Advising

Below is a compilation of information for students interested in majoring in math at Witt, summer opportunities, graduate school, and jobs.


Math at Wittenberg: Everyone should major in math!


Summer Opportunities in Math:

  • Math at Wittenberg: At this point, the math department doesn't have a formal process regarding summer math research. However, if you will be at Witt for the summer and want to do some math research, please ask any faculty member! There are a couple of ways to get some funding for it too!
    • Student Development Board Summer Research Grant: You can apply for a grant from Wittenberg to do research with a faculty member over the summer. These applications are usually due around Spring Break, so be sure to reach out to a faculty member before then!
    • The Math Workshop hires a student to work during the summer. The workshop is never super busy, so you can usually do other work too. This is a nice way to do some research as well as earn a little cash. Again, be sure to ask a faculty member about this as soon as you can!
  • REU's: Research Experiences for Undergraduates are summer programs across the country where you get a chance to work on a math research project for most of the summer. These programs pay well and you get a chance to work on math problems not usually seen in a classroom. They are also great opportunities if you are interested in graduate school in the future. Deadlines are usually early in the spring semester.
    • Here is a list of REU's sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
    • There are other REU's that aren't nationally funded. The AMS keeps a running list of both types, found here.
    • There is a National Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (NREUP) intended for minority students in their sophomore or junior years.
    • If you want to work for the government, consider applying for a summer opportunity with the NSA.
    • The Summer Undergraduate Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (SUMSRI) is offered every summer at Miami University.
    • Carleton College has a summer program for freshman and sophomore women that have taken Calculus II (MATH 202) and Linear Algebra (MATH 205/261).
    • George Washington University has a summer program for women in mathematics designed for junior math majors who may be considering graduate school in math.
  • Internships: There are many opportunities across the country to get some mathematical experience in industry. You should definitely talk to the Wittenberg Career Center. Also, many of the national math/stats organizations keep a list of current internships and co-ops.
    • The American Mathematical Society (AMS) has a list of internships and co-ops for large corporations here.
    • The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) has a list of internships for more applied math/engineering here.
    • The American Statistical Association (ASA) has a list of stats internships here.


Study Abroad Opportunities in Math: While studying abroad is fun and exciting in general, there are some opportunities just in math!

  • Budapest Semesters in Mathematics: This is a semester-long (or summer-long) program where students study mid- to upper-level mathematics. It is great for students interested in going to graduate school for math. (If interested, please come ask me since I did this program in Spring 2007!)
  • Budapest Semesters in Math Education: This is a semester-long program for students studying to be middle-school or high-school math teachers.
  • Math in Moscow Program: This is a semester-long program similar to the Budapest program.
  • NYU in London: This is a semester-long program in which students can specialize courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics (along with other areas).
  • Penn State's Mathematics Advanced Study Semesters (MASS) Program: While not actually abroad, this program is offered in the fall semester each year. Students take upper-level courses and an introduction to mathematical research.
  • Junior Year for Women at Smith College: Again, not a program abroad, but it is a semester- or year-long program for junior women who are interested in graduate school in mathematics.


Life after Witt: Finding a job or applying to graduate school

  • Finding a job:
    • First, you should consider doing a summer internship during your time at Witt. These internships often lead to job offers once you graduate.
    • Go check out the Wittenberg Career Center for info about jobs related to math or stats.
    • The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) has a Careers page with a lot of information about what to do with a math major.
      • One of the best resources is to look at the Career Profiles to read stories of real mathematicians in different careers.
      • You can also check out the Math Classifieds page where you can search for jobs. (A lot of these jobs require an MS or PhD, but sometimes you can find something that requires only a bachelor's degree.)
    • The American Mathematical Society (AMS) has a few resources for undergraduate students. You can find the general page for undergrads here.
      • If you click on the "Find Internships, Fellowships, and Jobs" link on the left menu, you can access a lot of different resources. One of those is the Employment Information in the Mathematical Sciences page, where you can search for jobs. (A lot of these jobs require an MS or PhD, but sometimes you can find something that requires only a bachelor's degree.)
    • You can also check out the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) career webpage for job postings.
    • And, if you are interested in stats, the American Statistical Association has a career webpage too.
    • Want to be an actuary? Here are some resources for you:
      • The Society of Actuaries job page can be found here.
      • The site "Be an Actuary" has a lot of great resources and information about actuarial science.
    • Finally, for those who want to teach math in K-12 schools, here are some resources:
    • Want to work for the government? The National Security Agency (NSA) is always looking for mathematicians/statisticians. Their career page can be found here.
    • The Sloan Career Cornerstone Center has a lot of information about majors in any of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field.
  • Graduate School:
    • First, if you want to go to grad school in math or stats, I recommend taking as many math/stats courses as possible as well as completing some research (either in the form of summer research or an honors thesis) during your time at Wittenberg.
    • To learn more about graduate school in math, the AMS has a site with resources here.
      • One of the links is a list of some graduate programs in math, in which you can search for things you are looking for (like location, type of degree, and what field of math you are interested in). You can find that link here.
      • The AMS also sorts graduate programs by size, which you can find here.
    • A list of statistics graduate programs can be found here.
    • There are a lot of opinions about what graduate school is like floating around online (like here or here), which you should read to get a picture. However, everyone has different experiences, so you should choose based on what fits for you (rather than what you mind read or hear from someone else). Usually, you will know if you'll fit when you visit the campus/program.
    • For more information about the admissions process, click here.
    • Once you have been accepted into a graduate program, I recommend considering a summer prep program. These are "bridge" programs that help students entering grad school feel prepared for their first few years of coursework and exams.
      • Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE): a program for women students either entering graduate school or finishing their first year of graduate school. (Please see me if interested, since I am an EDGE alum!)
      • University of Nebraska IMMERSE program: a program for students entering graduate school.


Recommendation Letters: If you would like me to write you a recommendation letter, please send me an email with the information found here.