So what can one do with a Math Major?  The easiest way to answer this quesiton is to show examples.  This is precisely what this page is all about.  Many of our graduates are happy to share details about their post-graduation employment.  All information listed in this webpage is self-reported by the students.  It typically provides information about their initial job/school after leaving Maryland.

Some outstanding Maryland math majors have gone on to famous careers. In recent years, some of the best majors have gone on to some of the best graduate programs in the country (Princeton, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Berkeley,...).

In the list below, a school name refers to graduate school (usually Math -- nonMath is indicated).

Pre 1980

1936 George Dantzig (Michigan) ("father of linear programming")
1966 Charles Fefferman (Princeton) (later won the Fields Medal--the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics")

1980s

1980 Christopher Asano*
1981 Steven Bonners
1981 Valerie Matthews
1981 L. Stephenson* (Maryland)
1982 Ravi Boppana*, Ph.D., Computer Science, MIT
1982 Mary Flather-Phillips (Naval Research Labs)
1983 Selman Herschfield* (Physics, Cornell)
1983 Alex Stanoyevitch* (Michigan)
1983 Geoffrey Birky*
1983 Eugene Lerman* (MIT)
1988 Harold Knight* (Yale)
1988 Boris Goldfarb* (Cornell)

1990s

1990 Richard Penn* (Michigan)
1990 Chris Monsour* (Chicago)
1991 Alex Gurevich*
1992 Emiliano Gomez* (Berkeley)
1993 Sergey Brin* (Stanford, Computer Science) (later cofounded Google)
1993 Glenn Easley* (Maryland)
1994 Matt Baker* (Berkeley)
1994 Richard Durand*
1994 Kimberly Sellers (Professor, Georgetown University)
1995 Anna Borovikov* (Maryland)
1995 Michael Gurevich* (Maryland)
1995 Geoffrey Hruska* (Cornell)
1995 Joseph Miller* (Cornell)
1996 Peter Calabrese*
1997 Kenneth Gosier* (NYU)
1997 Sudheer Shukla* (Chicago)
1998 Christopher Chambers* (Rochester)
1999 John Armstrong* (Yale)
1999 David Bindel* (Berkeley)
1999 David Clark* (MIT)

2000

2000 Jeffrey Brown* (Berkeley)
2000 Sean Lawton* (Maryland)
2000 Ming Wei Ong* (Maryland)
2000 David Spivak* (Berkeley)

2001

2001 Matt Bainbridge* (Harvard)
2001 James Bremer (Yale)
2001 Chad Groft* (Stanford)
2001 William Patrick Hooper* (Stony Brook)
2001 Robert Rohde* (Berkeley)

2002

2003

2003 Katherine Calvin (Chief Scientist, Senior Climate Advisor, NASA)
2003 Lawrence D'Anna* (Maryland)
2003 Jared English* (Wisconsin)
2003 Michael Thompson* (Maryland)

2004

2004 Jonathan Dahl* (Johns Hopkins)
2004 Stuart Fletcher* (rock and roll band)
2004 Steven Helfand* (Maryland) (but after a semester, he left to play drums for the Glenn Miller Band; currently Technical Sergeant, USAF)
2004 Sarah Kitchen* (Utah)
2004 Alexandre Rostovtsev* (Maryland)
2004 Andrew Snowden* (Princeton) (with Ph.D.2009 under Andrew Wiles, who proved Fermat's Last Theorem)
2004 Benjamin Trahan* (Maryland)
2004 William Valencia* (Johns Hopkins, NASA)
2004 Marshall Williams* (Michigan)
2004 Nikolai Yakovenko* (Columbia) (and then on to Google in NY)

2005

2005 Greg Crosswhite (Univ. of Washington, Physics)
2005 Reginald Covington (Cornell, Economics)
2005 Patrick Curran* (teaching high school)
2005 Neha Gupta* (Google)
2005 Ninad Jog*
2005 Juan Lleras (Berkeley, Economics)
2005 Slawa Rokicki (Instructor, Rutgers School of Public Health)  
2005 Bianca Viray* (Berkeley)
2005 James White (Maryland, Applied Math)

2006

2006 Amir Ahmadi* (assistant professor, Princeton)
2006 Timothy Dulaney* (Physics, Cal Tech)
2006 Michael Hall* (Mathematics, UCLA)
2006 Bryant Lee (Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon)
2006 Lea Ann Mawler*
2006 Alisa Stephens (Biostatistics, Harvard)

2007

2007 Mohamed Abutaleb (Physics, MIT)
2007 Sinan Ariturk (Mathematics, Johns Hopkins)
2007 Jeffrey Donatelli* (Mathematics, Berkeley)
2007 Anton Lukyanenko* (Mathematics, Maryland)
2007 Andrew Parrish* (Mathematics, U.C.San Diego)
2007 Blake Riddick (Physics, Maryland)
2007 Gaurav Thakur* (Applied Mathematics, Princeton)

2008

2008 John Dickerson (Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon)
2008 Morgan Dixon (Computer Science, U of Washington)
2008 Christina Frederick* (Mathematics, Texas at Austin)
2008 Nicholas Henderson* (Mathematics, Maryland)
2008 Philip Isett* (NSF Fellow, Mathematics, Princeton)
2008 Katrina LaCurts (NSF Fellow, Computer Science, MIT)
2008 Julian Lamy (Manager, Energy Systems Optimization, Electricite de France)
2008 Dan Marcin (Economics, Michigan)
2008 Jesse Sugar-Moore* (Mathematics, Texas at Austin)

2009

2009 Jeffrey Birenbaum (Physics, Berkeley)
2009 Sean Burke (Mathematics, University of Texas at Austin)
2009 Hannah Gerlach (Northrop Grumman)
2009 Stevie Green (Physics, UCSD)
2009 Greg Ihrie (Mathematics, Cambridge)
2009 Nusrat Jerin (Programmer, Private Sector)
2009 Luke Johnson (Physics, Maryland)
2009 Siwei Kwok (Economics, UCLA)
2009 Philip Lee (Statistician, RTI)
2009 Yutao Liu (Chinese Education, Maryland)
2009 Chao Lu* (System Specialist, Private Sector)
2009 Abe Martin (Economics, Federal Reserve Bank of NY)
2009 Alex Mont (Computer Science, U. Illinois Champaign-Urbana)
2009 Alexander Per (Economics, George Washington)
2009 Steve Pesto (Private Sector, in Spain)
2009 Laura Slivinski (Research Scientist, University of Colorado)
2009 Amir Soofi (Computer Programmer, General Dynamics, Baghdad)
2009 William Stem (Physics, Maryland)
2009 Andrew Ward*
2009 Matt Weber (Technical and Functional Consultant, Private Sector)
2009 Joel Witten* (Statistics, Columbia)
2009 Di Zou (Software Engineer, Baltimore Orioles)

2010

2010 Jonathan Anderson* (Microsoft)
2010 Bryan Ball*
2010 Stephen Bitzel (Software Developer, Tanager, Inc.)
2010 Benjamin Chapin (Music, Maryland)
2010 Jon Cohen* (Mathematics, Maryland)
2010 Cory Cummings (Mathematics Education, Maryland)
2010 Jojo Entsuah (Computational Finance, Carnegie Melon)
2010 Samantha Fish (Statistics, US Census Bureau)
2010 Hannah Gerlach (Software Development, Northrop Grumman)
2010 Kevin Hencke (Mathematics, Maryland, Math)
2010 Lisa Hoffmaister (Math Teacher)
2010 Ammar Husain* (Physics, Berkeley)
2010 Alan Jackoway (Software Engineering, Private Sector)
2010 Jennifer Kargus (Software Engineer)
2010 Jason Kapsack (Matheamtics, CUNY - City College)
2010 Mitchell Katz *
2010 Rachel Kirsch* (Mathematical Association of America)
2010 Jacob Konikoff* (Biostatistics, UCLA)
2010 Emily LaRocca (Mathematics Education, Maryland)
2010 Greg Laun* (Mathematics, Maryland)
2010 Chenwen Li (Computer Science, Maryland)
2010 Mike Mazzarella (Mathematics Education, Maryland)
2010 Rachel Morris (Cost Analyst, Navy)
2010 Haylay North (Poe School Administration)
2010 Joseph Paulson (NSF award, Applied Math, Maryland)
2010 Mickey Salins (Mathematics, Maryland)
2010 Bradford Sanders (Math for America)
2010 Boyen Shen (Civil Engineering, Maryland)
2010 John Silberholz* (Goldwater Scholar, NSF Fellow, Operations Research, MIT)
2010 Hannah Sohn (Mathematics Education, Maryland)
2010 Cynthia Tran (Mathematics Education, Maryland)
2010 Kaitlyn Tuley* (NSF Fellow, Mathematics, UCLA)
2010 Mary Wilson (Statistics, FDA)
2010 Emily Sze (School of Medicine, Maryland)

2011

2011 Michael Bartock (IT specialist, NIST)
2011 Ran Bi (Management of Science in Engineering, Stanford)
2011 Harveen Bindra (Math Education, Maryland)
2011 Nick Bonomo (Actuary, Private Sector)
2011 Kristen Campilonga (Budget Analyst, Maryland Department of Budget and Management)
2011 Jonathan Cottrell (Statistics, concurrently with Industrial Organization Psychology, University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign)
2011 Andrew Ferguson (Software Development, Epic Systems Corporation)
2011 Antonio Fominaya (Mathematics Education, Maryland)
2011 Austin Gardner (Project Management, Maryland)
2011 Allen Gehret* (Mathematics, University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign)
2011 Katharine Hamilton (Economics, Maryland)
2011 Junjie Hao (Chemistry, Harvard)
2011 Daniel Jaskot (EM Analyst and Threat Systems Engineer, Systems Engineering Group, Inc.)
2011 Samuel Lang (Programmer, Five Rings Capital)
2011 Robert Maschal (Mathematics, Maryland)
2011 Richard Matthew McCutchen* (Google)
2011 Kevin McGehee (Software Engineer, Amazon)
2011 Aaron Merchak (Analyst, Cornerstone Research)
2011 Mireille Ngo Bakal (Applied Statistics, Cornell)
2011 Shawn Ratwani (Investment Banking, Goldman Sachs)
2011 Scott Rome (Mathematics, Drexel)
2011 Lea Savard-McNicoll (Analyst, Glevum Associates, Afghanistan)
2011 Matt Shriver (Mathematics Education, Maryland - Hagerstown)
2011 Scott Smith* (Applied Mathematics & Scientific Computing, Maryland)
2011 Stanislav Speransky (Meteorology, Florida State)
2011 Yi An Sun (MIT, NSF Fellow)
2011 Tim Van Blarcom (Statistician, D3 Systems)
2011 Joseph Woodworth (Mathematics, UCLA, NSF Fellow)
2011 Louis Wu (Officer Candidates School)
2011 Kelsey Young (Business Analytics and Optimization, IBM)
2011 Ruiqian Zhang (Actuarial Science, Columbia University)

2012

2012 Andrew Bernstein* (Applied Math, NC State)
2012 Jonathan Booz (Software Development Engineer, Amazon.com)
2012 Edward Carney (Systems Engineer, The SI Organization)
2012 Jacob Criner (Software Development Engineer, Google)
2012 Christina Czabaranek (Decision Support Analyst, Mercy Medical Center)
2012 Chase Dowling (Fellow, Pacific Northwest National Labs)
2012 Holman Gao* (Software Engineer, Room 77)
2012 Priyanka Gokhale (School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University)
2012 Alexander Golden (Applied Physics, Ann Arbor, Michigan)
2012 Yu Gu (Applied and Interdisciplinary Math, Ann Arbor, Michigan)
2012 Trevor Hill (Software Engineer, Google)
2012 Jeff Jacobs (Computer Science, with a dual concentration in Mathematics, Stanford)
2012 Oliver Lum (Applied Matheamtics, Maryland)
2012 Alyssa Maccarone (Statistical Analyst, Mathematica Policy Research)
2012 Ana Matos (Actuarial Assistant, Metlife)
2012 Mark Mester (Systems Engineer, Metron Aviation)
2012 Joseph Mickel (Interdisciplinary Statistics & Operations Research, UNC Chapel Hill)
2012 Greg Mitchell (Systems Developer, Booz Allen Hamilton)
2012 Jocob Moschler (Lab Manager, Institute for Systems Research, Univeristy of Maryland)
2012 Tshikuna Muanankese (Control Systems Engineer, ExxonMobile)
2012 James Park (Operations Research Analyst, US Air Force)
2012 Sol Park (Statistician, U.S. Census Bureau)
2012 Darwin Romero (Parent Community Coordinator, Montgomery County Public Schools)
2012 Arielle Snyder (Education, Maryland)
2012 Andrew Szymczak (Computer Science, NYU)
2012 Thomas Vandal (Market Risk Analyst, Boston Technologies)
2012 Jacob Warren (Economics, University of Pennsylvania)

2013

2013 Kelly Brown (Engineer, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab)
2013 Michael Dewitt (Software Engineer, Google)
2013 John Duarte (Software Engineer, Raytheon)
2013 Tyler Dunn (Software Engineer, Google)
2013 Bryan Fuss (Teacher, Thailand)
2013 Kaitlyn Gray (Wilson Commencement High School, NY)
2013 Sean Gruber (Education, Maryland)
2013 Jada Johnson (Biostatistics, University of Texas)
2013 Kelin Li (Financial Engineering, Cornell)
2013 Stefanie Montgomery (Consultant, CGI Federal)
2013 David Morris (Entrepreneur)
2013 Scott Poese (Math, George Mason)
2013 Katherine Rennenkampf (Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Indonesia)
2013 Ruben Schwartz (Medicine, Nova Southeastern University)
2013 Nathan Suberi (Smart Cities and Urban Analytics, University College London)
2013 Ben Walsh (Electrical Engineering, Maryland)
2013 Alex Youcis (Math, UC Berkeley)
2013 Fanfan Zheng (Law, Michigan State University School of Law)

2014

2014 Katherine Arsenault (Education, Technology & Leadership, George Washington)
2014 Alexander Baden (Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University)
2014 Martin Buck (Modeling and Simulation Engineer, MIT Lincoln Laboratory)
2014 Katherine Davis (Senior Analyst, Willis Tower Watson)
2014 Max Gross (Economics, University of Michigan)
2014 Pat Hunley (Statistics, Harvard University)
2014 Yingquan Li (Consultant/Software Engineer, Hewlett Packard)
2014 Jiankun Liu (Statistics, U of Virginia)
2014 Ian Magee (Fellow, Math for America)
2014 Philip Marx (MBA/MSA, Northeastern University)
2014 Austin Roche (School of Law, U Maryland)
2014 Alexander Sherman* (Mathematics, UC Berkeley)
2014 Albert Shih (US Navy)
2014 Alissa Stafford (Research Assistant, ICF International)
2014 Max Wallace (Software Developer, Athenahealth)
2014 Graham Welch (Software Engineer, Google)

2015

 

 

*graduated with honors or high honors in Mathematics 

(Please send additions or corrections to )

 

The College page has a Career Services page which includes opportunities for internships. Below are some general links.

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GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

• Department of Homeland Security fellowships in science and technology (scholarship/internship package)
• DEPARTMENT OF STATE . There are internship opportunities for a variety of majors with the Department of State. Most of internships are unpaid. In order to find out what specific internships are available and download the application form from the www site.
• NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY The Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program (NREIP), provides an opportunity for students to participate in research at a Department of Navy (DoN) laboratory during the summer. The goals of the NREIP are to encourage participating students to pursue science and engineering careers, to further education via mentoring by laboratory personnel and their participation in research, and to make them aware of DoN research and technology efforts, which can lead to employment within the DoN.
• NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY Today's job marketplace is competitive. To get a step ahead you need to gain practical experience before you graduate. Come work with the top professionals in your field at NSA. Our internships, co-op program, scholarships, and work study programs will help you to develop and shape your career well before your studies are through.
• NASA NASA has a number of internships, fellowships, scholarships, and other programs which offer various opportunities for students at every level.
• NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION STUDENT APPOINTMENTS The NSF includes student appointments for various positions within the program: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm
• SAIC INTERNSHIPSYour degree is the start of a new career. For students and recent graduates alike, we offer career opportunities that challenge you from day one. Discover what awaits you at SAIC.
• NIST Summer Research Fellowships:  http://www.nist.gov/surfgaithersburg/

PRIVATE SECTOR

• ALL STATE LIFE ACTUARIAL CAREER PROGRAM The ACP at Allstate Financial has been designed to develop actuarial associates into future leaders through a combination of broad rotational job experiences, on-the-job training from top-notch colleagues and managers, professional development, and strong exam support. Contact via email: ..
• MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY . MIT's Internship Programs will help you find a position that suites your interests and skills.
• PRINCETON PLASMA PHYSICS LABORATORYThe National Undergraduate Fellowship Program in Plasma Physics and Fusion Energy Sciences provides outstanding undergraduates with an opportunity to conduct research in the disciplines that comprise the plasma sciences in general and fusion research in particular. Only students who are matriculated at a U.S. college or university AND are a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident Alien are eligible for a Fellowship.
• WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE . The Institute offers a number of programs for Graduate, Undergraduate, and Post-Doctoral students.
• GEICO INSURANCE. Geico Insurance has exciting job and internship opportunities in the Washington metro area. This company is often looking for bright, articulate math students to work in actuarial positions. If you want more information check out the web site or call 1-800-841-7445. You can request a job application online.

Government agencies

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center:  http://university.gsfc.nasa.gov
National Security Agency:  www.nsa.gov
Census Bureau:  http://www.census.gov
Bureau of Labor Statistics:  1-800-827-5334  http://stats.bls.gov
NIST (National Institute of Standards):  http://www.itl.nist.gov/div897
DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency):  1-703-607-4430 
Census Bureau  http://www.census.gov
Naval Surface Weapons Center 
contact: Mr. Antonio Gibert 
Manager, College Recruiting Program 
Human Resources Department, Code PD 
Naval Surface Warfare Center--Dahlgren Division 
17320 Dahlgren Road 
Dahlgren, VA 22448-5100 
800-352-7967 (voice) 
540-653-7632 (fax) 
 
www.nswc.navy.mil/P/RECRUIT/recruit.html

Non-government agencies

Center for Computing Sciences/Institute for Defense Analyses 
(works closely with NSA, stringent citizenship and security regulations): 
contact John Conroy, 301-805-7425,

Actuarial firms

Geico Insurance:  Debra Lipsey, 301-986-2954

William Mercer, Inc.; hiring for Actuarial Analysts, Consulting Analysts for 2001-2002  
contact Hugh Jackson at 410-347-2834, fax: 410-727-3347, 
e-mail:  
contact Scott Jarboe, 202-331-2523, fax: 202-331-0486, 
e-mail:  
contact Ted Goldman at 202-331-3686, fax: 202-331-0486, 
e-mail:

Towers Perrin: 
contact Susan Velott at 703-351-4778, 
e-mail: , fax:  703-351-4935

Watson Wyatt:  http://www.watsonwyatt.com
contact Keith Williams, Sandeep Parekh or Jeff Kurtz at 
(202) 626-9782 

Other firms hiring Mathematicians and Statisticians:

Merkle Direct Marketing, Inc. 
Main number:  301-459-9700 
contact:  Bill Szczuka, Sr. Analytical Consultant, 
301-918-2975, e-mail:  
fax: 301-459-8431

Schafer Corp., Biotechnology Operations 
http://www.schafercorp.com
contact:  Mr. R. Suter, e-mail: or 
703-841-0266, fax:  841-0266

IMPORTANT NOTE: The course requirements listed below are for informational purposes only.  Math minors should refer to their degree audits (available via Testudo) to check their progress in the minor.

PROGRAM GOALS:  The goal of the Minor in Mathematics is to provide the student with significant mathematical skills and a perspective on the discipline.

LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT PLAN:   Click here. for a PDF file of our Assessment Plan for the Minor in Mathematics.

Note: University policy says that if you wish to have a Minor, then you need to declare that intention NO LATER THAN A YEAR BEFORE YOU INTEND TO GRADUATE.  You can only choose one of math minor, statistics minor, or actuarial minor as no courses may overlap between any two minors.

Minor in Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics offers a Minor in Mathematics for students majoring in other disciplines.  The goal of the Minor in Mathematics is to provide the student with significant mathematical skills and a perspective on the discipline.

The requirements for the Minor in Mathematics include at least 22 credits beyond first-year calculus (19 credits if MATH310 is exempted), and include the following:

I.  a. MATH 241; and either MATH 240 or MATH 461 (Item I can be achieved by MATH 340-341.)

    b. MATH 310, unless otherwise exempted.  To qualify for the exemption, one must have a B- or better in CMSC250; or A- or better and MATH240 and MATH241; or B- or better in MATH340 and MATH341.

The remaining credits for the Minor in Mathematics must be at the 400-level in mathematics, and include:

II.   At least one of the following core theoretical courses:  MATH 403*, 405*, 410*

III.  At least one of the following algebra courses:  MATH 401, 402, 403*, 405*, 406, 423

IV.   At leat one of the following analysis courses:  MATH 410*, 416, 462, 463, 464

V.    At least one of the following probability courses:  STAT 400 or STAT 410* (note that STAT400 and ENEE324 are duplicate credits and we do not accept ENEE324).

If additional credits are needed in order to fulfill the 22-credit minimum, any 400-level MATH-STAT-AMSC courses except MATH 400, MATH 461, MATH 477-478, 480-484, 489, 498, and STAT 464 are acceptable.

Other issues related to the Minor in Mathematics:

(a)  The Minor in Mathematics is NOT open to Mathematics majors.

(b)  The student will need to achieve at least a C- (1.7) in each minor course and an overall minor GPA of 2.0.

(c) A student may use a maximum of 2 courses to satisfy the requirements of both a major and the Minor in Mathematics.  However, in some cases departments requiring majors to have supporting courses may wish to allow students to substitute an appropriate minor for the supporting course requirement. Consult your major department or college for its policy on this issue with regard to the mathematics minor.

(d)  No more than 1 of the 400-level courses for the Minor in Mathematics may be taken at an institution other than the University of Maryland, College Park.   In addition, no more than two transferred courses may be applied to the Mathematics Minor.

(e) Courses with an asterisk (*) are rigorous theoretical courses.  Students may not want to take two fo these courses in the same semester.

To apply for the math minor, please complete this application form and email it to .

Minor in Statistics

The Department of Mathematics offers a Minor in Statistics for students whose majors are not mathematics.  The goal of the Minor in Statistics is to provide the student with a substantial number of courses that are statistical in nature and involve a substantial amount of mathematics.

The requirements entail 16 credits, from I - IV:

I. Math 241, Calculus III (Multivariable Calculus) (4)

Some courses below may require MATH240 or MATH461 as a prerequisite.

II  One of the three pairs of 3-credit courses:

Stat 400 and Stat 401 (note that STAT400 and ENEE324 are duplicate credits)
Stat 410* and Stat 420*
Stat 410* and Stat 401

III.  Stat 430

IV.  One of the courses in (a) - (f):

(a) A third course in (II) not already taken to satisfy (II)
(b) Stat 440
(c) Stat470
(d) Stat426
(e) Stat422
(f) Math424

Other issues related to the Minor in Statistics:

(a)  The Minor in Statistics is NOT open to Mathematics Majors.

(b)  The student will need to achieve at least a C- (1.7) in each minor course and an overall minor GPA of 2.0.

(c) A student may use a maximum of 2 courses to satisfy the requirements of both a major and the Minor in Statistics. However, in some cases departments requiring majors to have supporting courses may wish to allow students to substitute an appropriate minor for the supporting course requirement. Consult your major department or college for its policy on this issue with regard to the statistics minor.

(d)  No more than one 400-level course for the Minor in Statistics may be taken at an institution other than the University of Maryland, College Park.  In addition, no more than two transferred courses may be applied to the Statistics Minor.

(e) Courses with an asterisk (*) are rigorous theoretical courses.  Students may not want to take two fo these courses in the same semester.

To apply for the statistics minor, please complete this application form and email it to .

Minor in Actuarial Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics offers a Minor in Actuarial Mathematics for students whose majors are not mathematics.  The goal of the Minor in Actuarial Mathematics is to provide the student with an introduction to statistics in general and actuarial mathematics in particular.  This minor is closely related to the Minor in Statistics, but its focus is on actuarial mathematics. The requirements entail 16 credits:

I. Math 241

II. One of the three pairs of 3-credit courses:

Stat 400 and Stat 401 (note that STAT400 and ENEE324 are duplicate credits)
Stat 410* and Stat 420*
Stat 410* and Stat 401

III. Also:

Math 461 (Math 240, with 4 credits, may be substituted for Math 461)

IV. Stat 470

V. Recommended:  Math 424 and/or Stat 430

Other issues related to coursework:

(a)  The Minor in Actuarial Mathematics is NOT open to Mathematics Majors.

(b)  The student will need to achieve at least a C- (1.7) in each minor course and an overall minor GPA of 2.0.

(c) A student may use a maximum of 2 courses to satisfy the requirements of both a major and a Minor in Actuarial Mathematics. However, in some cases departments requiring majors to have supporting courses may wish to allow students to substitute an appropriate minor for the supporting course requirement. Consult your major department or college for its policy on this issue with regard to the actuarial minor.

(d)  No more than one 400-level course for the Minor in Actuarial Mathematics may be taken at an institution other than the University of Maryland, College Park.  In addition, no more than 2 transferred courses may be applied the Actuarial Minor.

(e) Courses with an asterisk (*) are rigorous theoretical courses.  Students may not want to take two fo these courses in the same semester.

To apply for the statistics minor, please complete this application form and email it to .

Also, click here for more information on actuarial opportunities.

Below is information on the purpose and history of the scholarships and awards administered by the Mathematics Department. (See the official listings for more details; you can also view a list of past winners of the awards.)

Abramowitz Award

The Abramowitz Award is awarded for superior competence and promise in the field of mathematics and its applications.

This award was established in honor of Milton Abramowitz, a Maryland mathematics professor best known for his work on mathematical tables at the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST). Former winners include Charles Fefferman (a Fields Medalist) and Sergey Brin (cofounder of Google).

Antman Undergraduate Award

The Antman Undergraduate Award was established by Distinguished University Professor Stuart S. Antman in 2024. This award recognizes outstanding undergraduate students who are pursuing studies combining mathematics with one or more of the biological, chemical, engineering, and physical sciences.

Antman did his undergraduate studies at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1961. He earned a Ph.D. in 1965 from the University of Minnesota, under the supervision of William H. Warner. He joined the New York University faculty in 1967, and moved to Maryland in 1972. He became Distinguished University Professor at Maryland in 2001, and Distinguished University Research Professor in 2014.

Antman became a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics in 2009, and a fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1978, and with John M. Ball he won the Theodore von Kármán Prize in 1999. In 1987 Antman won a Lester R. Ford Award. and in 2015 the Lyapunov Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 

Aziz Mathematics Scholarship

The Aziz Mathematics Scholarship is made on the basis of excellence in mathematics. This scholarship is the math department's highest award of excellence for a non-graduating math major.

This scholarship was first awarded in 2002. It is funded by Kadir Aziz, who received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from our department in 1958. Dr. Aziz was on the faculty of Georgetown University from 1956 to 1967, and has been on the faculty of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County since 1967. Throughout his career, Professor Aziz has been an active member of the Numerical Analysis group at College Park. He is also the sponsor of the Aziz Lecture series. 

Euclid Teaching Assistantships

The Euclid Teaching Assistanships are awarded to math majors who are on a track to become future high school or middle school teachers and who demonstrate the promise to be excellent teaching assistants for a Calculus course. The winners serve as Teaching Assistants for a section of calculus in the fall and/or spring semester, generally using the close-contact small groups method. The winners are paid at the rate a graduate student in mathematics would be paid to teach the section. Interested students apply in the Spring semester and are selected for these assistantships for the following year.

Higginbotham Award

The Higginbotham Award is made to an outstanding junior mathematics major.

The award is in memory of Robert Michael Higginbotham, an excellent student who in 1967 received a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics here at College Park. Two years later, he was killed in the Vietnam War. His name can be found online at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Page. The award was established by a donation of his family.

Carol Karp Award

The Carol Karp Award is made on the basis of outstanding performance in the field of logic. 

The award was established in memory of Carol Karp (1926-1972), a Maryland mathematics professor and logician who had a great influence on the development of Logic in the Mathematics Department. The award was originally funded by a number of people, including professors in the mathematics and philosophy departments. An in memoriam volume in her honor (Spring Lecture Notes in Mathematics Vol. 492, ed. D.W.Kueker, 1975) contains more information on her life and contributions.

Edgar Krahn Scholarship (Mathematics Competition Scholarship)

The Krahn Scholarship aims to provide financial assistance to worthy students studying mathematics at the University of Maryland. Recipients are selected by the Department of Mathematics on the basis of performance in the University of Maryland High School Mathematics Competition.

The Krahn Scholarships are funded from the Edgar Krahn Scholarship endowment. This endowment was established in honor of the mathematician Edgar Krahn (1894-1961), who played a significant role in the development of mathematics in Estonia, and made research contributions in diverse areas including differential geometry, probability, gas dynamics and elasticity. A centenary volume in his honor contains more information on his life and contributions (see "Edgar Krahn, 1894 -1961. A centenary volume." Edited by Ulo Lumiste and Jaak Peetre. IOS Press, Amsterdam; a copublication with the Estonian Mathematical Society, Tartu, 1994. ISBN: 90-5199-168-1).

The Edgar Krahn Scholarship endowment was established in 1983 by Dorothee Krahn, the widow of Edgar Krahn. Dorothee Krahn has remained active in the University as a supporter not only of mathematics, but also of the arts.

Outstanding Senior Award

The Outstanding Senior Award recognizes the outstanding senior mathematics major.

The award was established in 1993. It is funded by the mathematics department.

Secondary Education - Mathematics Scholarship

This is a merit-based, competitive scholarship whose goal is to support promising students in their pursuit of teaching mathematics in secondary school.

This award was established in 2002. It is funded by the contributions of Denny and Frances Gulick, faculty in the Mathematics Department. The scholarship aims to support promising students in their pursuit of teaching mathematics in secondary school.

Strauss Scholarship

The Strauss Scholarship is awarded to a math major with exceptional ability and interest in mathematics.

The scholarship, first awarded in 1989, is named after Ron Strauss, a professor in the Mathematics Department who after an earlier research career in dynamical systems turned with great energy and dedication to education and the history of mathematics. He died in 1978 while serving as Undergraduate Chair of the Mathematics Department.

Strauss Teaching Assistantships

The Strauss Teaching Assistanships are awarded to strong, advanced math majors with excellent teaching ability. Each winner serves as a Teaching Assistant in a section of calculus in the fall and in the spring semester. Interested students apply the previous spring and compete for these assistantships. (See the official listings for more details on amounts and conditions.) The winners are paid at the rate a graduate student in mathematics would be paid to teach the section.

For strong math majors, the Mathematics Department encourages mathematics research activity (for example, through the Math 489 "research interaction teams") and in some cases graduate coursework in mathematics. Students with definite arrangements for such activity while Strauss TAs will be given preference in the spring competition.

Dan Sweet Memorial Fellowship.

The Dan Sweet Memorial Fellowship is awarded to a full-time student and mathematics major with interests in Applied Mathematics.

This fellowship, originally named Dan Sweet Scholarship, was first awarded in 2005. It is named after Dan Sweet, a professor in the Mathematics Department who served as director of the applied mathematics program and was for many years recognized as one of the very best teachers in the department. Professor Sweet died in 2004.

In Fall 2006 this scholarship was renamed the Daniel Sweet Memorial Fellowship. The fellowship is administered by the Norbert Wiener Center for Harmonic Analysis and Applications. 

The John and Sabrina Kontner Endowed Scholarship

The Kontner Award is made to undergraduate mathematics majors who have expressed interest in the applications of mathematics to the solution of real world problems in business and industry.

The award was established in 2011 by John and Sabrina Kontner. John received his Bachelors degree from the University in 1984 and his Masters in Mathematics in 1988. Sabrina received her Bachelors degree from the University in 1992.

 

  

The Dan Shanks Award

The Dan Shanks Award is made to undergraduate students studying computational number theory and related areas.

The award was established in 2012 by Jim Owings, a former professor in the Mathematics Department, in memory of Dan Shanks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Shanks), a well-known computational number theorist who worked at the University after retiring from the Naval Ordnance Laboratory and the National Bureau of Standards.

Students interested in the applying their graduate courses to the BS/MA program must consult with the appropriate graudate unit and file the appropriate paperwork before taking any graduate courses.

Introduction

The essential feature of the Combined Degree Program is that its students may use up to 9 credits of coursework taken for their undergraduate degree to count toward the M.A. degree as well.

Eligibility

The Mathematics Department offers a combined B.S./M.A. degree program for students with exceptional ability and interest in mathematics. Qualified undergraduate mathematics majors are eligible for participation in the program. Although each application is reviewed individually, the following are the usual requirements for acceptance into this program:

• GPA of at least 3.5
• No more than 15 credits remaining of required upper-level mathematics courses toward the B.S. degree
• No more than 6 credits of GenEd requirements remaining for the B.S. degree
• One to three letters of recommendation
• An essay or statement of purpose
• An interview with the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

The bureaucracy of degree times

To the University, you are an undergraduate or a graduate; the bureaucratic hive mind, computing various consequences, chooses not to create a really different category for a student in the combined program. So, if you are a student in the combined degree program, you are required to graduate with the B.S. at some point, and then to be a graduate student for at least two academic year semesters.

When you graduate with the B.S., of course you must have satisfied the B.S. requirements. Satisfaction of the M.A. requirements is a trickier matter, because the usual M.A. requires those 30 grad credits to be taken while a grad student. But you might take 600-700 level courses before the graduation with B.S., and want to count that work toward your combined degree.

The University created a policy to deal with this: an undergraduate is allowed to take up to a total of 12 credits (maximum of 6 credits per semester) of graduate level courses "for graduate credit only". Such courses cannot be used to satisfy any part of the Bachelor's degree requirements, but can be "banked" for later use to satisfy graduate degree requirements. To bank graduate courses you need to apply for permission before taking the courses. There is a form for this called Graduate Credit Permission Form which you can download from the Graduate School website.   On the same webpage there is a form called Combined Bachelor's/Master's Form which you use to indicate the courses (up to 9 credits) from your BS degree which will also be used for the MA degree.    Only graduate courses may be shared.  This form should be completed and approved before you graduate with the BS degree.

All other credits taken toward the graduate degree must be taken after completion of the Bachelor's Degree.  In general, there is no funding for the "5th year" of study.  Also, this program is primarliy geared at students who do not plan to go onto a PhD program.  Students who plan to pursue a PhD will generally go straight into that program after the Bachelor's.

Example Programs

There is a wide variation in coursework and acceleration among students pursuing the combined degree option, and the examples below are not at all exhaustive. In particular, most BS/MA Math students actually take more than two Math classes in some semesters, and on the other hand there can be somewhat less fast-paced paths to the combined degree.   All examples assume that 9 credits of courses taken for the BS degree have been counted towards the MA degree.  In the tables, "thesis" refers to 6 credits of master's thesis research.   Although it is listed for a specific semester, normally the thesis work would be spread out over at least 2 semesters.

Example 1:
Here a student enters the University with Advanced Placement credit for Math 140 (Calculus I). It is compatible with the "M.A. with thesis" option, if the student gets the B.S. after Year 4, but "banks" one of the two sequences of Year 4 for graduate credit only.

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4		Year 5
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Math 141	Math 240	Math 246	Math 463	Math 403	Stat 410	Math 600	Math 601	Stat 600/700	thesis
	Math 241	Math 410	Math 411	Amsc 466	Math 405	Math 630	Math 660	Math 730	Math 734

Example 2:
Here the student enters the University with AP credit for Math 140 and Math 141, and takes the special honors sequence Math 340-341 (which covers the courses Math 240,241 and 246 with enrichment). The courses below could fit an extremely strong student developing an interest in topology and geometry. The particular course sequence is compatible with the taking of qualifying exams (analysis and algebra) in time for graduation, and thus fits into the "M.A. without thesis" requirements.

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4		Year 5
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Math 340	Math 341	Math 410	Math 411	Math 630	Math 631	Stat 410	Math 660	Math 600	Math 601
		Math 405	Math 403	AMSC 466	Math 463	Math 730	Math 734	Math 642	Math 740

Example3:
Here a strong student develops a strong interest in Logic and writes a masters thesis in Logic.

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4		Year 5
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Math 340	Math 341	Math 410	Math 411	Math 712	Math 713	Stat 410	Math 463	Math 630	Math 631
		Math 403	Math 446	Math 405	Amsc 466	Math 600	Math 601	thesis	Math 660

Example 4:
Here a strong student writes a masters thesis in Applied Statistics.

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4		Year 5
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Math 340	Math 341	Math 410	Math 411	Math 405	AMSC 466	STAT 700	STAT 701	STAT 740	STAT 741
		Stat 410	Stat 420	STAT 430	STAT 650	STAT 600	STAT 601	thesis	STAT 730

The examples above don't list all the courses needed to satisfy degree requirements. For the Math BS/MA, a student would have to complete the following at the required grade point levels:

• An approved three course "supporting sequence"
• the University's General Education requirements;
• a total of 141 credits (the B.S. requires 120 credits and the M.A. requires 30; the total is only 141 on account of the 9 credit overlap allowance)