What Are the Course Requirements for a Math Major?
Learn about the math major course requirements that you'll face in the United States, whether you're an undergraduate math major or completing a graduate math degree.
Every major in college has different required and recommended courses, so it's important to make sure you know what they are before you commit to a specific major or course load.
While math major course requirements can sometimes differ based on the college you're attending or the level of education you're pursuing, there are some commonalities you can depend on going into your major.
In addition to requirements for every college student in the United States, math majors need to take courses ranging from statistics and calculus to computer science and economics.
You can find more in-depth information about your required math major course below.
The Main Courses You Need to Take to Be a Math Major in College
As everyone who wants to attend college knows, certain specific courses have to be completed as the baseline for any major.
Most of these requirements include core subjects like English, history, math, and science, sometimes with a foreign language included.
That's also true for math majors, but they also include a lot more advanced math and can sometimes have specializations that require different courses.
Today, we'll start with the common requirements and work our way to specializations and exceptions.
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Common Math Major Requirements
Common math major required courses include general education, electives, and advanced math courses.
A math major's general education requirements can include liberal arts classes like:
Electives offer more flexibility and can include additional general education courses or special courses related to physical activities or media.
Advanced math courses you'll take can depend on what kind of math major you're pursuing.
Pure mathematics majors will take calculus and multiple algebra courses, while applied mathematics majors will statistics and economics courses.
Other common advanced math courses that math majors will take include number theory, probability, geometry, analysis, and logic.
There are more requirements for math major specializations, as you'll see next.
Math Major Specialization Course Requirements
Depending on what kind of math career you want to pursue, your math major can be broken down into multiple different specializations that range from a particular type of math to a specific career.
Math specializations include:
- Statistics and Probability
- Applied math
- Education
- Biology
- Financial
- Computer science
- Business
Check with your college and program of choice to find out what concentrations, specializations, and tracks are available for your math major.
The common math major requirements above should apply to most, if not all, of these specializations, but each can require different math or related courses.
A business or financial track may require accounting courses, and the education track will often require calculus, whereas the statistics track doesn't.
Are There Any Math Courses That Don't Count Toward Your Math Major?
While most math courses will count toward your math major credit requirements, there are a few specialized math classes that do not because they were designed for business, healthcare, or other majors that use math frequently but don't rely on it exclusively.
For example, someone who wants to major in math education can take accounting and finance courses, but they won't count toward the math course requirements for their major.
Math courses in subjects such as economics, computer science, or philosophy are often considered either elective courses or part of your minor rather than your major.
Luckily, you're unlikely to run into classes that don't count toward your major and graduation in some way unless you specialize your degree with one of the concentrations listed above.
Colleges Where You Can Pursue a Math Major
If you want to pursue a math major that adheres to the course requirements outlined above, plenty of options are available to you right now.
Here are some of the top colleges in the United States where you can pursue a math major ?primarily at the undergraduate level:
- The University of Maryland
- Meredith College
- The University of Arizona
- The University of North Carolina
- The University of Massachusetts
- Ohio State University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Vanderbilt University
- New York University
- The University of Michigan
Many of these universities also offer the opportunity to complete your major or specific courses online, so be sure to check and see during the admissions process whether you can be an online student to make your college experience a bit easier.
What Careers Can You Pursue as a Math Major?
Once you've completed all your required math degree courses and gotten your degree in math, what are you supposed to do with it?
When they start their program, many math students aren't sure what careers they'll pursue after graduation.
Here are some of the top positions for math majors to pursue after they've graduated and obtained their degrees:
- Accountant
- Data analyst
- Market research analyst
- Economist
- Math teacher
- Financial planner
- Meteorologist
- Life insurance underwriter
Find Your Perfect Math Major Program Today
Now that you know about math major course requirements that you'll have to meet, it's time to find your ideal math major and college.
Learn.org can help you start your higher education journey today with everything you need to know about math-focused colleges.
