Option 2 packages

The Option 2 math major requires six math courses and four courses in an area of application. These four courses are required to have a certain mathematical content. They should also form a coherent collection of courses that reflect a plan to study some discipline outside of mathematics that uses a fair amount of mathematics. The selection of the four courses, together with the six required math courses must be approved by the student's advisor. This page lists some sample packages in several popular areas.

Economics and Business

Actuarial Mathematics

Actuaries use techniques in mathematics and statistics to evaluate risk in a variety of areas including insurance, finance, healthcare, and even criminal justice. In recent history the field has been revolutionized by advances in the theory of probability and the ability to access, store, and process very large data sets.

Professional actuaries are currently in great demand, have lucrative pay, and is a growth field [1]. Similar to some other fields (law, accounting, etc.) there are professional organizations which administer a series of examinations [2]. Oftentimes students complete some of these examinations before graduating which allows them to move right into a career (Note: these exams are not required for graduation).

Students who are interested in actuarial mathematics should consider coursework in probability, statistics, analysis, as well as computational mathematics.

Application Courses

• Math 303

• Act. Sci 650 and 652

• Act. Sci. 651 or 653

Core Math Courses

• Linear Algebra: Math 320 or Math 340 or Math 341 or Math 375
  • Students who use either Math 320 or Math 340 to fulfill their Linear Algebra requirement must take Math 421 before any mathematics course numbered above 500.

• Probability: Math 309 or Math 431 or 531
  • Math 431 is preferred over 309.
  • Math 531 is advanced probability and may be taken only after Math 421 or Math 521.

• Statistics: Math 310
  • Has the prerequisite: one of the probability courses mentioned above AND an elementary stats class (Stat 302 is recommended).

• Analysis: Math 521

• Stochastic Processes: Math 632

• Linear Programming: Math 525

Additional Courses to Consider

• Combinatorics: Math 475

• Computational Mathematics: Math 443, 513, 514

Also: Students interested in the areas of mathematics with applications to actuarial science might consider the following as well:

• Advanced courses offered by the Department of Statistics or even a dual major.

• Consider combining the major with a program offered by the UW-Madison School of Business.

Physical Sciences

Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences

Weather and climate is determined by the interaction between two thin layers which cover the planet: The oceans and the atmosphere. Understanding how these two fluids act and interact allow humans to describe historical climate trends, forecast near future weather with incredible accuracy, and hopefully describe long term climate change which will affect the future of human society.

A student interested in atmospheric and oceanic studies who has a strong mathematics background can find a career working in local, national, and international meteorological laboratories. These include private scientific consulting businesses as well as public enterprises. Students interested in graduate study could find their future studies supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, NASA, or others [3]. There is a large amount of funding available in the area due to the relevance research findings have on energy and economic policy.

Mathematicians who work in Atmospheric and oceanic studies are drawn to the complexities of the problems and the variety of methods in both pure and applied mathematics which can be brought to bear on them. Students should take coursework in methods of applied mathematics, differential equations, computational mathematics, and differential geometry and topology.

Application Courses

• Physics 208 or Physics 248 [4]
  • Both of these classes have prerequisites (Physics 207/247).
• ATM OCN 310, 311, and 330 [5]
  • 310 and 330 have Physics 208/248 as a prerequisite.

Core Mathematics Courses

• Linear Algebra: Math 340 or Math 341 or Math 375
• Differential Equations: Math 319
• Applied Analysis: Math 321 and 322
• Computational Mathematics: At least one of 513 or 514
• Theory of Differential Equations: Math 519

Additional Courses to Consider

• Computational Mathematics: 513 or 514
• Analysis: Math 521
• Differential Geometry: Math 561
• Partial Differential Equations: Math 619

Also: Students who are interested in this area might consider

• Combining the math major with the program offered by the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.
• The AMEP program.

Biological Sciences

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Bio-Informatics

Bioinformatics is the application of computational methods to understand biological information. Of course the most interesting items of biological information is genetic and genomic information. Considering that the human genome has over three billion basepairs [6], it's no wonder that many mathematicians find compelling problems in the area to devote their time.

Students with strong mathematical backgrounds who are interested in bioinformatics can find careers as a part of research teams in public and private laboratories across the world [7]. Moreover, many universities have established interdisciplinary graduate programs promoting this intersection of mathematics, biology, and computer science [8].

Students interested in bioinformatics should have a strong background in computational mathematics and probability. Students should also have a strong programming background.

Application Courses

• Computer Science: CS 302 and CS 367
• Bioinformatics: BMI/CS 576
• Genetics: Gen 466
  • Note that this class has a prerequisite of a year of chemistry and a year of biology coursework. Please contact the UW-Madison genetics program for more information.

Core Mathematics Courses