The study of mathematics has its own rewards because accomplishment in the subject, even at a relatively elementary level, requires and promotes clarity of both thought and expression. For many, the study of mathematics offers entrance into an exciting world of challenges where beauty and utility coexist in balanced harmony.

A major in mathematics may be seen as the first step toward obtaining a graduate degree in one of the mathematical sciences, or it may constitute preparation for a professional degree program in a field such as education, medicine, law, or business. It also opens the door to a whole range of employment opportunities, as the analytical skills that a student develops in pursuing a major in mathematics are greatly valued by potential employers. There are, for example, excellent career prospects in actuarial work and in the rapidly growing areas of biomathematics and biostatistics (interpreting results of clinical trials), modeling (in industry, government, and finance), and cryptology (in banking, television, the Internet, and elsewhere).