Career Opportunities
Future career opportunities
Every year, we invite math alumni to address our graduates. They come from all walks of life, from musicians to software engineers, and they all say the same thing: their math degree has always proved useful to them.
"It gives a great basis for almost everything," says Professor Jeannette Janssen. "Mathematics is the language of technology, the language of science."
Having a good understanding of mathematics benefits you in ways that you may not expect. Mathematicians find careers in diverse fields. They use theory, computational techniques, algorithms and the latest technology to solve economic, engineering, physics or business problems. Mathematics solves many practical, everyday problems in business and government, from streamlining a manufacturing process to calculating the effectiveness of a new drug.
“You get a lot of good training that is useful, and skills that are transferable to other types of jobs. It’s a good solid degree in terms of education,” says University Research Professor of mathematics, Alan Coley.
Our graduates work in a wide variety of jobs, all over the world. "The field is wide open," says Dr. Hong Gu, associate professor of statistics.
All our classes are accredited by the Statistical Society of Canada. Students who fulfil our degree requirements can apply to the S.S.C. to receive the title of Associate Statistician (A.Stat.) after graduation. An A.Stat. designation is the entry level requirement for a practicing statistician. It's a qualification employers look for in an entry level statistician.
No matter what academic path you might pursue, a statistics degree is useful, because it gives you a solid basis in quantitative research. "Stats fast tracks you into a faculty job," says Dr. Gu.
“As soon as I started applying for jobs, I got phone calls. There are not many statisticians out there,” says alumna Talia McCallum, who now works as a Defense Scientist at the Department of National Defense. She sees no shortage of applied stats work for people with skills sets like hers.
“It’s a really excellent degree and I’m so happy to have it,” she says.
For information on opportunities and assistance with career development you can visit Dalhousie's Career and Leadership page.