Math: Now What?

Math…NOW WHAT?

What do Mathematicians Do?

Many mathematicians work in academia, earning a Master’s degree and teaching at the grade school level or earning a PhD in their field and teaching at a college or university.  Additionally, mathematicians work in nearly all other fields, including astronomy, space exploration, climate research, medicine, national security, robotics, animated film, and in a wide range of businesses that involve the use of data.

Check out the American Mathematical Society’s undergraduate resources https://www.ams.org/learning-careers/students/undergraduate for more information on careers in math.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WITH A MATH DEGREE?

  • Actuarial and Insurance
    • Actuary
    • Benefits Specialist
    • Financial Analyst
    • Investment Analyst
  • Computer and Information Sciences
    • Applications Programmer
    • Computational Scientist
    • Computer Programmer
    • Computer Systems Analyst
    • Cryptanalyst
    • Data Scientist/Analyst
    • Database Administrator
    • Software Engineer
  • Teaching/Academic Research
    • College or University Professor
    • Community College Instructor
    • Teacher
  • Operations Research
    • Operations Research Analyst
    • Systems Engineer
  • Statistics
    • Biometrician
    • Demographer
    • Econometrician
    • Psychometrician
    • Quality Control Analyst
    • Statistician
  • Business/Industry
    • Applied Mathematician
    • Business Analyst
    • Communications Engineer
    • Market Researcher
    • Product Developer
  • Health
    • Biomathematician
    • Data Analyst
    • Biomedical Engineer
    • Ecologist

Previous Internship Sites as self-reported by UMass Amherst Math students :

To see where other Math students have completed internships, research projects, and career-related jobs, check out the Student Experiential Learning Database.  On the right, click on Departments, then check off Mathematics and Statistics to filter the results to Math majors. 

Sample REUs

Selection of Employers for recent UMass Amherst Math alumni:

Class of 2025:

  • EBSCO
  • BDKMarket Group Investment Management
  • Airoli
  • UMass Amherst
  • Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Liberty Mutual Insurance
  • John Hancock
  • Hanover Insurance Group
  • Workforce
  • CVS Health         
  • eSecLending
  • Quantech Services
  • Columbia University
  • LifeNet Health
  • Publicis Sapient
  • Norfolk & Dedham Group
  • AIG
  • International Study Center at Boston College
  • Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield
  • Pembroke & Co. 
  • Lavner Education
  • Hampden Charter School

Classes of 2023 & 2024

  • Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon)
  • Barclays Bank
  • Bates Electric
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Brown & Brown Insurance
  • Clean Harbors
  • Coakley Middle School
  • Deutsche Bank
  • DraftKings
  • Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS)
  • Fyre
  • High Lawn Farm
  • Inovalon
  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
  • John Hancock Financial
  • Liberty Mutual Insurance
  • Management Solutions
  • Marsh (global professional services firm)
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Medical Information Technology Inc (MEDITECH)
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Norfolk and Dedham Insurance Company
  • Optum
  • Raytheon Technologies
  • Segal Consulting
  • Shanghai Ruiyong Industry
  • Springfield Public School District
  • Tech Mahindra Americas Inc.
  • The Boston Beer Company
  • The TJX Companies
  • TTI Power Equipment
  • United Health Group
  • Unum
  • Wayfair

Selection of Graduate Programs for recent UMass Amherst Math alumni:

MS in Business Analytics at UMass Amherst

MS in Computer Science at UMass Amherst

MS in Statistics at UMass Amherst

MS in Applied Mathematics at UMass Amherst

MS in Finance at UMass Amherst

MS in Data Analytics & Computational Social Science at UMass Amherst

MEd in Secondary Education at UMass Amherst

MS in Business Analytics at Boston University 

MS in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University

MS in Engineering-Applied Mathematics at Columbia University 

MS in Actuarial Science at Columbia University 

MS in Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at Duke University 

MS in Finance at Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

MS in Data Science at Northeastern University 

MS in Statistics at Northeastern University

PhD in Mathematics at University of Chicago

MS in Biostatistics at University of North Carolina

MS in Applied Data Science at University of Southern California

Career Planning Resources & Websites

UMass Amherst CNS Career Center                                      www.cns.umass.edu/careers

UMass Handshake Database of Internships & Jobs             https://app.joinhandshake.com/stu/postings

CNS Completed Research/Internships database                https://secure.cns.umass.edu/webforms/internships

Math-Related Job & Internship Links 

Natl Science Foundation NSF Summer Research Opps               https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.jsp

Casualty Actuarial Society Career Center                            http://careers.casact.org/jobs/

Edge Program for Women Heading to Grad School              https://www.edgeforwomen.org/summer-session/

Federal Pathways Program Internships at NASA                https://www.nasa.gov/careers/pathways/

Math Assoc of America Jobs Board                                      https://maa.org/career-center/

Mathematics Education Jobs                                                https://nctm-jobs.careerwebsite.com/

SIAM (job & internship listings)                                             https://www.siam.org/programs-initiatives/professional-development/career-resources/

Teach for America Internships                                              https://www.teachforamerica.org/

Teaching Math to Elementary & High School                     http://www.topusajobs.com/cgi/search.cgi?

Technology Jobs                                                                       https://www.dice.com/jobs/

IMPORTANT QUALITIES TO INCLUDE ON YOUR RESUME  

  • Critical-thinking skills. Mathematicians & Statisticians use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Problem-solving skills. Mathematicians & Statisticians must develop techniques to overcome problems in data collection and analysis, such as high nonresponse rates, so that they can draw meaningful conclusions.
  • Speaking skills. Mathematicians & Statisticians often work in teams, they must be able to orally communicate statistical information, patterns and ideas so that others will understand.
  • Writing skills. Mathematicians & Statisticians often need to explain technical matters to persons without their level of statistical expertise or present their data & conclusions in a concise & organized manner.

What Do Employers Look For? (NACE 2026 Job Outlook for Students)

Top 10 Skills Employers Seek on a Candidate’s Resume:

  1. Teamwork
  2. Problem-Solving
  3. Communication (verbal)
  4. Technical Skills
  5. Communication (written)
  6. Work Ethic
  7. Analytical/Quantitative Skills
  8. Initiative
  9. Leadership Potential
  10. Detail-Oriented