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Careers in Mathematics

Study Mathematics

International students interested in mathematics will find that many exciting career opportunities await them. There are careers available that focus on theoretical math or on applying math to real world situations. Whatever your standards for a good career, chances are that math can help you attain them.

Careers in Math

There are many careers available for international students who are interested in studying math in the U.S. Because there are so many uses for knowledge of mathematics in the workplace, there is a diverse group of career prospects from which experts in math can choose to pursue. If you are looking for high paying and challenging job that will give you the opportunity to help others, odds are good that you can find jobs in math that will satisfy your career goals.


Many people find it rewarding to educate young minds. If you enjoy working with and helping young people develop valuable life skills, then you might consider being a math teacher. Since knowledge of math is important for everyone, there is often a high demand for quality math teachers. Math teachers find fun and interesting ways to bring mathematics to life and make it pleasurable for children to learn. It can be one of the most rewarding jobs in math.


For international students who are particularly interested in the theoretical aspects of mathematics, becoming a researcher can be one of the best careers in math. Researchers in mathematics send their research articles into academic journals specializing in mathematics and attend conferences with other researchers. The goal is to derive novel proofs about mathematical reality that no one has discovered before. Oftentimes, but not always, researchers in math will also be university professors. That may mean that one will have the opportunity to teach courses in advanced mathematics, as well.


Many of the jobs in math are not strictly related to theoretical math or teaching math. One of the best things about studying math is that it can be applied to many different careers. It would be impossible to supply a complete list of careers which make heavy use of math. Here is a brief sample:

Mathematics and Life Sciences

Many biological phenomena are best studied using rigorous mathematical and statistical techniques. For instance, a complete understanding of the predator/prey population cycles requires an understanding of mathematics to explain the relationships between cycles. If you are interested in biology and math, you might want to a career in the life sciences.

Software Engineering

The language of computers shares much in common with the language of higher level mathematics. Developing software programs often involves many of the same operations and functions one learns about in math. International students interested in both computers and math might find software engineering a great mix of both.

Theoretical Physics

Many advances in physics have required and depended on the advance in mathematics and vice versa. For instance, the application of group theory and the rejection of the application of Euclidean geometry for space-time were essential for discovering the Theory of Relativity, and that discovery changed the future of mathematics. Much of contemporary theoretical physics requires very advanced math skills. If you are interested in working in physics, then a background in math will give you an edge among other applicants.

Business and Finance

Mathematics is obviously useful for accounting and bookkeeping purposes. It's also useful for making projections about future revenue, how changes in interest rates affect one's investments, and so on. Many employers in business and finance highly value potential employees with strong knowledge of math. If you are interested in the business world, then studying math is great preparation for your future career.

As you can see there are many opportunities for careers in math for international students. Whether it is teaching, research, or applying math that you enjoy, there are many ways to use math in your future career.

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