route are now billionaires. The most famous one is probably Jim Simons (click here).
7-) Research Mathematician
Required degree: PhD in (applied) math.
For someone who: wants to work in the industry solving very challenging mathematical problems. Companies like Exxon, Shell, BP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and research labs like Sandia, Argonne and Bell Labs have tons of positions for applied mathematicians. Very good pay, relaxed environment.
If you want to leave math and do something less analytically intensive, then you can work for several years and pursue your MBA, at which point you go into management.
There are many other paths you can choose to take, and I've only highlighted a small sample, but hopefully, that'll get you started. Good luck. |
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| AndreaCKY772 |
accounting, lol
science ... i'm sure you'll make a lot of money, but it depends what math you've gone into! |
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| Beat Blog |
| quote: | Originally posted by AndreaCKY772
accounting, lol
science ... i'm sure you'll make a lot of money, but it depends what math you've gone into! |
See...that didn't make sense.
i.e "depends what mathematic you've gone into". |
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| AndreaCKY772 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Beat Blog
See...that didn't make sense.
i.e "depends what mathematic you've gone into". |
um, ok thanks, but you get the idea... |
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| Ygrene |
| You can figure out the Monty Hall problem. |
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| Sushipunk |
| quote: | Originally posted by Ygrene
You can figure out the Monty Hall problem. |
Nobody can figure out the Monty Hall problem Ygrene. Nobody. It wouldn't be a problem if they could. |
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| Moral Hazard |
| quote: | Originally posted by UWM
Be an actuary. |
Damn it, you beat me to the punch again.
Seriously, there is a crazy shortage of actuaries right now. Insurance companies in Canada are giving 6 figures to actuaries with only a few years experience. |
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| Quantized |
Im nearly finished a joint degree in maths with teaching, so obviously gonna teach, beats any office job anyday imho.
Wouldn't go anywhere near american kids tho :nervous: |
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| Akridrot |
Holy , the replies in this thread make me angry. Even if this is the COR. I'm so tired of people who speak poorly of math even when they don't understand it. Why do people speak on subjects that they aren't qualified to speak on? All of you should read Epicurus' post then feel ashamed of yourselves. :mad:
edit:
Looks like I was trolled by the COR again. :o |
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| cheshirepk8 |
| quote: | Originally posted by SuspicionVandit
aka BT :conf:
fibonacci sequence
1.618 |
Divine Proportion = Phi |
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