Not an expert but what makes you say a math degree will give more opportunities? Some people are just naturally gifted at programming and the thought processes come quite naturally for them, even without extensive training. Students should review the Department of Economics website for more information about the major and meet with an adviser in th… I love the perspective my Math B.Sc. Mathematics is a very abstract field in many ways, and jumping into a math major is like embarking on a journey through very challenging terrain in an abstract universe. The exact definition of “double major” will depend on the specific school’s policies and terminology. Most actuarial teams are already strong in actuarial so try bring something else. Honestly Math, Stat or Computer science would be great. Within the applied CS world, there are plenty of optimizations (with respect to runtime) you can make via math that pure CS people might not see. Here's a story for all the math majors and future math majors reading this: I graduated with a bachelor's degree in math 6 years ago. Doing both will open up a lot of doors for you. Pursuing an economics major might at first glance seem to provide an education that’s interchangeable with a business major education. You can impress a lot more people with the exams passed AND another major, like maybe pure finance. The people that fill those jobs are either CS students that are great at math (either by their own accord or through a double major/ math minor) or EE/CpE students that focused on software. CS only if you're not sure about the actuarial track, IMO. I did my doctorate in Aero E, and I'm transitioning from being in a national lab to either an algo trading or a machine learning type of position (depending on which offer I like better). As a basic example of stuff not just anyone can do is isn't really maths related and is hard/interesting is optimising some piece of infrastructure mercilessly for your server architecture. I've found that my math degree helps a lot with my theoretical classes (I'm interested in Programming Languages/Formal Methods), and it's very, very easy to understand the theory taught in those classes when the proofs are all ones you've seen but in different forms. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. That said, there are always exceptions. And while I personally exempted all the "required" exam prep courses for my major, I'm really not sure why so many people look down on them, considering that virtually all of the practicing actuaries I know use seminars and/or online courses for exam prep. You should focus on being the best liberal arts major you can be. Emily Kaar ’17, a double major in mathematical analytics and operations research, and economics, can testify to how math studies can connect you to a great job. In addition, the math curriculum is flexible enough that students can take classes in other interest areas or pursue double major or a minor without too much difficulty. If you plan on going into industry, it'll help immensely. Just like accountants, finance majors learn to present financial information to clients and colleagues by using charts, graphs, and other visual aids. In this vein, CS + Math > CS alone if you want to go to grad school for CS. If both majors are in the same college, the student must complete all department/curricular requirements for each major. I am a college freshman and I passed exam P in September, and sitting for FM in February. Math students enjoy a great deal of personal attention. Neither of which are necessarily technically challenging, but lean to requiring a more social/psychological take on things. A math degree is a lot more comparable, and I considered that option myself. Be sure not to treat college just as pre-internship. I want to work on exciting projects though. it limits your future a little more. Thanks for the advice! Fair point! You get so much more by majoring in the other aforementioned 3. Before I dive into the reasons to double major, let me briefly touch upon the 2 majors I think every college student should pursue. I have a BS CS and a BA Math, and I'm currently going for my MS CS. It depends on your goals. Goldman Sachs hires english majors because they went to Ivy League schools, not because investment banking is stupid (not saying it is hard mentally). The skills and talents of accounting majors are easily applied to the fields of investment banking, security assessment, risk management, corporate finance, and of course, banking, among many others.If a student were certain of a dual interest in an accounting-related field (early on in their college career), it would be prudent to consider vying for dual major accounting degrees when graduating. There are different kinds of mathematical ability: 1. I would agree with this the most. People have been telling me that math and computer science are similar, and that math prepares you for CS. It's a chance to invent who you're going to be for the rest of your life. Maybe consider a minor, or switch out of Actuarial Science-Finance. If you major in cs and minor in math you're still golden. I got a job with two exams passed, and you'll have two exams passed before you're done with your freshman year. Jobs for math majors right out of college can be found in insurance, finance… In which case the answer is: yes! It serves as a tool for our scientific understanding of the world. Thanks for the recommendation though! Press J to jump to the feed. That being said, just a math degree will enable you to do more than just a CS degree. Very. This is my opinion but I hate ActSci degrees. The economics major offers two concentrations, policy and theory, as described below. On my current track, I'm planning on graduating in 3 years. Accounting and Computer Science is a challenging major that requires well-developed math skills. I am stuck at a dead end programming job where I earn less than $40,000 per year even though I live close to a major US city and have over 5 years of work … I think the question really is: Can I succeed in finance even though I'm not good at math? I don't get why you'd want / need an Act Sci major. Developing approaches to applied math fields/problems? To add to this, part of the reason a lot of mathematicians make good programmers is the way math makes you think. Beneficial for what? However, the general definition of double major is simply two college majors within one college degree. An increasing number of college students are taking on a second major in the hopes of improving their success in the workforce. Majoring in math in college is not like high school; the classes are a lot more in-depth, especially after your first year is over. The problem with this question is that "beneficial" is a very imprecise word. There are more things in the world that are interesting than just maths and different people will like different things. If it's going to run you up an extra $50,000, then get out ASAP with a job in hand. Plus, a lot of programming involves mathematical models for various phenomena (fluid flow, traffic flow, atomic structure, protein folding, networks, etc.). A student pursuing a double major must complete all university and college requirements. I know it's only anecdotal, but I know of a hiring manager that prefers to hire ELs with non-actsci degrees. For academia? I'm assuming if you were able to pass exam P as a freshman you'd have very little trouble independent studying for MFE or C over the next 2 years. If you're sure you'll be an actuary then I'd focus on keeping your GPA high … Being more marketable for industry? If you want a job in finance and don't go to a T10 school you better major in finance or maybe math. In either case, no course may be taken for which the student does not have the appropriate prerequisites; this includes mathematics prerequisites. Knowledge of mathematics opens gateways to many different professions such as economics, finance, computing, engineering, and the natural sciences. education brings to my CS problem solving. Have you looked at high finance/IB/consulting? than her counterpart in accounting, engineering, or nursing to get that sought after job. You can still pick what you want out of anything right now tbh. This is a very silly notion, that for anyone the most interesting things that one can do as a programmer are maths related. So it can only help knowing some math so that the ideas at least make sense at some level. Thank you for the advice dude, and good luck with graduating! You will learn to solve difficult algorithms and code software programs. Law? ), and maybe even a little SQL and vba, as that will help save you a lot of time when it comes to the duties in FP&A. I don't think that's necessarily true. Is it worth it to double major in math and computer science? Any of my recommendations aren't going to be easy to double-major with - mathematics, statistics, computer science, etc. Edit: also aero engs, and physics folk with solid programming chops. Mathematics is a very abstract field in many ways, and jumping into a math major is like embarking on a journey through very challenging terrain in an abstract universe. Finance is a business major that focuses on economics and the management of money. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. It’s clear by the descriptions above that not everyone is meant to major in Finance. That said, if you like computer science as well as math, you sort of might as well. I don't want to be managing a power plant or something. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I graduated with honors and a good GPA from a good college. It's tough to double-major in engineering because engineering requires so many classes. How much extra time, money and effort is needed, How badly do you want the additional material. I'm not trying to pick on you, but I don't know why people major in act science. Minor: Computer science, math, or statistics. I recently decided to do a CS and Finance double major and drop the Mathematics and Economics. What are the hardest college majors? A2A. That said CS would have made it easier for you to pick up R. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. Also web development is typically pretty tedious, though there are exceptions. I'm not sure how you're supposed to understand Black-Scholes, let alone more complicated valuation models, with so little background in math. Let someone else worry about that. You don't have to double major. I was just a math major, and looking back, I wish I would have taken more CS classes. For example, a student might double major in psychology and a foreign language, but graduate with one bachelor’s degree. A CS degree can open up a lot of opportunities outside insurance, but actuaries usually pick up the programming skills on the side. You might assume it's all those complicated STEM majors—and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. The mental patience and intellectual discipline that come from studying math can lead to rewarding opportunities in a wide range of fields. Double major should be looked at under the lens of ROI, and your personal preferences. Aside from what others have said about helping you think about things differently, the math degree will make your course work easier and you'll therefore have more time to get into research. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Finance . The people that fill those jobs are either CS students that are great at math (either by their own accord or through a double major/ math minor) or EE/CpE students that focused on software. If I wanted to stay for four years at school, I could take the classes for an additional exam, but I would have to pick up a double major in order for it to be worth the money. Double Major Information Undergraduate Double Majors. I did my doctorate in Aero E, and I'm transitioning from being in a national lab to either an algo trading or a machine learning type of position (depending on which offer I like better). Shooting for MFE in next year (sophomore year), C the following year (junior year), and from there either MLC or go to the CAS route. “Finance is extremely broad and there are many options,” Collado says. I want to work on exciting projects though. You passed exam P (congrats) your 1st semester and plan on sitting for FM your 2nd semester. CS majors that aren't very good/learned in math will still find jobs, but they are typically very boring jobs. Mathematics is applicable to nearly every industry today, from science and technology to business, retail, healthcare, and more. Any advice on worthwhile double majors to pair with Actuarial Science-Finance degree? Like seriously? Below are the details around double majors and double degrees. Double majors are normally awarded within the same school or department. Major 1 : A major that you are passionate about. most math majors i knew at my undergrad school (a top 50 non-target) graduated sub 3.0 and ended up pursuing careers as math teachers because they didn't have any other options. Work on time management and organization in order to complete all your projects on time. It takes a unique variety of skills and characteristics to excel in this career. Although, I kind of am in the camp of doing four years, but that depends on the cost savings too. The actuarial science major provides the most value only in an insurance context, but other majors like math, CS, or stats can be used elsewhere. Double degree APPM-CVEN: The Applied Mathematics and Civil Engineering departments offer a streamlined dual-degree track for talented students who are interested in analytical and computational methods related to civil engineering and general engineering science. Major 1 : A major that you are passionate about. A double major, or dual major, is the act of pursuing two majors, with both typically falling under the same degree. Having to be this good with numbers and future thinking also puts this in the running for hardest college major. having a different degree (not unrelated entirely, but different, say, finance, or mathematics, or statistics, or comp sci) and having exams passed shows more potential. In economics you rarely need maths (other than adding, substraction, percentages etc.. basic). Individuals with skills in all these areas are hard to come by! Folks liked that because it showed diversity of thought. My current job prospects are horrible. Ill look into the school's CS program to see if it is worth it. ITT millennials arguing over whose major is better. I majored in math and minored in CS (and Physics), but work primarily in CS. For example, looking at all individuals between ages 20 and 29, only 12.5 percent of the population had a double major in 2015, which is down from 14.2 percent in 2009, according to my calcul… Average starting salaries for finance majors exceed $50,000 at the bachelor's level and $70,000 at the master's level.According to PayScale, annual salaries for finance majors with just a bachelor's degree … Hi r/actuary! Any of my recommendations aren't going to be easy to double-major with - mathematics, statistics, computer science, etc. I would like to eventually go on to get a phd in some field most likely other than math. CS majors that aren't very good/learned in math will still find jobs, but they are typically very boring jobs. I currently have been hired at a P/C company for an internship, so if I like it I may go CAS. … There's a plethora of work just building and maintaining CRUD applications. The most interesting and fun programming jobs require math. I feel far more creative and less like a labourer. There's some pretty fascinating work to be done that you can learn the relevant math for as you go. Accounting? I understand my employment opportunities with a pure math degree will be extremely limited, this is why I would like to double major. That's how you'll be passing classes when you get a job anyway. Then there can also be fun in just building something that fulfills someone's needs by, for instance, using a novel interface or data presentation method. Double Major with Mathematics There is considerable overlap between the AMS and MAT majors, for example, all the lower-division courses required for the AMS major are also required for the MAT major. IMO, you're already way ahead of the game. (We will accept Physics 89 in lieu of Math 54 for students with a double major in Physics, provided that the grade is at least a C. We will accept EECS 16A plus EECS 16B in lieu of Math 54 for students with a double major in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, provided that both grades are at least a C. Credits required. I don't want to be managing a power plant or something. If you want to do high quality graduate level work and research, math is essential. Comp Sci isnt a bad idea too. Major: Accounting/finance (or, if your university doesn’t have these specific majors, something that has coursework in these areas). You should also consider taking at least 1-2 writing or communication-intensive classes because plenty of students are good with numbers, but many of them cannot communicate with other humans. If you hate math, and don't think you'd be good at it, I wouldn't worry about being a math major. It's never new or exciting. Even us peasant engineers sometimes cross the boundary. Although they're both business disciplines, as we've mentioned in other articles, accounting and finance focus on different areas of the field. Students of finance develop a number of accountancy skills as they learn to analyze business problems with precision and attention to detail, which prepares them for the world of accounting. You can fit a double major into four years, and if you enjoy both anyway, then you'd want to take the classes even if you didn't "have" to. It is important to find a major that fits you. I'd expect a finance major going into P&C would have even more trouble. For example, if you were double majoring in business and economics, you'd most likely earn a single bachelor of science (BS) degree for your two specializations. CS is applied math, any good CS program will prepare you for picking up arbitrary amounts of math. In economics you rarely need maths (other than adding, substraction, percentages etc.. basic). I'm 99.9% sure I want to be an actuary, but I figured having the extra major would distinguish me from others when applying for jobs. I am in the process of teaching myself R. CS wouldn't have taught you R anyways. But going for actuarial science instead let me take insurance seminars (extremely useful in hindsight) and a bunch of programming courses (SQL, VBA, R, and Java) that I wouldn't have been able to fit into my schedule otherwise. Majoring in math in college is not like high school; the classes are a lot more in-depth, especially after your first year is over. Understanding the math? An economics and finance double major is possibly the best degree combination in the commercial field. I would like to eventually go on to get a phd in some field most likely other than math. Many engineering majors struggle just to finish a single major in 4 years, let alone a double major. Entry-Level Jobs for Math Majors With a Bachelor's. On the math side, finance majors typically go up to what, first-semester calc? I agree with this. She was hired soon after she graduated to work as a policy analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Would also like to say, as a PhD in computer science and a professor - I really really wish I had double majored in math. Of course, having skills like fluency in a foreign language or programming always helps, but it seems to me an employer will expect you to have more to offer like these skills to "compensate" for your major. Mathematics is the study of shape, quantity, pattern and structure. While accounting majors learn about the intricacies of financial transactions and record-keeping, finance majors study financial management-related topics and how they relate to the global economy. Subreddit for actuarial professionals, students and interested (innocent) bystanders. I am planning on comfortably finishing in 5 years, taking some summer classes (though not required). If you're sure you'll be an actuary then I'd focus on keeping your GPA high for a good shot at landing an EL position smoothly. The benefit that a stem major brings to job recruiting is a universal curriculum. Good luck! As an aside, I had multiple offers for analytical positions in unrelated fields before I accepted my current position, and I know others who've had little trouble getting "Business Analyst"-type positions with actuarial science degrees. Finance majors need skills in math, analyzing data, formulating strategies, and communicating well. The people that fill those jobs are either CS students that are great at math (either by their own accord or through a double major/ math minor) or EE/CpE students that focused on software. Why not take that 3rd exam earlier, graduate in 3 years instead of 4 and enter the work force sooner? While your interest in math may have started as a hobby, it's possible to make your love of mathematics into a lucrative career with the right amount of skill and effort. Students with permission from the director of undergraduate studies may change from one concentration to the other, but certain rules apply. 1. I'm trying to understand your time line. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Bleh. Mathematics is applicable to nearly every industry today, from science and technology to business, retail, healthcare, and more. While double majors have been a popular way to balancea deep study of the humanities with traditional degrees in the sciences, basic tabulations suggest that the percent of workers with a double major has been roughly constant, or even decreasing, over the past six years depending on how one restricts the sample. I will look into CS! On the whole though I think it is a worthwhile endeavor to do advanced math in some capacity. See originally I was content with three years, but the more I live on campus, the more I want to stay for the full four. As far as going the other way around (i.e., focusing on math with CS as a "tangential" thing), if you're planning on doing grad school in math, it might not be too beneficial. If you stayed for a 4th year you would be taking your 3rd exam 2-3 years after your 2nd? Just as an example of how Math and CS together help, in one of my formal methods classes a few days ago there was one theorem shown which essentially reduced down to an epsilon infimum/supremum proof. In this article, we look at the various factors normally used to determine whether a major is hard before going over the 13 most difficult majors based on how many hours students typically spend each week preparing for classes. This is a popular and lucrative business major for both undergraduate and graduate students. Students can complete a double major from both programs with a minimum of 143 credits. A philo major probably has to work harder, write more persuasive cover letters, interview better, etc. Maybe consider a minor, or switch out of Actuarial Science-Finance. Before I dive into the reasons to double major, let me briefly touch upon the 2 majors I think every college student should pursue. Take this with a grain of salt because I am justa bout to graduate college too so what the fuck do I know, but to me, I see: it makes the exams passed less impressive, because you were literally going to school for it. 'S tough to double-major in engineering because engineering requires so many classes studies. Both programs with a pure math degree will enable you to think very methodically and (! & BA - philosophy prepare you for the rest of the reason a lot of opportunities outside insurance but! A programmer are maths related by the descriptions above that not everyone is to! Get so much more by majoring in the camp of doing four,... 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