All of these careers begin with an education in mathematics, and a curiosity about the use of mathematics to solve problems. Many mathematicians work for either the Federal or State government. The Department of Defense, Census Bureau, and National Security Agency all employ mathematicians and statisticians. In the private sector, major employers include research and testing services, educational services, security and commodity exchanges, and management and public relations services. Within manufacturing, the drug industry is a key employer.
Some mathematicians also work for banks, insurance companies, and public utilities.
The majority of bachelor's degree holders in private industry work, not as mathematicians, but in related fields such as computer science, where they are called computer programmers. Mathematics education is an important profession. The teaching of mathematics is magnified in importance because of the number of other disciplines that depend on mathematics. For course descriptions, refer to the NAU Undergraduate Catalog. Applied Statistics Intro.