The Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics requires fewer analytical and advanced courses than the Bachelor of Science. It can be used as a stand-alone program, although the Bachelor of Science is more recommended and most popular as such, but it is also recommended as a supplement to other programs. For example, as a supplement to the Integrated Mathematics major within Education, it can lead to faster advancement within the secondary education profession.

Career Opportunities

A degree in mathematics opens the door to a very wide range of satisfying and lucrative career opportunities. Many of them are consistently top-ranked in annual job satisfaction surveys which take into account key components including salary, work environment, job stability, and benefits. For example, a 2009 survey by the Wall Street Journal found that the top three jobs among the 200 they surveyed were Mathematician, Actuary and Statistician. Each of these careers begins with a mathematics degree (and several others in the top ten also pair well with a math minor or double major).

Indeed, in our technology and information-driven society, the ability to analyze and solve quantitative problems is naturally a key factor which distinguishes the most valuable employees and highest earners. Contrary to a popular misconception (which is not shared worldwide), mathematicians develop problem-solving skills far beyond the domain of textbook problems in arithmetic and algebra—their analytical skills have always been highly valued in the business world. For this reason, mathematics-related careers tend to be less stressful and offer greater work-life balance than most other careers with comparable salaries.