Opportunities in Math & Computer Science
Professional Organizations
- American Mathematical Society (AMS)
- AMS's information for undergraduate mathematics majors
- Mathematical Association of America (MAA)
- MAA's Students page
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
- IEEE
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)
- SIAM's Students page
- Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM)
- American Statistical Association (ASA)
Internships, Study Abroad, and Summer Opportunities
Every student should strongly consider having an internship, study abroad, or summer research experience during their undergraduate education.
Internships: The AMS maintains a list of internship opportunities, many of which would be decent opportunities for a mathematics or computer science student. Many of the career websites linked below will also have internship information. The National Security Agency also has a number of internship programs in mathematics and computer science.
Study Abroad: The AMS maintains a list of semester programs in mathematics, including Math in Moscow and the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics.
Summer Research: One of the most widespread summer research programs is the NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. REU sites exist in every science at dozens of schools across the country. The AMS maintains a list of REU sites in mathematics. The NSF REU site will list programs in all disciplines, including computer science. NASA also sponsors many educational programs. Closer to home, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory hosts a Research Alliance in Math and Science summer program for minorities (including women).
Graduate School
Some careers in mathematics and computer science require an advanced degree. Graduate school is also a rewarding way to continue to learn about the subject you love.
One source of information is the annual U.S. News and World Report Graduate School Rankings.
Many of the professional societies also provide information and links about graduate school:
- AMS: Considering Graduate School in the Mathematical Sciences?
- MAA: Is Graduate School for You?
- ACM: Graduate Assistantship Directory
Careers
There are a wide range of career options in business, industry, government, and academics available to graduates with a mathematics or computer science career.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics produces regular Occupational Outlook reports. See what they have to say about mathematics and computer science:
- Occupational Outlook for Mathematicians (be sure to look into the related occupations)
- Occupational Outlook for Computer Scientists and Database Administrators (be sure to look into the related occupations)
Many of the professional organizations provide career pages, including:
- AMS: Career Services; see especially the Non-Academic Career Information page.
- AMS: Career, Jobs, and Internship links for undergraduates.
- MAA: Mathematics Careers; includes a link to mathematics classifieds.
- ACM: Computing Careers and Career & Job Center
- IEEE: Career and Employment Resources
- SIAM: Careers & Jobs
- AWM: Career Resources
- ASA: Career Center
Actuarial science is an attractive career path for many. Explore this option at the following links:
- Be An Actuary, produced by the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society
- Actuaryjobs.com, a website for an actuary recruitment company