Mathematics and Statistics

Choose your focus

Students with specific career goals may be interested in following the course selection guidelines in one or more of the focus areas shown below:

Actuarial careers

Actuaries are professionals who work in the insurance industry and related areas, and the profession is consistently listed among the top jobs based on factors such as salary and job satisfaction.

Entry into the profession is based on the passage of a series of examinations and completion of certified courses that carry Validation by Educational Experience (VEE) credit.

You will take courses mathematics, statistics, economics and finance. In addition to the core courses in the BS in Mathematics program, we suggest taking these courses:

MAT 239 Differential Equations
MAT 480 Mathematics of Finance Modeling
STA 474C Introduction to Mathematical Statistics II

For VEE-applied statistical methods credit:
- STA 471 Regression Analysis
- STA 477 Time Series Analysis

For VEE-economics credit:
- ECO 284 Principles of Economics: Micro
- ECO 285 Principles of Economics: Macro

For VEE-corporate finance credit:
- FIN 311 Principles of Finance
- FIN 331 Investments

Other helpful courses:
- MAT 362 Introduction to Numerical Analysis
- MAT 562 Interest Theory for Actuarial Science
- MAT 565 Actuarial Mathematics
- MAT 567 Risk Theory

Note: It is helpful for you to have passed two or more of the Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuary Society exams when applying for an actuary job.

Statistics

A statistician uses numbers to measure, interpret, and describe the world and the patterns within it. These skills are ideal for the fields of natural sciences, finance, insurance, and government.

In addition to the core courses in the BS in Mathematics program, we suggest taking these courses:

STA 371 Intermediate Statistics
STA 471 Regression Analysis
STA 474C Introduction to Mathematical Statistics II
Other helpful courses:
- MAT 362 Introduction to Numerical Analysis
- MAT 467 Operations Research
- STA 570 Statistical Methods I
- STA 571 Statistical Methods II
- STA 572 Multivariate Statistical Methods
- STA 574 Categorical Data Analysis
- STA 575 Applied Sampling

Applied mathematics

Applied mathematics is a term that covers a wide range of areas of application like science, engineering, business, and industry.

In addition to the core courses in the BS in Mathematics program, we suggest taking the following courses:

MAT 239 Differential Equations
MAT 331 Laplace Transforms
MAT 335 Complex Variables
MAT 362 Introduction to Numerical Analysis
MAT 368 Mathematical Modeling
MAT 461 Partial Differential Equations
MAT 467 Operations Research
MAT 480 Mathematics of Finance Modeling
STA 471 Regression Analysis
STA 477 Time Series Analysis

Note: The courses listed above cover applicable mathematics and statistics, but even more abstract courses not listed here have significant applications, like for example cryptography, in the case of MAT 318 - Elementary Number Theory.

Preparation for graduate study in mathematics

Prepare yourself for your pursuits of a graduate degree in mathematics or a related area.

We suggest taking these courses to provide a basic foundation:

MAT 318 Elementary Number Theory
MAT 335 Complex Variables
MAT 412C Introduction to Abstract Algebra II
MAT 441C Introduction to Topology
MAT 485 Undergraduate Research
MAT 511 Abstract Algebra
MAT 531 Real Analysis
Other 500-level MAT courses