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Math Careers & Alumni
A mathematics degree develops the analytical and problem-solving skills that employers love and prepares you for a variety of fields.
What can you do with a Mathematics degree?
It’s a question students often ask, which is why we’ve made career advising a cornerstone of our program and encourage our students to start thinking about life after college.
The future is bright when it comes to math-related jobs. As businesses and government agencies rely more heavily on analyzing big data, these positions are expected to grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026 (approximately 50,400 new jobs)—a rate much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With math majors in high demand, we help our students understand the versatility of a math degree and explore vast career options through advising, activities, and courses.
We focus on the job search process, too, providing practical and useful career-related skills. One course, for example, covers resume writing and includes a mock interview and connects every student with an alumni mentor. Other alumni visit Humboldt to talk about what they do now and how they use math in their careers. The Academic & Career Advising Center is another resource to help students succeed now and in the future.
In the end, students leave our program with more than a degree. They’re equipped to think critically and analytically, making them competitive in the workforce and prepared to pursue a higher degree.
Related Job Titles
Here are a few examples of what you can do with a Mathematics degree. Many of these jobs could be entry level or might require more education, depending on the company, job description, etc.
Data analyst
Director of Business Operations
Mathematics instructor
Statistician
Notary
Campaign Manager
Testing product engineer
Math teacher (K-12)
Business analyst
Financial analyst
Budget analyst
Actuary
Actuarial Assistant
Actuarial Associate
Computer scientist
Mathematician
Electronic commerce specialist
Research associate
Consultant
Biostatistician
Technical staff
Scientific systems programmer
Requires more education and/or experience:
Head of Strategy and Innovation
Data scientist
Lead data scientist
Principal data scientist
Data engineer
Senior scientist - data & modeling
System analyst
Lead system analyst
Scientific software engineer
Industrial engineer
Senior analyst
Research scientist
R&D Project management
Marine research associate
Chief financial officer
Project manager
Marketable Skills
Communication: ability to understand and communicate complex concepts; able to speak and cooperate with and and defend ideas; creating coherent mathematical, quantitative and analytical arguments
Technical skills: using complex data to theorize outcomes; evaluate alternative solutions; modeling and simulation; performing and evaluating feasibility studies; familiarity or in-depth experience with computing
Problem-solving: analytical and logical thinking; ability to solve complex, real-world problems; working knowledge and ability to use logical constructions
Organizational skills: planning and managing projects; working effectively and coordinating tasks; integrating different approaches to projects; attention to detail; discipline to work through challenging problems, ability to stay on task; conceptualizing organizational frameworks for complex, multi-step processes
Featured Alumni
Alumni Updates: Our grads are doing great things.
Marilyn Taylor
Mathematics, 1977
Marilyn Taylor, Women of the Year, 1976, HSU, passed away on March 15, 2023, in Spokane, Washington. Marilyn, and her 99 Humboldt State teammates, broke the old record of a 100-mile Relay Race, with the time of 12:26:13 (1976). Marilyn set the PA-AAU record for a One-Hour Run on the track (1977) and holds the Avenue of the Giants Women's Marathon record, 2:45:40 (1984), which stands today. Despite her many winning races, Marilyn Taylor felt the highlight of her track career running in the historic First Olympic Women's Marathon Trials, on May 12, 1984, in Olympia, Washington.
Damien Adams
Mathematics, 2010
Damien Adams, 2010 Mathematics, earned a master’s degree in Mathematics from San Jose State University and acquired a full-time teaching position at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, Calif. Adams has also started a podcast, Women in Math: The Limit Does Not Exist promoting women in mathematics, and founded the college’s Math Club.
Kevin Orris
Mathematics, 1998
Kevin Orris, 1998, mathematics, first went to Humboldt in 1984 as a Wildlife Management major, at which time he met his wife Bonnie. He returned to Humboldt in the mid ’90s and received a degree in Mathematics and his teaching credential. He has been teaching math at Golden Sierra High School for the last 12 years. He loves every minute and is very proud that he has encouraged several students to attend Humboldt.