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It is very important that mathematics majors plan ahead and take a variety of courses appropriate to a desirable and enjoyable career.
For many students, graduate work in mathematics, or in another field of interest, is recommended, since students with higher degrees are usually rewarded with government, industrial, or teaching positions that are interesting and challenging, and involve more responsibility. Since most people work for several decades after graduation, an investment of a small number of years in graduate education pays great benefits in preparing a student for a lifetime of interesting professional experience.
All students should combine their courses in mathematics with knowledge in areas that use mathematics. This both broadens basic understanding, and also increases employability.
For instance, anyone interested in scientific or technical work should consider Physics 1001-1003. Scientific and engineering applications of mathematics can be found in many physics and chemistry courses, especially those involving mechanics, electronics, or physical chemistry.
Students interested in insurance (actuarial) work are strongly advised to take Statistics 3401-3402 and/or 3502-3503. These are cross-listed as Math courses, and may be used toward the major. Such courses are also valuable to students interested in some areas of biology, such as genetics.
Students interested in economics and/or business should of course take courses in these areas, especially those involving quantitative methods. Such students will also benefit from CIS computer courses, such as the COBOL languages classes.
In fact, computers are very closely tied to mathematics. All mathematics majors are required to take at least one computer science class (CS 1160), but they should also consider taking more classes and getting a computer science minor. Data structures (CS 3240) is particularly important for students who will want to write their own programs. All students would benefit from learning to use computer applications programs and libraries.
Recommended computer languages: FORTRAN and BASIC for students interested in Engineering and Scientific applications of mathematics; BASIC and COBOL for business-oriented applications; Pascal and C for teaching, work in the field of Computer Science, and general application of computers. A knowledge of available software in a variety of areas is also helpful. Some of these languages are taught in language courses; others are part of a more general course; and all can be learned by self-study.
The ability to speak and write well in English and other languages is a great asset to mathematicians, since most companies, and all schools, require that the mathematicians they hire be excellent communicators in spoken and written English. Knowledge of a foreign language is an asset in communicating with others and in studying mathematical methods used in other countries. Many technical companies are either based in a foreign country or have divisions abroad; these companies need people with fluency in both mathematics and one or more foreign languages.
The primary asset that a mathematics graduate has to offer industry is the ability to analyze and solve problems. Because few companies have interest only in the problems of pure mathematics, they seek graduates with majors in mathematics who can analyze and solve a variety of problems from different fields, almost always assisted by computers. These fields are not necessarily scientific or business areas; many areas in the arts and humanities also involve the use of mathematics and computers.
Another possibility in your education as a mathematician is participation in cooperative education. Cooperative education students work in industry, government, or in an academic setting, for one to two quarters. On-the-job experience helps students understand the nature of work available for mathematicians, and also provides important experience that is considered a great asset later on while seeking full-time professional employment.