Academic catalog
Choose your focus
NAU math students have bright careers ahead
Students with specific career goals may be interested in following the course selection guidelines for one or more focus areas.
Potential careers
Actuarial careers Accordion Closed
Actuaries are professionals who work in the insurance industry and related areas, and the profession is consistently listed among the top jobs based on factors such as salary and job satisfaction. Entry into the profession is based on the passage of a series of examinations and completion of certified courses that carry Validation by Educational Experience (VEE) credit.
You will take courses mathematics, statistics, economics and finance. In addition to the core courses in the BS in Mathematics program, we suggest taking these courses:
- MAT 239 Differential Equations
- MAT 480 Mathematics of Finance Modeling
- STA 474C Introduction to Mathematical Statistics II
- For VEE-applied statistical methods credit:
- STA 471 Regression Analysis
- STA 477 Time Series Analysis
- For VEE-economics credit:
- ECO 284 Principles of Economics: Micro
- ECO 285 Principles of Economics: Macro
- For VEE-corporate finance credit:
- FIN 311 Principles of Finance
- FIN 331 Investments
- Other helpful courses:
- MAT 362 Introduction to Numerical Analysis
- MAT 562 Interest Theory for Actuarial Science
- MAT 565 Actuarial Mathematics
- MAT 567 Risk Theory
Note: It is helpful for you to have passed two or more of the Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuary Society exams when applying for an actuary job.
Statistics Accordion Closed
A statistician uses numbers to measure, interpret, and describe the world and the patterns within it. These skills are ideal for the fields of natural sciences, finance, insurance, and government.
In addition to the core courses in the BS in Mathematics program, we suggest taking these courses:
- STA 371 Intermediate Statistics
- STA 471 Regression Analysis
- STA 474C Introduction to Mathematical Statistics II
- Other helpful courses:
- MAT 362 Introduction to Numerical Analysis
- MAT 467 Operations Research
- STA 570 Statistical Methods I
- STA 571 Statistical Methods II
- STA 572 Multivariate Statistical Methods
- STA 574 Categorical Data Analysis
- STA 575 Applied Sampling
Applied mathematics Accordion Closed
Applied mathematics is a term that covers a wide range of areas of application like science, engineering, business, and industry.
In addition to the core courses in the BS in Mathematics program, we suggest taking the following courses:
- MAT 239 Differential Equations
- MAT 331 Laplace Transforms
- MAT 335 Complex Variables
- MAT 362 Introduction to Numerical Analysis
- MAT 368 Mathematical Modeling
- MAT 461 Partial Differential Equations
- MAT 467 Operations Research
- MAT 480 Mathematics of Finance Modeling
- STA 471 Regression Analysis
- STA 477 Time Series Analysis
Note: The courses listed above cover applicable mathematics and statistics, but even more abstract courses not listed here have significant applications, like for example cryptography, in the case of MAT 318 – Elementary Number Theory.
Preparation for graduate study in mathematics
Prepare yourself for your pursuits of a graduate degree in mathematics or a related area.
We suggest taking these courses to provide a basic foundation:
- MAT 318 Elementary Number Theory
- MAT 335 Complex Variables
- MAT 412C Introduction to Abstract Algebra II
- MAT 441C Introduction to Topology
- MAT 485 Undergraduate Research
- MAT 511 Abstract Algebra
- MAT 531 Real Analysis
- Other 500-level MAT courses