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MATH PATHS
Discover where a math degree can take you.
A degree in mathematics prepares you to advance in tech, medicine, communication, economics, engineering, law, and beyond. Logic, problem solving, critical analysis—these will all serve you as you step into the workforce. Read on to discover where you can go with your math degree.
Relevant Job Skills and Requirements
As you step into the job market, a math degree equips you with both hard and soft skills that employers are seeking, including:
- Software skills such as Excel (including VBA scripts), other MS products (People SoZ etc.), SAS/SPSS, SQL, C+, R, CPLEX
- Technical skills including statistics, modelling, and optimization
- Project management skills
- Communication skills
- Critical analytical and problem-solving skills
- Group work skills—the ability to work with others and resolve conflict
- Ability to understand and communicate quantitative and graphical information
- Ability to model and synthesize
Not only are you well-positioned for the job market, once in your career, you are more likely to enjoy it: mathematicians, actuarial scientists and statisticians experience above average job satisfaction according to the Chronicle of Higher Education and Jobs Rated Almanac (January 2009).
Future Jobs for Math Graduates
Your degree gives you knowledge and technical skill to advance in a broad range of career settings including:
- Banks
- Chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturers
- Communications server providers
- Computer service and software firms
- Consulting firms
- Design firms
- Electronics and computer manufacturers
- Engineering research organizations
- Financial services
- Forestry services
- Government labs
- Healthcare providers
- Logistics
- Petroleum producers
- Education institutions
- Tech startups
- University-based research organizations
- Cities and development planning organizations
SFU Co-operative Education
Click here or contact scicoop@sfu.ca
Previous co-op placements held by APMA, MATH, and MACM Majors:
| Organization | Position Title |
| Activision Blizzard Inc | Software Development Internship |
| Lockheed Martin Global | Foreign Objects Internship |
| Semtech - Sierra Wireless | Software Test Engineer |
| Walt Disney Animation Studios | Co-op Software Engineer, Lighting & Materials |
| WorkSafeBC | Business Intelligence Analyst |
| Absolute Software | Associate Software Developer |
| Glentel | Junior IT Administrator |
| LifeLabs Medical Laboratories | IT Deskside Co-op |
| Fig Leaf Group | Full Stack Developer Co-op |
| Microchip | CBU Software Engineer |
| NETGEAR | Orbi Software Test Engineer |
| Operto Guest Technology | Junior Quality Assurance Engineer |
| SFU (NSERC) | USRA Research Assistant |
| SFU Faculty of Applied Sciences | Energy Systems Modelling Co-op |
| Statistics Canada | Data Integration Co-op Student |
| Translink | Software Test Analyst |
| BC Ministry of Health | Health Sector Information, Analysis and Reporting |
| BC Ministry of Health | Alternative Payment Program Co-op Student |
| Huawei | Machine Learning Research Assistant |
| Huawei | Autonomous Driving Research Assistant |
| NRC | Experimental Data Collection and Management |
| Statistics Canada | Junior Statistician-Mathematician |
Further Study Opportunities
A math degree from 91ÅÝܽ your stepping stone to further studies in professional schools or graduate programs. In fact, mathematics, statistics and physics majors achieve the highest average scores on entrance exams for law and medical schools in the US.
Your undergraduate degree will set you up to apply to other programs including:
- Broad professional schools like medicine and law
- Specialized professional programs in finance, industrial engineering, or management science
- MSc and PhD programs in topics like mathematics, statistics, computer science, industrial engineering, and economics
- MBA programs in operations research, management science, or systems science