Math and Computer Science Careers

What can I do with a mathematics and computer science degree?

A 2009 study showed that the top three best jobs in terms of income and other factors were careers suited for math and computer science degrees. In addition to teaching, math and computer science graduates can pursue a variety of careers.

Rapid employment growth of 58 percent is expected in actuarial consulting services needed to evaluate and manage employee benefit plans for employers, as well as do contract work for insurers. In addition, more industries are expected to use consulting actuaries to assess risks across all areas of business, a practice known as enterprise risk management. 

Another use for applied mathematics and computer science will be in cloud computing (data storage and computing over the Internet) which is creating many new sources of data that can be mined and analyzed.

Graduate studies

An undergraduate degree in mathematics or computer science can serve as an excellent foundation for pursuing a technical graduate degree in engineering or physics, for example.

Job opportunities

For detailed information about an undergraduate mathematics and computer science degree career opportunities, see also Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Actuaries, Statisticians, Survey Researchers, Financial Analysts, and market Research Analysts.

A graduate degree in mathematics is the most common educational requirement for mathematicians. However, there are positions for those with a bachelor’s degree in math.

• Actuarial science (finance and insurance industries)
• Applied mathematician
• Biomathematics
• Computer scientist
• Credit representative
• Cryptography
• Data analyst
• Financial analyst
• Industrial traffic manager
• Payroll specialist
• Research analyst
• Risk assessment
• Statistician
• Survey researcher
• Systems analyst
• Underwriter

What can I do with a data analytics degree?

In our technology-driven society, data is everywhere. Interpreting that data helps organizations make important decisions. 

Data analytics pairs extremely well with other fields that commonly use large and complex data sets. Think of political scientists or sociologists analyzing census data, digital marketers or financial planners following market trends, or biologists or chemists tracking clinical trials.

In this major, students develop high-demand technical skills in SQL, Excel, Python, R, data visualization and data analysis. In addition, they get real-world experience of working on projects and on teams through an internship and project-based courses. Acquiring these skills will give you a significant advantage in securing a job in the public or private sectors.

Job opportunities

Popular career pathways include:

• Business analyst and data scientist
• Business intelligence analyst
• Computer and information systems manager
• Data analyst and data scientist
• Data engineer
• Electrical engineer
• IT systems analyst
• Marketing analyst
• Operations analyst
• Project manager
• Software developer and engineer
• Transportation logistics specialist