Careers

Career opportunities in mathematics lie in four different areas: working in the actuarial or financial services sectors; researching and applying mathematics in business, government or industry; doing research and teaching mathematics at a university; and teaching mathematics in a college or secondary school.

K-State math graduates work as analysts, consultants, programmers or researchers for businesses; as financial, numerical or systems analysts for financial or high-tech companies; as actuaries for insurance and mutual fund companies; as consultants, cryptologists, mathematicians or statisticians for the government; or as mathematical scientists in research labs.

Research and teaching at the university level requires additional training in the applied or theoretical side of mathematics. Researchers at major universities such as K-State create most new mathematics. Mathematics education involves teaching at the secondary school, community college, four-year college and university levels.

The Department of Mathematics at K-State offers training in the fundamentals leading to positions in each of these career areas. Degrees granted by the department include the B.S., B.A.,M.S., concurrent B.S. and M.S. and Ph.D. Students who earn a master’s degree may pursue a career as a community college teacher.