Careers in Mathematics

Before exploring the variety of careers available to mathematicians, let us dispel a few misconceptions about what mathematics is really about and what benefits it can provide.

What is Mathematics?

Mathematics is more than just a required school subject - Galileo described mathematics as being the "language of the sciences".

But, mathematics is also the language of the arts. Music compositions are comprised of patterns of rests, whole notes, quarters, etc. Some think that metered poetry uses patterns/rhythms to convey meaning and words to provide a metaphor. Similarly, the use of patterns, structure, and relationships between quantities and qualities underlie painting, sculpture and architecture too.

With the growing use of computers, do we still need mathematics? Computers and computer applications are only tools that are comprised of logic and mathematical algorithms. Understanding mathematics is the key to manipulating computers to do what we want them to do.

Mathematics is an art-form unto itself. It is an act of creative genius to recognize patterns from something seemingly random; to organize this pattern in a meaningful way; and to manipulate the model to reach a desired result.

What can Mathematics do for me?

By training the mind to look for patterns and form mathematical models, one learns logical thinking, conceptualization and problem solving. This ability can help you function in a variety of ways.

Daily, mathematics can help you:

• comparison shop,
• schedule your time wisely,
• answer that skill-testing question,
• Figure out how much material is needed for that construction/renovation project,
• convert that recipe to serve a group of 25,
• choose the best route to scale a cliff,
• play and win a pool tournament,
• calculate the odds of winning the lottery.
• much much more!

A degree in mathematics can give you a strong analytical base that includes highly developed skills in abstraction and conceptualization, analysis of underlying structures, critical thinking and problem solving, simulation and modeling.

More advanced mathematics can help you:

• develop new medical devices/procedures,
• plan for city growth,
• design new snowboards, wind-surfers, cars, stereos
• adjust the scale of a company 's operation to meet fluctuating demand requirements,
• find new methods of resource extraction,
• create policy for sustainable development,
• conduct ecological impact studies
• design smart transportation systems,
• plan your personal financial strategy
• stun the audience with amazing special effects in the next action thriller film

The versatility of mathematics certainly agreeably impacts an individual's employability. The skills and tools one acquires from studying mathematics prove invaluable to employers. The transferability of these skills to a variety of careers proves invaluable to employees.

Career Possibilities

Because mathematics is a way of looking at the world, mathematicians make strong candidates in a wide variety of careers. Traditional careers involve education and research, but mathematical training is also critical to success in a number of industrial, government, and professional consulting jobs.

"Many different success stories testify to the crucial value-added of mathematics in important real-world problems, including materials processing, automobile design, medical diagnosis, development of financial products, network management, and weather prediction" [SIAM Report on Mathematics in Industry ]

Possibilities include:

• Aircraft Designer
• Agriculture Researcher
• Animator/Animatronics
• Astronaut/Pilot
• Biomechanic Consultant
• Biomedical Researcher
• Cabinet Minister
• Civil Engineer/City Planner
• Consultant
• Cryptographer/Systems Security
• Econometrician
• Educator (primary, secondary, post-secondary)
• Environmental Consultant
• Financial Analyst
• Geophysical Model Designer
• Health Care Analyst
• Information Technologist
• Lawyer/Paralegal
• Manager
• Manufacturing Engineer
• Market Researcher/Analyst
• Mathematician
• Medical practitioner/researcher
• Meteorologist
• Musical Composer
• Numerical Analyst
• Operations Researcher
• Physicist
• Research Scientist
• Risk Analyst
• Software Engineer
• Systems Programmer/Analyst
• Telecommunications engineer
• and many more....

Career Roads

How do I get there?
What will I find at the end?

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers undergraduate study (majors and minors) in four disciplines: Actuarial Studies, Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics and Statistics. General Mathematics is available as only a major program (no minor is available). Possibilities also exist for combining the disciplinary BSc degrees with other programs, including joint degree honours combinations. Graduate study is available in the fields of Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics and Statistics.

Actuarial Studies

Actuaries forecast the cost of future risks. Actuarial work involves assembling and analyzing statistics to calculate probabilities of death, sickness, injury, disability, unemployment, retirement, and property loss. To have an effective, well-rounded business approach to problem-solving, actuaries must also be up-to-date on business issues and trends, social science, law, and economics. While a university program prepares individuals to join the ranks of the actuarial profession, it is also important for a student to write the professional examinations of the Society of Actuaries and/or Casualty Actuarial Society to strengthen employability upon graduation.

Actuarial Studies Graduates can expect to begin careers working in investment, underwriting or pension planning departments. Ambitious individuals may gear their careers to more exciting executive positions in Senior Corporate Administration, Government, or their own Consulting Firms.

Actuaries can expect to:

• determine company policy wrt human resources,
• assess implications of corporate diversification,
• evaluate proposed legislation,
• develop pension, insurance and welfare plans,
• consult in legal disputes concerning insurance, personal liability, lost wages, divorce.

More information about the actuarial profession in North America is available on the internet web-sites www.soa.org and www.casact.org and from the Division of Actuarial Science and Statistics.

Applied Mathematics

Applied Mathematics is the study of mathematical aspects that arise in the physical, biological, and social sciences, engineering, economics, business, and other areas of human endeavor. Since such a wide range of mathematics is used within these fields, Applied Mathematics involves all the major areas of mathematics. With the advent of speedy computers we can now simulate complex problems such as weather systems, economic systems or nuclear explosions without actually running the experiment.

Pure Mathematics

Pure Mathematics is the creation, development, and exploration of knowledge through mathematical structures. Aesthetic balance and elegance motivate mathematical creativity, with deductive reasoning a central method of communication. An important part of the mathematics now used in the natural and life sciences, applied mathematics, computing science, and diverse other areas is first developed as Pure Mathematics.

Distinctions between Applied and Pure Mathematics have never been clearly defined; many famous figures have contributed to both. Correspondingly, career opportunities are rarely distinct between the two specialties.

Mathematicians can expect to:

• develop models that can be used to understand and predict financial/stock markets; weather patterns and global warming; ecosystems and environmental impacts; medical epidemics and body functions; satellites and orbits
• devise coding/encryption systems for use in telecommunications and cable systems; security systems; satellite and computer systems; information transfer; and strategic studies
• create of computer imaging techniques for use in developing medical procedures and apparatuses; animation and film special effects; oil and gas discovery/recovery techniques; smart transportation systems; motion and fluid dynamics
• address priority and scheduling concerns for production time-lines, computer server usage, air and other traffic control
• optimizing product design, manufacturing processes, development and marketing Additional program and career information can be gained by contacting advisors in the Division of Applied Mathematics and the Division of Pure Mathematics.

Statistics

Statistics has been defined as the science of learning from data. It includes everything from planning for the collection of data and subsequent data management to end-of-the-line activities such as drawing inferences from data and presentation of results.

Learning from data is one of the most relevant and vital challenges of the information age, providing exciting opportunities for those who work as professional statisticians. Statistics is essential for the proper running of government, central to decision-making in industry, and a core component of modern educational curricula at all levels.

• conduct , develop and analyze polls and surveys regarding social, management and political issues
• develop marketing and advertising strategies
• study cause and effect, forecasting and viability studies for applications in:
  • pharmaceutical effectiveness and usage
  • new product design
  • community health issues
  • finance and market analysis
  • environmental studies
  • forensic studies
• design scientific experiments and analyze results
• advise policy makers and consult at hearings
• conduct and analyze quality control measures

More information about careers in statistics and the statistics profession is available on the internet web-sites www.amstat.org and www.ssc.ca.

General Mathematics

Government agencies, business and industrial sectors are continually searching for employees that have strong backgrounds in mathematics, "... usually along with considerable knowledge in some other area such as computing science, economics, geography, chemistry, physics, etc." [Univ. of Sask. Math website ]

Traditionally, those with more technical career goals couple a strong mathematics concentration with another field of study (both undergraduate and graduate level). The Department has recognized that there are individuals who seek a broader background in mathematics, and has introduced the General Mathematics Undergraduate major program.

This program, with some course flexibility and minimal requirements, provides an opportunity to customize an interdisciplinary degree to your needs and career goals. (E.g. General Mathematics combinations have been developed with Computer Science and Education).

• teach in primary and secondary school environments
• analyze computer/software requirements
• compose musical scores with the aid of computers, synthesized instruments
• write novels/screen plays with themes of espionage, detection, forensics, science fiction, medical and other technical procedures.
• computer imaging in advertising, animation, robotics
• invent a new device or process