<p>When I was looking up the best majors for money online, I saw that "Math and Computer Science" and "Applied Math" were on the list. However, how can I know which type of math major I am? At the school that I am at right now, the only math related major that is listed is simply "Math". Is this the same thing as Pure Math? I am asking because I have heard from some sources that a B.S. in Pure Math is generally useless without further study beyond undergrad. </p>
<p>On another note, can anyone tell me why math is always paired with computer science? It seems rather strange to me that those two majors always seem to be paired together. </p>
<p>I can’t answer the first part but to the last, CS is very math heavy and lots of the logical concepts in programming are embedded in math and how one thinks about and solves math problems. Most CS majors include many math classes and a minor in math is very common with CS, as well as a double major.</p>
I think this is typically based on what courses you use as electives, rather than what your degree is called (you should just call yourself a math major). The idea is that someone who takes a lot of applied math courses, as well as classes in related fields like computer science, will be more employable than someone who only takes theoretical classes with fewer applications.</p>
<p>My university has separate majors called Math and Applied Math. I’m a Math major, and I don’t consider it to be intrinsically more theoretical. The Applied Math majors have essentially the same math requirements, but they have to take more statistics and natural science classes. A Math major has more room to take theoretical classes, but they don’t have to. I choose my electives based on my interests, but I also think about different careers I’m interested in and try to choose courses that will help me prepare for them. </p>
<p>Other colleges offer different tracks within the math major, such as Education, Actuarial, Applied, Pure, etc. Even if you were majoring in math with a pure math concentration, you would probably have room to take applied math courses as well. </p>
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They’re both formal sciences. They’re hard to classify because they don’t really fit into the other categories we have for disciplines, like social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, etc. (It kind of bothers me when math is paired with computer science for salary/job market data, though, because it makes math look more lucrative than it is.)</p>
<p>50-60 years ago, those who designed and programmed computers needed a very good understanding of things like predicate calculus, binary arithmetic, math-based information theory, and electronics. Plus, the first computers were basically big calculators that were used for applications like bookkeeping and plotting missile trajectories. </p>
<p>That’s not the case these days, where you have layers of software and hardware shielding you from the math and EE that the old-timers had to deal with. I’ve noticed most CS programs require less math and EE than they used to, and lots of programming jobs these days involve little or no math.</p>
<p>I got my CS degree in 1983, and the CS program was run out of the math department. That was very common back then, but doesn’t seem to be these days.</p>
<p>At some schools, pure math may have additional requirements in such topics mainly of interest going into math PhD programs or research (e.g. geometry/topology, logic, etc.), while applied math may have them in areas of application (like CS, economics, statistics, etc.). However, it may be the case that there is enough free elective space that you can cover both areas by majoring in one and adding electives in the other (even though your degree may list only one major).</p>
<p>If there is just one math major, the department probably offers electives or tracks to allow students to choose between pure and various applied areas (and there may be enough free elective space to cover the pre-PhD pure math courses and add course work in an applied area).</p>