USUs undergraduate degree in mathematics is a versatile program where students have a large variety of options as they study different areas in mathematics. The department is a close-knit unit where students receive individual attention from faculty mentors and the opportunity to pursue undergraduate research.
Students receive a BS by completing all required courses in the major. To receive a BA, students must also gain proficiency in one or more foreign languages.
Emphases:
Students can complete the mathematics degree without an emphasis where they will gain a solid education in mathematics areas, including algebraic structures, analysis/advanced calculus, complex variables, partial differential equations, and more. This degree path is a broad choice where students have many elective options, and it also serves as solid preparation for graduate school, both in mathematics and statistics, but also in engineering and medical school.
Students can also do an applied mathematics option, which is not an official emphasis, where students take courses in computer science and physics to learn how to use mathematics in applied settings solving real problems. This option makes students more marketable for careers once they graduate.
- Computational Mathematics: This emphasis deals with solving mathematical problems with computers and covers a wide range of coursework in computational mathematics and computer science. Students in this emphasis typically pursue careers as mathematicians for various companies that use computers.
- Actuarial Science: An actuary is a business professional who uses mathematical skills to define, analyze, and solve financial and social problems. USU is one of the only universities where students can complete the full undergraduate program in actuarial science required for job placement as an actuary. USU graduates in actuarial science require no further education in graduate school and receive 100% job placement in a career that is consistently rated as one of the top two careers in terms of job satisfaction, opportunities for advancement, and pay. This emphasis is also available through the statistics degree, but it is essentially the same.
- Applied Mathematics: The emphasis in applied mathematics prepares students for careers in industry as well as graduate school in pure/applied mathematics, statistics, computer science and engineering. Internship and paid undergraduate research opportunities are available in quantitative biology and ecology, mathematical engineering, computational and data science, business, finance and economics. Our alumni are employed in data- and technology-oriented private industry as well as federal and state research institutions. Students receive foundational grounding in theoretical mathematical sciences and application-oriented training in model development and analysis, dynamic and stochastic systems, asymptotic analysis, differential equations, computational techniques, complex variables, statistics, data science and interdisciplinary problem-solving. The program provides excellent preparation for advanced study in applied topics, and students are consistently accepted into top-tier graduate schools.