Solve problems that change the world with a major in applied mathematics. Mathematics is the fundamental tool of the sciences and the heart of issues impacting society today. From engineering and physics, to finance and business, applied mathematics offers the key to solving real-world challenges. RMC prepares future problem-solvers through hands-on learning led by award-winning faculty who understand you’re much more than a number.
Major Applied Mathematics
applied Mathematics
up close In and Beyond the Classroom
Hands-on Research
The applied mathematics major, established in 2021, is highly interdisciplinary and emphasizes practical mathematical applications that provide valuable insights and data for use in problem-solving across industries. The program is well-suited for students to complete funded summer research through the Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). What’s more, all applied mathematics majors complete a semester-long research project, applying mathematical methods to addressing an industry or issue that matters to you.
HIGH-IMPACT INTERNSHIPS
You don’t need to wait until graduation for the chance to tackle real-world problems. Recent RMC internships include a variety of options that reflect the many industries and companies for which an applied mathematics degree gives you a leg-up including:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- National Security Agency
- PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
- Hanover County Public Schools
advising and mentorship
Though the applied mathematics major was added to RMC’s curriculum only recently, math has been taught at RMC since its founding. RMC mathematics faculty know you by name. Experienced faculty members (never teaching assistants) mentor you as part of individualized independent study courses, where you work one-on-one with a professor as your guide every step of the way.
global education
Our innovative travel course, Traditional Japanese Mathematics (MATH 270), immerses students in time and culture through study abroad. This one-of-a-kind, immersive experience regularly takes students to Japan, where we focus on the geometry of the country’s 18th century cultural blossoming and during its self-imposed isolation from the scientific revolution in Europe.
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2.1xmedian annual salary for math-related occupations v. the national median wage
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4award-winning mathematics research and teaching faculty at RMC
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33%the faster than average rate mathematics-related jobs grow year-to-year
applied mathematics
in full Courses You Won’t Want to Miss
(A very small sample)
MATH 350
Game Theory
Learn the theories and mathematical mechanisms of lotteries, utility functions, bargaining, cooperative and non-cooperative games, mixed strategies, zero-sum games, and Nash equilibria.
MATH 372
STATISTICAL INFERENCE
To better understand our complex, data-driven world, students will learn the mathematics behind the collection, analysis, and presentation of complex data including experimental and statistical design.
MATH 470
THE HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS
Take a mathematical journey through ancient Greece, the Islamic world, medieval Europe, the scientific revolution, the enlightenment and all the way to the gradual evolution of modern day mathematics.
Opportunities Worth Grabbing
Popular activities and programs among applied mathematics majors
PI MU EPSILON
U.S. national mathematics honor society
MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA STUDENT CHAPTER
Buzzworthy The latest about RMC Applied Mathematics
News Story categories: Applied Mathematics
Faculty
Mathematics
Mathematics Professor Honored For Journal Writing
Randolph-Macon mathematics professor Adrian Rice has been presented with the George Pólya Award by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) at…
News Story categories: Applied Mathematics
Mathematics Majors Receive Awards at National Conference
Randolph-Macon College mathematics majors Martha Hartt ’20 and Maria Cummings ’20 won awards for presentations they gave on their original mathematics…
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Frequently Asked Questions: Applied Mathematics
What is applied mathematics?
Mathematics is all around us, from the rhythm of your favorite song (and the frequency of the various notes), to the molecules that make up the road you take to school, to the results that appear when you enter a topic into Google.
Applied mathematics is a cross-disciplinary field of study that leverages the principles of mathematics to understand and solve real-world problems. Combining modern computational methods with knowledge of subjects like biology, chemistry, computer science, or economics, applied mathematics helps to answer questions and create efficiencies across business, science, government, and beyond. Here are some examples of applied mathematics in action:
- Leveraging statistical analysis to assess the risk level of an insurance application
- Using data modeling and forecasting to identify planetary orbits
- Applying machine learning to identify the best patient population for a clinical trial
- Building a transmission model to understand and slow the spread of an infectious disease
What can you do with a degree in applied mathematics?
As the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics points out, there are numerous opportunities for careers in applied mathematics under various job titles. Graduates with a degree in applied mathematics are encouraged to seek out an area of specialization in which they can apply their mathematical and problem-solving skills. This often includes research- and data-based roles across a variety of industries. Just a few examples include:
- Business: business analyst, pricing analyst, research and development engineer
- Information technology: data engineer, software architect, systems engineer, programmer
- Finance: investment analyst, investment banker, quantitative scientist
- National security/cybersecurity: cryptanalyst, cryptographer, network architect, security analyst
- Engineering: geolocation engineer, civil engineer, software engineer
- Medicine/pharmacy: biostatistician, quantitative pharmacologist, PKPD (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic) modeler
- Policy & government: actuary/risk analyst, quality assurance specialist, statistician
- Teaching
- And many more
Many of these roles can be found across various fields, such as environmental science, astronomy, machine learning, materials science, economics, game design, health care, supply chain logistics, etc., giving applied mathematics graduates many options to pursue a career in an area that interests them.