<p>I'm not necessarily a "mathy" type of person. Sure, I've gotten high A's in all my math classes and they are usually my highest grades, but I enjoy the memorization and application of calculus and algebra 2, not the AMC-type, theoretical type of math. Would I do well in applied math? My parents are pushing me away from applied math and towards finance because they do not think I could keep up with the difficulty of applied math and its abstractness. If I were to major in applied math, i would minor in finance and if I were to major in finance, I would minor in applied math/statistics.</p>
<p>P.S. I'm currently taking AP BC Calculus.
P.P.S. I enjoyed statistics very much, and I did a stat internship over the summer.</p>
<p>It looks like you could maybe look into Financial Statistics or Quantitative Finance field as a future career path. I don’t think that doing well in calculus guarantees that you’d be a good math major but it’s a start. All of the math concentrations build off of differential and integral calculus in one way or another. Math majors at my school still get stuck taking at least two proof courses regardless of concentration. Most math majors here end up taking at least 3 proof courses. The Applied Mathematics majors at my school are required to take two tough proof/theory courses (Algebraic Structures and Real Analysis) as well as Linear Algebra which you can consider half of the material to being proofs depending on the professor. Most advisers here request that you take Discrete Mathematics (intro to proof course) before doing the two difficult proof courses as a preparation. That’s 3 and a half proof courses in total now, technically. If you like the applications and problem solving of calculus, applied mathematics would be closely tied to that. Applied Mathematics builds off of Differential Equations which some people consider to be “calculus on steroids.” That course is typically taken as a sophomore. </p>
<p>I’m not a Finance person so I can’t speak for that much. I’m a mathematics major with a concentration in statistics but I’ve taken 90% of the courses on the Applied Mathematics degree plan. I suggest thinking about what career you would like to have and then see which route between the two you listed one better help you get there.</p>
<p>@SadHippo Thanks a lot! I’m interested in going into a financial career, but I’m also open to Accounting. Not sure what type of jobs Applied Math majors usually end up at? Also, do you think there’s a certain type of person who is naturally good at these proof/theory courses or is it just going to be tough for everyone? </p>
<p>Well ucbalumnus is absolutely correct that applied mathematics majors commonly end up somewhere in Finance (though they aren’t limited to that). It’s not really common right now for you to get an applied mathematics degree and seek job titles as “Applied Mathematician.” It gets a little tricky because many of applied mathematics graduates work in fields closely related to mathematics so I feel like it’s even more important for this route to have a plan as to what you want to do rather than just picking it because you like math (which you seem to be trying to do). I hear the arguments “If you want to work in Finance, just get a Finance degree” but I also hear the arguments that there’s certain divisions within the Finance field, say quantitative finance or financial statistics that is where a math major is favorable. I’m not an expert on the finance field so I can’t say any more. Your question about majoring in finance and minoring in math vs majoring in math and minoring in finance is an interesting one so I hope someone more knowledgeable can speak more on it.</p>
<p>I have personally not heard of that many mathematics majors doing accounting as compared to Finance but don’t quote me there. I know a fair share of accounting majors but haven’t talked to them about their field.</p>
<p>Many people think of mathematics as having two branches: Applied Mathematics and Pure Mathematics. The pure mathematics would be the proof/theory heavy math courses. This is offered as a concentration for a math degree at my school. I don’t know much about pure mathematics. I have just heard from many people that they may go on to be number theorists or maybe work in graph theory and that many of them aim for a PhD to do research/academia. So those people would be naturally good at the proof/theory courses. </p>
<p>A typical undergraduate business major would probably have a hard time with the above, but an applied math major with an interest in finance would be more likely to understand it.</p>
<p>Agreed that many business programs can be light on math and that is not a good thing. Most employers will look at your transcript to make sure you have a solid Math background, including Calc I, II and III, Discrete Math and some Comp Science, and not just Accounting and Financial Management. But they also want to see that you are able to write and think analytically, and expect to see a four course Econ track and some writing classes. My employer and others I have spoken with prefer entry level analysts with well rounded Finance or Economics majors than Applied Math majors with few writing or business classes.</p>
<p>A Finance B.S. is not the same degree as a BBA, which is an undergraduate business degree. Make sure you map out the curriculum to ensure you will take classes teaching more difficult concepts than marketing and management. Familiarity with data analytics is becoming crucial for well-rounded Finance or Economics majors, so look for programs that offer it. </p>
<p>You should also ask the college how many of their undergrads prepare to take at least the first level of the CFA upon or after graduation. The CFA is a great equalizer among Finance programs, as it requires applicants to have the same base of knowledge to pass it, regardless of their degree or college. </p>
<p>I want to add that my school doesn’t allow mathematics majors to minor and that our business school is highly competitive so my school doesn’t let many non-majors take business classes, especially for Finance. I would maybe be able to petition to take two Finance courses at most but that’s it. I don’t know how common this is but you should look into this at the school(s) you are looking at.</p>
<p>I have very similar interests to you! Try considering a statistics or quantitative finance major; however, if you want to major in math, applied seems like a much better fit than theoretical.</p>
<p>Thanks so much everyone! I will definitely be looking into the courses at my interested schools over the next year - I’m currently a junior, so I have a lot to learn about this field.</p>
![http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/5/e/f/5ef2fa747d3a5d684ae67bdc7236e6d4.png[/img]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/5/e/f/5ef2fa747d3a5d684ae67bdc7236e6d4.png%5B/img%5D){kind=link}
![http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/6/6/c/66c077aa44cab1df32603df78b81057e.png[/img]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/6/6/c/66c077aa44cab1df32603df78b81057e.png%5B/img%5D){kind=link}
