Mathematics is a vital function in everything from aviation to medicine to finance to computer science, and the B.S. in Mathematics program at Marshall University in West Virginia provides a broad scope of disciplines and opportunities to apply them to real-world challenges.
As a basis for other sciences — such as physics, chemistry and biology — as well as business, engineering, education, and forecasting and analytics in any field, a degree in mathematics can prepare you for a vast array of career options. We at Marshall University strive to offer our mathematics students opportunities to stretch themselves in applied mathematics and statistics, exploring new mathematics areas and having opportunities to present their research nationally or even internationally. Our mathematics students also apply their knowledge to community-based projects here in the Huntington, West Virginia, region, in partnership with local agencies.
Study mathematics to not only to understand the workings of the world, but to prepare for an impactful and fulfilling career.
Why study Mathematics at Marshall University?
The B.S. in Mathematics at Marshall is taught by experienced faculty with have extensive research and awards of their own. They know the excitement of mathematics and statistical challenges and they provide their students with chances to seek grant opportunities for research projects, as well as chances to travel from the Huntington, West Virginia, campus and showcase their findings at mathematics-related conferences, where they network with experts and peers in the field. Our faculty also give students personalized attention to tailor their academic schedules to their interests and help them seek chances to get their mathematics and statistical research published.
Students in the Department of Mathematics here at Marshall University have the opportunity to take deep dives into a variety of mathematics disciplines, with coursework in:
Students earning a B.S. in Mathematics also have had make a real difference in the state of West Virginia and the Huntington area, as they apply their knowledge to finding solutions to real-life situations through the specialized hands-on learning project.
The Mathmatics department takes pride in its highly credentialed and dedicated faculty, with a majority holding terminal degrees in their research specialties. Mathematics students benefit from the department’s robust commitment to quality academic and career advising.
Marshall also is home to one of, if not the nation’s only, publicly accessible Differential Analyzer Laboratory. A differential analyzer is a mechanical device that solves differential equations by simulating them on physical components. They were used extensively in the early 20th Century, before digital computers were able to solve differential equations.
Career Outlook for Applied Mathematics Majors
Earning a B.S. in Mathematics is a foundation for many advanced and well-paying careers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for mathematicians in 2019 was $105,030, and the median pay for statisticians in 2019 was $91,160. The expected job growth for 2018-2028 was 30%.
Mathematics jobs include the following and many more:
Operations research analyst
Mathematics also applies to jobs in the fields of engineering, education, research, business, medicine, data mining and much more.
Opportunities for Applied Mathematics Majors
Marshall University works hard to give students earning a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for exposure in the field.
Real-world learning
The university established the Preparation for Industrial Careers in Mathematics project to get students involved in finding solutions for community-based mathematics questions. Examples of studies that students have worked on as part of the PIC project include “Optimizing Refuse Collection in Huntington,” and “Optimizing Ambulance Service in Wayne County, West Virginia.” Both projects improve the efficiency of how taxpayer dollars are spent while improving service.
Travel and exposure
Our students also have traveled to the national Mathematics Association of America conference to present their research, some of them earning awards and stipends for their efforts. Some examples of Marshall mathematics students’ award-winning or grant-earning projects include “Explicit Construction of Regular Polygons,” and “On the Existence of Primitive Cycle Systems.”
Having earned a National Science Foundation grant, Marshall mathematics students traveled to Singapore in 2018 to present their own research at the international Conference on Combinatorics and its Applications. Their presentations included, “On Primitive Cycle Decompositions of Complete Graphs” and “On Monochromatic Sets of Cardinality 2 of Nondecreasing Diameter.” Marshall faculty presented research their as well, “On Erasure Batch Codes.”
Such experiences help students gain confidence in their abilities and be exposed to some of the country’s and the world’s finest mathematicians.
On-campus activities
Mathematics students also can participate in the Marshall chapter of the national mathematics honor society Pi Mu Epsilon, as well as benefiting from colloquium presentations about various math topics. The Department of Mathematics also hosts the Advanced Research Initiative series, for which a distinguished speaker comes to campus to discuss two different mathematics-related subjects.