A Ph.D. is needed for full faculty status in most four- year colleges and universities. A teaching credential is also needed at the elementary and high school level. In private industry, many jobs are filled with those with a master's degree. Most workers are hired in related fields such as computer science in the jobs as computer programmers, systems analysts, or systems engineers. A bachelor's degree in mathematics is offered by most colleges and universities.
Required courses are calculus, differential equations, and linear and abstract algebra.
Additional courses might include probability theory and statistics, mathematical analysis, numerical analysis, topology, modern algebra, discrete mathematics, and mathematical logic. Most colleges require students to take several courses in a field that uses or is closely related to mathematics, such as computer science, engineering, operations research, a physical science, statistics, or economics. When obtaining a job in applied mathematics, training in the field in which mathematics will be used is important. Fields which use applied mathematics include physics, actuarial science, engineering, and operations research. Computer and information science, business and industrial management, economics, statistics, chemistry, geology, life sciences, and the behavioral sciences also employ Mathematicians.