Online Math Degree Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Mathematics Career Outlook

Upon completion of the online math degree, you can be prepared for career opportunities in a broad range of fields including:

Actuary. As an actuary, you’ll use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to assess financial risk. This profession is in particularly high demand in the insurance industry - with some specializing in health insurance, life insurance and property and casualty insurance - but may also extend to the public sector.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job prospects for actuaries are set to soar 20% through 2028, far faster than the national average.² The median annual wage for actuaries was $102,880 in 2018.² At the time, the top employers for actuaries were finance and insurance companies, professional, scientific and technical services, management of companies and enterprises and government. A small percentage of actuaries (1%) were self-employed.²

Operations research analyst. In this role, you’ll use advanced mathematical and analytical methods to help solve problems in just about all aspects of an organization. For example, you may manage a supply chain, advise managers and other institutional leaders or decision-makers or develop production schedules. In all that you do, you’ll be an essential player in helping a business reach its full potential.

As a valued asset to any team, it’s no wonder demand for operations research analysts is expected to grow. The BLS predicts that new jobs will be added much faster than the national average — 26% through 2028.² That adds up to 28,100 new jobs. Additionally, median pay for this profession was reportedly $83,390 in 2018.² Among the largest employers of operations research analysts at that time were finance and insurance companies, professional, science and technical services, manufacturing and the federal government.

Statistician. A statistician is responsible for designing surveys, analyzing data and presenting their findings to stakeholders through reports, tables, charts and graphs. They are qualified to work in many fields. For example, biostatisticians work in environments like pharmaceutical companies, public health agencies and hospitals to conduct studies that may identify an epidemic outbreak, test the success of a new drug or uncover the source of an illness.

Career prospects in the field appear very promising. According to the BLS, job growth for statisticians is set to soar 31% through 2028, well above the national average.² By comparison, the average growth rate for all occupations in that same time frame is projected to be only 5%.² In 2018, top employers of statisticians included research and development in the physical, engineering and life sciences; healthcare and social assistance; and colleges, universities and professional schools in the state, local and private sectors. In that same year, statisticians earned $87,780.²

Financial analyst. If you’re passionate about giving investment advice to people and businesses, this could be the career for you. You’ll assess the performance of stocks, bonds and other investments to determine the best financial strategies for your clients. Financial analysts are often categorized as either buy-side or sell-side analysts. The former works with institutional investors and nonprofit universities with large endowments; the latter advises financial services sales agents who sell stocks and bonds.

The BLS anticipates jobs for financial analysts will grow 6% — equaling 20,300 new positions — through 2028.² In May 2018, professionals in the field reportedly earned a median annual wage of $85,660.² Among the top employers that same year were securities, commodity contracts and other financial investments, credit intermediation and insurance carriers.

Management analyst. Often called management consultants, these are the people responsible for proposing ways to improve efficiency in an organization. If you choose this career track, you'll wear many hats – from interviewing personnel and analyzing expenditure to recommending new procedures and collaborating with managers to solve operational challenges.

With companies across all industries looking for ways to improve efficiency and mitigate costs, the skills of management analysts are looking to be a hot commodity for years to come. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of management analysts is set to grow 14% through 2028, which is much faster than the national average for all occupations.² IT consultants are expected to see an especially high demand in the coming years. Along with promising career outlook projections, the salary for management analysts in 2018 was reportedly $83,610.² By comparison, business operations specialists reported average annual earnings of $67,120 in that same time period. 18% of all management analysts were also self-employed.²

You'll be able to apply what you've learned to a variety of real-world problems in almost any field, from pharmaceuticals to sports statistics. Wherever there's a need for quantitative analysis or modeling, you'll have an opportunity to use your online math degree in real, impactful ways.

Matthew Benet '16, for instance, earned a perfect GRE score of 170 in mathematics and went on to become a teaching assistant Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth summer program.

"Throughout high school I made it a point to help my fellow classmates understand what was frustrating them in math and would always strive for the moment when they got a big smile on their faces and started enjoying themselves ... There is nothing more pure than math; it's the core basic universal truth. Science is a theory that somewhere down the line might be disproven by some improbable possibility. I love science, but no matter what, math ties into everything," Benet said.

Courses & Curriculum

If you have a genuine interest in mathematics, you have an ideal way to multiply your skills with the online BA in Mathematics degree program.

This online math degree provides broad exposure to the key branches of mathematics. In addition, students will strengthen their math skills and marketability through the use of industry standard programming languages like Python, Matlab and R to solve real-world problems in business, finance – just about any discipline.

In addition to completing your core BA requirements, you'll complete 15 math courses as you work toward your math degree online, including three math elective courses based on your particular areas of interest. Courses in this program are taught by seasoned faculty with real-world experience as mathematicians and educators across a broad range of fields, including business, economics, technology, natural sciences and social sciences.

Learn more about how to study math.

Curriculum Requirements & Resources

• General education program: Students are required to take general education classes. Through these foundation, exploration and integration courses, students learn to think critically, creatively and collaboratively, giving you the edge employers are looking for.
• Earn math credits for what you already know: Save time and tuition with our Pathways to Math Success assessments. Show your knowledge of the materials in your program's math courses, and you could earn up to 9 math credits – at less than $50 for each course assessment.
• Technology resources: We provide cloud-based virtual environments in some courses to give you access to the technology you need for your degree – and your career. Learn more about our virtual environments.

University Accreditation