Math counts in more ways than just one

Many undergraduate students spend a significant portion of their time enrolled in non-math courses in preparation for life after graduation in the workforce.

While several of these courses are essential to undergraduate maturation, students should not neglect to pursue studies in mathematics, as they provide many skills employers seek from college graduates.

Students nationwide appear to be losing interest in the subject area often despised for its demanding workload. Some students fail to take Calculus I if it is not a minimum math requirement at their respective university or college.

This low level of interest by students, does not reflect the strong demand by employers for college graduates with a sufficient background in math.

In October 2011, Reuters reported that Siemens, a global engineering firm, had 3,000 positions available nationwide for applicants with a background in math, a startling statistic considering the unemployment rate at the time of its publication.

Jeff Owens, president of Advanced Technology Services Inc., a manufacturing consulting services company, said that many of the applicants for their positions simply did not have the math background needed to fill the vacancy.

And although some students believe it necessary to become a math major to attain such skills, many of these skills can be acquired by taking math classes up to Calculus III.
Math has also proven useful in areas that many would think it to be virtually obsolete.

A study published by the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2009 stated that math majors consistently scored the highest on the Law School Admissions Test, proving that math undoubtedly goes beyond numbers.