<p>I'm trying to decide on a major that would combine math and languages. I'm really good with numbers and I'm fluent in 2 langs and had four years of french. I'm fascinated by foreign cultures, but I wouldn't want to waste my math skills. Would there be a major that would combine both? If I double major in these 2 subjects, what types of jobs could I get? I'd like a lucrative career.</p>
<p>Philosophy. Definitely philosophy. Although I don't know if fluency in 2 languages makes you good at verbal skills. I'm fluent in 3 languages and I have trouble reading philosophy.</p>
<p>Edit: Maybe not philosophy, since you're looking for a lucrative career. Or maybe yes... I don't know, there seems to be a lot of debate on the monetary rewards of studying philosophy.</p>
<p>Philosphy has nothing to do with math except for the fact that they both use logic. There are a few routes you can go with this. You could do something businessy (finance or logicistics or something) and a foreign language that could be a segway into an international business. You could do something more math based and do a language along with industrial engineering and think more about overseas manufacturing. You could do linguistics and computer science and do computational linguistics and speach recognition. This could also lead to cryptography. There are probably even more things, but I can't think of them right now. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Actually every major uses logic to an extent. Philosophy has nothing to do with either math or languages except that it's written in a language and uses logic, so that was, imo, a terrible suggestion. Most math oriented people are good in languages because verb conjugation and grammar are entirely dependant on pattern recognition. If you like pattern recognition then I would try computer science.</p>
<p>Linguistics!</p>
<p>(I was very close to becoming a linguistics major, so I know lots about it from a large amount of time spent researching job prospects.)</p>
<p>There are some great options that become available just from the skills you gain in a liberal arts degree and even better ones from the skills you would gain as a linguistics major. These include consulting or doing market research (they pay you tons just to decide if a question in a customer survey is fair/cannot be misconstrued) for big businesses. If you focus on the more technical areas, there's awesome work in computers and technical writing. With a scientific background to supplement your major, you can go into neuroscience. Similarly, there's also speech pathology. Paired with a major in a foreign language, it can help you become a better translator or interpreter. Linguistics is a good choice for a pre-law hopeful as well. The government is another employer of linguistics majors. You can even become a dialect coach, teach English as a foreign language, or of course, be a college professor.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Career Outlook</p>
<p>According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, professionals with linguistics degrees are in high demand by technology companies. Linguists who design and implement products for international use, such as general software, voice recognition software, and web design, will enjoy strong job prospects over the next decade. Linguists who seek employment in the technology field generally receive compensation that is two to three times higher than linguists in other fields.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Some useful websites:
Linguistics</a> Major | What Can You Do With a College Degree in Linguistics?
Careers</a>, Linguistics Major :: Advising :: College of Arts & Science :: Miami University
What</a> to do with a linguistics major
LSA:</a> About Linguistics
University</a> of New Hampshire - Linguistics Program - Career Planning</p>
<p>Go to Google and type in "careers for linguistics majors" and you'll find tons more.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>=(</p>
<p>Not philosophy then.</p>
<p>Math and language, to me, points directly to computational linguistics. Search the forums for discussions on CL.</p>
<p>"Philosphy has nothing to do with math except for the fact that they both use logic. There are a few routes you can go with this. You could do something businessy (finance or logicistics or something) and a foreign language that could be a segway into an international business"</p>
<p>I agree here, i.e. from the purest definition of math, and looking at what mathematicians actually do. However, this poster seems to be thinking more "math-y" than just real, hardcore math. Otherwise, I don't think math and language go well together anyway! Not pure, real, actual standard mathematics anyway.</p>
<p>However, I do know some fantastic students who do dual degrees in math and linguistics, and are good at both, and most importantly, enjoy both. The computational linguistics thing looks like something you might look into, but don't discount the possibility of just studying pure math and linguistics, as pure math is fun stuff in a unique way. Find out if it's for you.</p>
<p>Did you consider majors or careers that built upon your strengths but require training other than just math and foreign languages? There are a lot of lucrative careers for someone with strong quantitative, reasoning and communication skills. Think law, marketing, programming, engineering, intelligence & national security...</p>
<p>Knowledge of a foreign language looks good on a resume, but I would not limit myself to careers that actually require a foreign language. If you want to work with different cultures, why not work for an international company and go abroad for some time?</p>
<p>P.S. I know that it is just an expression, but since you said that you are "good with numbers", I wanted to mention that pure math on the undergraduate level is 'math without numbers'. If you want to play with numbers, go into another quantitative field.</p>
<p>Symbolic logic (held under philosophy) is very much like math (and at many colleges, logic courses fulfill math requirements, as at Stanford). As you get more advanced in mathematical and symbolic logic, the line between the study of math and the study of logic becomes increasingly blurred.</p>
<p>"As you get more advanced in mathematical and symbolic logic, the line between the study of math and the study of logic becomes increasingly blurred."</p>
<p>I'm sure Kyle already meant this when he posted, but just because the wording threw me off - I think if you study logic from a philosophy or math department, you're going to get pretty similar courses at higher levels. And mathematics rests on certain mathematical logic principles, so philosophically they're tied. But just to keep the original poster clear, I'd say advanced branches of math are rather different in flavor from mathematical logic type stuff. I.e., when you get down to studying algebraic topology, it feels pretty different from studying logic. For one thing, lots and lots of pictures =]</p>
<p>OK but as a note to the original poster, now I actually reread what you wanted -- if you want a lucrative career, but want to put math skills to use, and learn languages, my advice would be to shoot for a career where you can have a few different kinds of background and get by. Then, take whatever classes you want. Some professions will require good communication skills, and good reasoning skills are always appreciated.</p>
<p>This way, you can sample linguistics, as well as some math, and do as much as you feel like. I'm not convinced (though I can't say either way) if you'd like pure mathematics, for one thing. When someone said being good with numbers isn't mathematics, it's of course right on! If you're good with calculus and such things, you're probably going to do OK in economics classes, which can lead to some good careers. </p>
<p>I've heard of the actuarial profession being good for people who're plain smart at math, good critical thinkers, have good communication skills, and such. You may be one of these. Probably someone already suggested this.</p>
<p>Yes, I'm not interested in pure math. I'd like something more practical. About the languages part, it's something I really enjoy learning. I'd love a job that can give me the chance to travel and see the world. Would an actuary be able to do that? I've been suggested to do Industrial Engineering too because of my math strength but I'm not looking forward to work for boeing or some techy type of business. And again I don't know about so much traveling involved with that career.
I also would like to live in NYC, it's been my dream for years.</p>