Does the Math Field Support Specialist Work?
The broad field of Mathematics encompasses many academic and professional specializations. While a general competence in mathematics is important in many aspects of our lives, specialized educational training in mathematics tends to lead toward certain highly specialized, and highly remunerative, professional occupations.
-
Specialized Fields of Math in Academia
-
Many colleges and universities offer specialized mathematics courses. The two fundamental types of mathematics are theoretical mathematics and applied mathematics, and these two main sub- categories themselves are further sub-divided into several specializations. For example, under the broad category of theoretical mathematics is the study of differential equations and probability theory. And under the broad category of applied mathematics are courses of study such as economics and statistics.
Specialized Occupations for Math Majors
-
In the Information Age, there is a great commercial demand for employees with advanced math skills. Many high-paying occupations on Wall Street, in academia, in government and in the various high-tech industries require advanced math skills. Today, math majors can be found writing algorithms for Wall Street hedge funds, performing statistical analysis for government agencies and performing economic analysis for the world's largest banks.
-
Choosing a Field of Study
-
If you are interested in studying mathematics, but don't know which specialized field of study is right for you, spend some time visiting college websites. Many of them do a great job explaining the course work involved, and also list the sort of occupations for which a given course, or course of study, is useful.
-