Mathematical Sciences

Applied and Computational Mathematics Concentration

Apply the laws of mathematics and computer science to the world around you.

The most pressing problems facing society require breakthrough ideas. With a BS in Mathematics with a concentration in applied and computational mathematics from Michigan Tech, you’ll learn the fundamental laws of mathematics and computer modeling to find those breakthroughs.

You’ll have the flexibility of free credits to explore an area of interest where you’d like to use your skills. And you will learn by doing. You’ll acquire the specialized knowledge, quantitative skills, and research experience to help you find breakthroughs in engineering, science, and technology. Prepare yourself for graduate study or an in-demand career that matters.

Use Your Learning Anywhere

You can create your future in virtually any field. Want to use algorithms to bring images to life and create stunning special effects that captivate their audiences, like in Avatar,  Lion King, or Avengers: Endgame? Uncover how a shark’s hunting patterns take the shape of a fractal? How can we use mathematical modeling help surgeons decide which procedure is best for a heart patient or predict hurricane patterns, saving thousands of lives? These are just a few of the spaces you might decide to explore with your degree from Michigan Tech. Apply your strong quantitative background to any of these application areas.

  • Biology
  • Business
  • Climatology
  • Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
  • Computational Chemistry and Chemical Informatics
  • Computer Animation and Digital Imaging
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Engineering
  • Finance
  • Health
  • Materials Science
  • Physics

Get the Most From Applied and Computational Mathematics

There are a number of ways to optimize your time in the degree program. Contact your advisor to talk about your options and read these tips to help you prepare for your career.

Use Free Electives To Customize Your Education

Use your free electives wisely to get the strongest possible degree. Free electives allow you to pursue an area of interest. Some options to consider:

Speak to your advisor about the best way to use your free credits.

Get Summer Research Experiences

There are many summer undergraduate research opportunities to explore. Besides gaining experience, participation in undergraduate research is a great way to decide if you want to go to graduate school (and it looks great on a graduate school application)! Consider:

If you are planning to enter the workforce upon graduation, you will be much more marketable if you do an internship or participate in Enterprise. For information about internships, contact University Career Services or your advisor.

Join a Professional Organization

Professional organizations offer learning and networking opportunities. The premier professional organization for applied mathematicians is the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). Michigan Tech students can join SIAM for free.

Requirements

In addition to your core mathematics degree requirements, the following courses are required to complete your concentration in applied and computational mathematics:

Courses

You must complete each of the following 18 credits, although MA 4900 can be satisfied with any 4000-level course in science or engineering:

Electives

You must complete one of the following 3-credit courses to meet your requirement:

Tomorrow Needs Applied Mathematicians With Strong Quantitative Backgrounds

As the challenges facing business, government, and research continue to grow in urgency and the amount of data available continues to explode, the need for professionals with analytic and computational skills to design and implement innovative data-driven solutions has never been higher. A concentration in applied and computational mathematics is a pathway to a challenging, successful, and rewarding career.

Career Opportunities

You can find lots of career opportunities combing your love for math and computer science. In fact, your future career options are diverse with a degree in mathematics with a concentration in applied and computational mathematics. Career opportunities include:

  • Budget Analyst
  • Business Analyst
  • Computer Modeling Specialist
  • Consultant
  • Credit Analyst
  • Data Analyst
  • Data Scientist
  • Industrial Research and Development Specialist
  • Investment Analyst
  • Mathematician
  • Operations Research Analyst
  • Pharmaceutical and Biomedical R&D Scientists
  • Quantitative Finance and Risk Analyst
  • Simulation and Software Developer

Get Hired By

These are just some of the companies hiring mathematics majors with a concentration in applied and computational mathematics:

  • Apple
  • Idaho National Laboratory
  • Intuit
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Meta
  • Northrop Grumman
  • Honda Research Institute
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • National Library of Medicine
  • Novartis
  • U.S. Forest Service

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying Applied and Computational Mathematics at Michigan's flagship technological university.

"The most valuable part of my education was not any of the technical skills, but the problem-solving, teamwork, and technical writing that Tech was able to integrate throughout my education."Skyler Callis '22, BS Mathematics (Appied and Computational Mathematics Concentration)

Study Applied and Computational Mathematics at a Technological University

As a student, you’ll receive training in fundamental computational and applied mathematics. You’ll be able to transfer the skills you learn into a specific application field.

  • Customize Your Education: The concentration in applied and computational mathematics provides you with plenty of free credits to pursue an applied area of interest with a second major or minor.
  • Get personalized attention: Our smaller department ensures your academic advisors and professors know you and understand your interests and needs. You can receive the guidance you need in a timely fashion.

Undergraduate Concentrations in Mathematics

Not sure which concentration is the right fit? No problem.
Speak to an academic advisor.

Undergraduate Advising

A positive and productive advising relationship is a key component of your success at Michigan Tech. You and your academic advisor will develop your academic plan, and your advisor will help you follow and complete your plan to ensure your success at Michigan Tech.

Tomorrow Needs You

Mathematicians trained in the fundamentals of computational and applied math can accomplish much across a range of applied practice areas in business, government, and research in engineering, science, and technology. As the world becomes more complex and data sources and databases continue to expand, you’ll be able to use your analytical, problem-solving, and technical skills to find the breakthroughs tomorrow needs.