MATH.UTAH.EDU IMAGE COURTESY OF NATASHA CARLTON PUBLISHED 2018 CAREER PATHS WITHIN MATHEMATICS
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MATH.UTAH.EDUIMAGE COURTESY OF NATASHA CARLTON
PUBLISHED 2018
CAREER PATHSWITHIN MATHEMATICS
© 2009 UNIVERSITY OF UTAHPREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS STAFF AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, SALT LAKE CITY. (2009 REVISED 2018, 2019)
This contains information that was surveyed directly from alumni of the University of Utah Department of Mathematics in 2016, and from a website exploring majors developed by the University of Tennessee’s Center for Career Development. See Center for Career Development, “What Can I Do With
This Major?--Mathematics,” University of Tennessee, https://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/mathematics/, accessed on 26 November 2017.
1
SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, & UNIVERSITIESCOMPANIES
WHERE DO OUR GRADUATES WORK?
2
MAT
HEM
ATIC
S/ST
ATIS
TICS
CARE
ER E
XA
MPL
ESU
NIV
ERSI
TY O
F U
TAH
ALU
M C
ARE
ERS
PLA
NN
ING
•Ac
coun
ting
and
Fina
nce
•C
ompu
ter P
rogr
amm
ing
•C
ompu
ter S
yste
ms
•O
pera
tions
Ana
lysi
s•
Sale
s an
d M
arke
ting
Man
agem
ent
•Ac
tuar
ial S
cien
ce•
Engi
neer
ing
•An
alys
is a
nd C
ontro
l of P
roce
sses
•O
ptim
izat
ion
and
Sche
dulin
g of
Res
ourc
es
•Fo
undi
ng R
esea
rche
r•
Ope
ratio
ns A
naly
st (M
inor
in B
iom
edic
al E
ngin
eerin
g)•
Rep
ortin
g An
alys
t (Em
phas
is in
Sta
tistic
s)•
Res
earc
h As
sist
ant/
Anal
yst (
Appl
ied
Mat
hem
atic
s)•
Softw
are
Biom
athe
mat
icia
n•
Syst
ems
Engi
neer
•Te
chni
cal A
naly
st (D
oubl
e M
ajor
in In
tern
atio
nal S
tudi
esEm
phas
is G
loba
l Hea
lth)
•U
ser I
nter
face
(UI)
Engi
neer
•Bu
sine
ss D
ata
Anal
yst (
M.S
. in
Stat
istic
s)•
Dat
a An
alys
t (M
.S. I
nfor
mat
ion
Syst
ems/
Cer
tifica
te in
Busi
ness
Ana
lytic
s)•
Dat
a Sc
ient
ist (
Emph
asis
in C
ompu
tatio
n an
d M
.S. C
ompu
ter
Scie
nce)
(Em
phas
is C
ompu
tatio
n/M
.S. P
redi
ctiv
e An
alyt
ics)
•Q
ualit
y/Te
st E
ngin
eer (
B.S.
Mat
hem
atic
s , B
.S. M
echa
nica
lEn
gine
erin
g, a
nd M
.S. E
ngin
eerin
g)•
Seni
or D
irect
or, M
edia
Buy
ing
and
Anal
ytic
s (M
.S. i
nSt
atis
tics)
•Sy
stem
s En
gine
er (B
.S. A
pplie
d M
athe
mat
ics,
B.S
. Ele
ctric
alEn
gine
erin
g, a
nd M
.S. E
lect
rical
Eng
inee
ring)
•Pl
an to
ear
n a
doct
oral
deg
ree
to w
ork
as a
“mat
hem
atic
ian.
”•
To w
ork
in a
pplie
d m
athe
mat
ics,
con
side
r ear
ning
a d
oubl
em
ajor
in a
sci
entifi
c or
tech
nica
l are
a.•
Dev
elop
sub
stan
tial k
now
ledg
e of
com
pute
r pro
gram
min
gan
d so
ftwar
e ad
min
istra
tion.
See
k ex
perie
nce
with
rele
vant
softw
are
pack
ages
.•
Lear
n to
wor
k w
ell w
ithin
a te
am o
f peo
ple
from
div
erse
back
grou
nds
and
diffe
ring
tech
nica
l spe
cial
ties.
•G
ain
expe
rienc
e in
an
area
of i
nter
est t
hrou
gh in
tern
ship
s or
rese
arch
pro
gram
s.•
Mai
ntai
n a
high
-gra
de p
oint
ave
rage
and
sec
ure
stro
ngfa
culty
reco
mm
enda
tions
to g
ain
grad
uate
sch
ool
adm
ittan
ce.
•R
esea
rch
gove
rnm
ent h
iring
pro
cess
es a
nd in
tern
ship
oppo
rtuni
ties
if th
e pu
blic
sec
tor a
ppea
ls to
you
.
*Thi
s co
ntai
ns in
form
atio
n th
at w
as s
urve
yed
dire
ctly
from
alu
mni
of t
he U
nive
rsity
of U
tah
Dep
artm
ent o
f Mat
hem
atic
s in
201
6, a
nd fr
om a
web
site
exp
lorin
g m
ajor
s de
velo
ped
by th
e U
nive
rsity
of
Tenn
esse
e’s
Cen
ter f
or C
aree
r Dev
elop
men
t. Se
e C
ente
r for
Car
eer D
evel
opm
ent,
“Wha
t Can
I D
o W
ith T
his
Maj
or?-
-Mat
hem
atic
s,” U
nive
rsity
of T
enne
ssee
, http
s://w
hatc
anid
owith
this
maj
or.c
om/m
ajor
/m
athe
mat
ics/
, acc
esse
d on
26
Nov
embe
r 201
7.
WH
AT K
IND
OF
CARE
ER C
AN
I H
AVE
WIT
H A
MAT
HEM
ATIC
S D
EGRE
E?*
B.S.
/B.A
. DEG
REE
MAS
TER
/PH
.D. D
EGR
EE
3
EDU
CATI
ON
CARE
ER E
XA
MPL
ESU
NIV
ERSI
TY O
F U
TAH
ALU
M C
ARE
ERS
PLA
NN
ING
•Te
ache
r•
Res
earc
h•
Hig
her E
duca
tion
Adm
inis
tratio
n•
Acad
emic
Adv
isor
•D
irect
or o
f Und
ergr
adua
te S
tudi
es•
Teac
her (
K-12
)
•Ad
junc
t Pro
fess
or•
Assi
stan
t Pro
fess
or (M
.S./P
h.D
.)•
Assi
stan
t Pro
fess
or/G
radu
ate
Advi
sor (
Ph.D
.)•
Assi
stan
t Adj
unct
Pro
fess
or (P
h.D
.)•
Mat
h C
oord
inat
or (P
h.D
.)•
Mat
h La
b Ai
de- H
igh
Scho
ol (M
.S. M
athe
mat
ics
Teac
hing
)•
Prof
esso
r (Ph
.D.)
•Te
ache
r (M
.S. M
athe
mat
ics
Teac
hing
/Ph.
D.)
•D
evel
op e
xcel
lent
com
mun
icat
ion
skills
, bot
h ve
rbal
and
writ
ten.
•G
ain
expe
rienc
e w
orki
ng w
ith a
ge g
roup
of i
nter
est t
hrou
ghvo
lunt
eerin
g an
d tu
torin
g.•
Acqu
ire a
ppro
pria
te s
tate
teac
her c
ertifi
catio
n fo
r K-1
2te
achi
ng o
ppor
tuni
ties.
•Ea
rn a
doc
tora
l deg
ree
in m
ath
to te
ach
at fo
ur-y
ear
inst
itutio
ns. A
mas
ter’s
deg
ree
may
be
suffi
cien
t for
two-
year
colle
ges.
•M
aint
ain
a hi
gh-g
rade
poi
nt a
vera
ge a
nd s
ecur
e st
rong
facu
lty re
com
men
datio
ns to
pre
pare
for g
radu
ate
scho
ol.
Assi
st a
pro
fess
or w
ith re
sear
ch.
•Se
ek th
e ap
prop
riate
gra
duat
e de
gree
to e
nter
hig
her
educ
atio
n ad
min
istra
tion.
Gai
n ex
perie
nce
on c
ampu
s in
stud
ent l
eade
rshi
p ro
les
such
as
Res
iden
t Ass
ista
nt o
rO
rient
atio
n Le
ader
.
COM
PUTE
RS/C
OM
PUTA
TIO
NA
L SC
IEN
CECA
REER
EX
AM
PLES
UN
IVER
SITY
OF
UTA
H A
LUM
CA
REER
SPL
AN
NIN
G
•Pr
ogra
mm
ing
•Sy
stem
s D
evel
opm
ent
•Sy
stem
s An
alys
is•
Softw
are
Dev
elop
men
t•
Net
wor
k Ad
min
istra
tion
•W
eb A
dmin
istra
tion
•Te
chni
cal S
uppo
rt•
Trai
ning
•C
ompu
ter A
ssis
tant
•D
ata
Spec
ialis
t (Em
phas
is in
Sta
tistic
s)•
Seni
or D
evel
oper
(Trip
le m
ajor
ed in
App
lied
Mat
hem
atic
s,Ph
ysic
s, F
ilm &
Med
ia S
tudi
es)
•So
ftwar
e An
alys
t (Ap
plie
d M
athe
mat
ics)
•Se
nior
Gra
phic
s So
ftwar
e En
gine
er•
Softw
are
Dev
elop
er (A
pplie
d M
athe
mat
ics)
•C
hief
Tec
hnol
ogy
Offi
cer (
M.S
. in
Stat
istic
s)•
Com
pute
r Sci
entis
t (M
.S. E
AE)
•D
irect
or o
f Dat
a Sc
ienc
e (M
.S. M
athe
mat
ics,
M.S
.In
form
atio
n Sy
stem
s, P
h.D
. Mat
hem
atic
s)•
Prog
ram
mer
(Em
phas
is in
Sta
tistic
s, B
.S. C
ompu
ter S
cien
ce,
and
M.S
. Mat
hem
atic
s)•
Softw
are
Biom
athe
mat
icia
n (B
.S. M
athe
mat
ics,
B.S
.Bi
osta
tistic
s, M
. Sta
t., a
nd P
h.D
. Sta
tistic
s)•
Softw
are
Dev
elop
er (M
.S.)
•D
evel
op s
ubst
antia
l kno
wle
dge
of c
ompu
ter p
rogr
amm
ing
and
softw
are
adm
inis
tratio
n.•
Take
cla
sses
to e
arn
rele
vant
cer
tifica
tions
.•
Gai
n re
late
d ex
perie
nce
thro
ugh
inte
rnsh
ips,
par
t-tim
epo
sitio
ns, o
r sum
mer
jobs
.•
Wor
k in
a c
ampu
s co
mpu
ter l
ab o
r vol
unte
er to
mai
ntai
n th
ew
ebsi
te fo
r a s
tude
nt o
rgan
izat
ion.
•Le
arn
effe
ctiv
e lis
teni
ng a
nd v
erba
l com
mun
icat
ion
skills
and
how
to w
ork
wel
l with
end
use
rs.
•St
ay a
brea
st o
f the
late
st d
evel
opm
ents
in c
ompu
ter
tech
nolo
gy th
roug
h re
adin
g jo
urna
ls.
•Pa
rtici
patin
g in
pro
fess
iona
l ass
ocia
tions
is a
noth
er w
ay to
stay
up
to d
ate
on re
cent
tech
nolo
gy.
•C
onsi
der e
arni
ng a
n ad
vanc
ed d
egre
e in
com
pute
r sci
ence
or m
anag
emen
t inf
orm
atio
n sy
stem
s.•
Exhi
bit p
atie
nce
and
crea
tivity
for d
esig
ning
pro
gram
s.•
To a
dvan
ce in
to m
anag
emen
t, le
arn
to e
ffect
ivel
y m
anag
em
ultip
le p
roje
cts
and
to m
eet d
eadl
ines
.•
Obt
ain
expe
rienc
e w
ith p
ublic
spe
akin
g/te
achi
ng a
nd le
arn
tode
velo
p cu
rricu
lum
for t
rain
ing
posi
tions
.
B.S.
/B.A
. DEG
REE
MAS
TER
/PH
.D. D
EGR
EE
B.S.
/B.A
. DEG
REE
MAS
TER
/PH
.D. D
EGR
EE
4
OTH
ER A
REA
SCA
REER
EX
AM
PLES
UN
IVER
SITY
OF
UTA
H A
LUM
CA
REER
SPL
AN
NIN
G
•Ac
tuar
ial S
cien
ce•
Ris
k M
anag
emen
t/Ass
essm
ent
•Lo
ss M
anag
emen
t/Con
trol
•U
nder
writ
ing
•In
dust
rial S
ales
•C
onsu
mer
Pro
duct
Sal
es•
Fina
ncia
l Ser
vice
s Sa
les
•Se
rvic
es S
ales
•Ad
verti
sing
Sal
es•
E-co
mm
erce
•C
usto
mer
Ser
vice
•Sa
les
Man
agem
ent:
Dis
trict
, Reg
iona
l, an
d H
ighe
r
•Ac
tuar
ial A
naly
st•
Assi
stan
t Sal
es D
evel
opm
ent M
anag
er (E
mph
asis
inSt
atis
tics)
•Au
dit A
ssoc
iate
(Em
phas
is in
Sta
tistic
s)•
Busi
ness
Ana
lyst
(Em
phas
is in
Sta
tistic
s)•
Geo
phys
icis
t•
Man
ager
(Em
phas
is in
Sta
tistic
s)
•Ac
tuar
ial A
naly
st II
I (PM
ST)
•Ar
chiv
al A
ssis
tant
(Ph.
D. E
cono
mic
s)•
Assi
stan
t Lib
raria
n (M
.S. L
ibra
ry S
cien
ce)
•As
sura
nce
Asso
ciat
e (M
Acc)
•Bi
osta
tistic
ian
(M.S
./Ph.
D. B
iost
atis
tics)
•D
irect
or, B
usin
ess
Dev
elop
men
t (M
BA/S
M E
ngin
eerin
g)•
Lieu
tena
nt -N
avy
(M.S
. Ele
ctric
al E
ngin
eerin
g)•
Man
ager
(Em
phas
is S
tatis
tics/
M.S
tat)
•M
edic
al O
ffice
r (M
D)
•M
etal
lurg
ist (
B.S.
Mat
hem
atic
s, B
.A. E
nglis
h, a
nd M
.S.
Met
allu
rgic
al E
ngin
eerin
g)
•Ta
ke a
dditi
onal
cou
rses
in s
tatis
tics
and
finan
ce.
•C
ompl
ete
an in
tern
ship
with
an
insu
ranc
e ag
ency
to g
ain
rele
vant
exp
erie
nce.
•Ac
tuar
ial s
cien
ce is
a g
ood
care
er p
ath
for t
hose
who
wan
tto
ext
ensi
vely
use
mat
h on
the
job.
Are
as s
uch
as c
laim
s,un
derw
ritin
g, a
nd ri
sk m
anag
emen
t are
less
mat
h-in
tens
ive.
Talk
to p
rofe
ssio
nals
in th
e in
dust
ry to
lear
n m
ore
abou
tva
rious
pos
ition
s.•
Dev
elop
stro
ng c
omm
unic
atio
n sk
ills, a
s m
any
posi
tions
requ
ire in
tera
ctio
n w
ith o
ther
s an
d th
e ab
ility
to e
xpla
inin
form
atio
n cl
early
and
con
cise
ly.•
Lear
n ho
w to
use
sta
tistic
al a
naly
sis
softw
are
and
vario
usco
mpu
ter p
rogr
amm
ing
lang
uage
s.•
Plan
to ta
ke a
ser
ies
of a
ctua
rial e
xam
s to
gai
n lic
ensu
refro
m e
ither
the
Soci
ety
of A
ctua
ries
or th
e C
asua
lty A
ctua
rial
Soci
ety.
The
type
of i
nsur
ance
you
dea
l with
will
dete
rmin
ew
hich
pat
h to
pur
sue.
Mos
t act
uarie
s ta
ke th
ese
exam
s w
hile
wor
king
full-
time,
and
the
proc
ess
take
s se
vera
l yea
rs.
•O
btai
n ex
perie
nce
thro
ugh
inte
rnsh
ips
or s
umm
er a
nd p
art-
time
jobs
.•
Seek
lead
ersh
ip p
ositi
ons
in c
ampu
s or
gani
zatio
ns.
B.S.
/B.A
. DEG
REE
MAS
TER
/PH
.D. D
EGR
EE
BAN
KIN
G A
ND
FIN
AN
CECA
REER
EX
AM
PLES
UN
IVER
SITY
OF
UTA
H A
LUM
CA
REER
SPL
AN
NIN
G
•C
orpo
rate
and
Con
sum
er C
redi
t Ana
lysi
s•
Com
mer
cial
Len
ding
•Tr
ust M
anag
emen
t•
Cap
ital S
ervi
ces
and
Mer
gers
and
Acq
uisi
tions
•M
ortg
age
Loan
s•
Orig
inat
ions
and
Pac
kagi
ng•
Bran
ch M
anag
emen
t•
Ope
ratio
ns•
Cas
h M
anag
emen
t•
Cre
dit S
corin
g an
d R
isk
Man
agem
ent
•Pr
ivat
e Ba
nkin
g•
Fina
ncia
l Ana
lysi
s•
Inve
stm
ent B
anki
ng
•Lo
an O
ffice
r•
Vice
Pre
side
nt o
f Equ
ities
/Tec
hnol
ogie
s
•In
vest
men
t Res
earc
her (
Emph
asis
in S
tatis
tics/
M.S
tat)
•In
vest
men
t Ris
k An
alys
t
•D
oubl
e m
ajor
or m
inor
in b
usin
ess
to b
uild
a s
olid
back
grou
nd in
mar
ketin
g, fi
nanc
e, a
nd a
ccou
ntin
g.•
Gai
n ex
perie
nce
thro
ugh
part-
time,
sum
mer
or i
nter
nshi
ppo
sitio
ns in
a fi
nanc
ial s
ervi
ces
firm
.•
Dev
elop
stro
ng in
terp
erso
nal a
nd c
omm
unic
atio
n sk
ills in
orde
r to
wor
k w
ell w
ith a
div
erse
clie
ntel
e.•
Serv
e as
the
finan
cial
offi
cer o
r tre
asur
er o
f a s
tude
ntor
gani
zatio
n.•
Plan
to e
arn
an M
BA to
ent
er in
vest
men
t ban
king
.•
Be g
eogr
aphi
cally
flex
ible
whe
n jo
b se
arch
ing.
•Se
rve
as th
e fin
anci
al o
ffice
r or t
reas
urer
of a
stu
dent
orga
niza
tion.
•Pl
an to
ear
n an
MBA
to e
nter
inve
stm
ent b
anki
ng.
B.S.
/B.A
. DEG
REE
MAS
TER
/PH
.D. D
EGR
EE
5
*This contains information that was surveyed directly from alumni of the University of Utah Department ofMathematics.
ADVICE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS*
“Spend as much time as you can talking to people in or connected to the math department about what they do, what they like about what they do, and
what they’ve seen others do with a math degree. The possibilities seem to be numerous and trying to get a sense of these things early will let you take advantage of the flexibility in the degree program to craft an experience that
helps you get where you want to go.”
RE
GA
RD
ING
CLA
SSE
S A
ND
ED
UC
ATI
ON
:
“Learn computer languages. I also would say to talk to as many faculty members as possible. That is how I got into what I’m doing now, by talking to one of my
professors and taking a few classes from him.”
“Take what's interesting, not what's easy, not what fits in your schedule. You'll have an easier
time during interviews when they asked what you learned or what you liked in school.”
“Look at job opening postings of careers you think you would want and then tailor the remainder of your
education to fit the description.”
“Getting involved with research as an undergraduate was the best thing I did. So many doors and opportunities were opened to me because of this. I feel like my education was
more rounded and diverse than it would have been otherwise.”
“Learning to ask people for help was something that was critical to me making it through my mathematics education and
is valuable today, five years later. I remember spending a lot of time in the basement whiteboard rooms - those are some
of the days that I’ve felt the most intellectually challenged and connected to my classmates.”
6
“Linear algebra is extremely important and versatile. Learning to code is really relevant to qualifying for many of the higher
paying jobs that hire mathematics majors. Check job boards for qualifications while you’re still a student.”
“Start now putting together a list of skills that you are developing, like programming. If you do work, like
tutoring or TA’ing, that can count as leadership skills.”
“I wish I would have put more effort into resume building, extracurriculars, more internships, research, applicable part-time jobs, etc. I started doing research as a senior and wish I would have started much sooner. These
types of things can really strengthen a resume and make it much easier to write when you have plenty of relevant content to draw on.”
“Start networking early. Contact places of employment before your schooling is
complete. Let schools/companies know of your interest in working there.”
“I wish I’d taken more advantage of the opportunities as a student to get involved and prepare for a career: doing
research, participating in internships, and making connections. Utilize the opportunities now!”
“I would say to be flexible and realize that mathematics gives you skills that can be applied across a wide range of careers, not all of which use mathematics. Remember that your undergraduate degree gives you a
base to build on, and that a lot of what you need to know will be learned on the job. I would also recommend that students take advantage of Career
Services here on campus.”
“Be sure to familiarize yourself with the software development world. Any technical degree or discipline oriented in math is also going to be associated with software development. Understanding the software planning/development/release
process would be a major benefit.”
RE
GA
RD
ING
SK
ILLS
AN
D E
XP
ER
IEN
CE
:
7
RE
GA
RD
ING
LO
OK
ING
FO
R A
JO
B:
“I applied to many industries before graduating (energy, finance, consulting, etc.). My advice would be to
prepare a lot for interviews. Your career counselor is a great resource and the career fair actually works.”
“Start early to apply for jobs. It takes about 6 months to find a job, so start early.”
“Apply for all sorts of jobs that look interesting. Having a math degree is impressive so don’t limit yourself to just numbers jobs. There’s tons of positions that would like an analytical person.”
“Create a personal website early, and showcase all of your assignments and work from day 1. When you go to an interview with a website put together and say look at all the stuff I’ve done
they are much more likely to hire you.”
“Find something that you are willing to spend 8 hours a day doing, because that’s what will lead you to
success and fulfillment.”
RE
GA
RD
ING
“SE
LLIN
G P
OIN
TS”
WH
EN
LO
OK
ING
FO
R A
JO
B:
“A math degree from Utah is essentially a degree in analytical thinking and problem solving, which is both interesting and very
applicable to a wide range of careers (I’m a perfect example of this - I started my career in manufacturing engineering and am now in
mergers and acquisitions/business strategy).”
“It’s extremely versatile, applies to almost any subject, and shows potential employers that you have the ability
to think in abstract and applied ways to tackle problems.”
“Mathematics gives students good thinking, reasoning, and problem solving skills. If students have chosen their courses wisely they may also gain computing skills and knowledge of statistics, which are key in many fields. Having a math degree tells potential employers that you are smart
and have the ability to learn on the job.”
8
RE
GA
RD
ING
CO
MP
UTI
NG
/SO
FTW
AR
E T
O
LEA
RN
WH
ILE
GE
TTIN
G A
DE
GR
EE
:“I loved learning and using MatLab and other math softwares but I wish I would have also taken computer science courses as part of the math
major. I think it would have been useful to learn Python, Java, HTML, and other non math softwares more rigorously.”
“R, SAS, SQL, C++. I would have liked to learn ANY language just so I could have experience in computer languages. Not a side note or a “by the way you need skill this in our class” but a full on mathematical
computer science language learning class.”
“I wish I had perhaps done a little more programming (e.g. Matlab, or even Java or C++) as an undergraduate. I know a math degree is not a computer science degree, and math majors can generally pick up programming languages quickly, but it still seems like almost every
mathematics-related (not teaching-related) job posting I have come across has a requirement for programming languages.”
“I wish I learned programming, as it seemed every company was looking for programming experience.”
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES COMMONLY MENTIONED IN ALUMNI SURVEY:
• C++• LaTeX
• Python• R
• SAS• SQL
• Mathematica• MatLab
STAY CONNECTED
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linkedin.com/in/uofumathematics
facebook.com/uofumathematics
@uofumath
math.utah.edu
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