Majors & Minors
Mathematics
Major, Minor
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Mathematics is one of the oldest learned disciplines, and Union College is one of the first schools in the nation to offer math as part of its liberal arts curriculum.
At Union, you'll enjoy being part of a community of scholars that values and enjoys mathematical exploration and inquiry. We are dedicated to helping students develop the ability to reason logically, understand abstract concepts and solve problems, and to producing versatile mathematicians who grasp the complexities in their field.
We also strive to give students an understanding of the aesthetic side of mathematics, which can be appreciated as an intellectual activity for its beauty and its ability to hone the mind.
Program highlights
Courses
Mathematics majors at Union take foundational courses such as calculus, abstract algebra, and real analysis, and also choose from courses in cryptology, geometry, differential equations, discrete mathematics, applied mathematics, probability, knot theory, topology and many others.
Faculty & student research
Our faculty conduct research in fields as diverse as commutative algebra, topological data analysis, fair division, voting theory, statistics, algebraic topology, simplicial and differential geometry, medical imaging and the history of mathematics.
Student clubs
Math students share their love of the field beyond the classroom. The Union chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics hosts many events, including dinners with professors, programs with local middle and high school students, themed discussions and more.
After Union
Mathematics graduates find that their research, deductive reasoning, and problem-solving and communications skills serve them well after Union. They pursue careers as diverse as accounting, actuarial science, business, economics and engineering. Many earn degrees in education, law and medicine, and others have been successful in obtaining the Ph.D. degree in math at top graduate schools.
What some of our recent graduates are doing:
- Actuarial analyst, Watson Wyatt Worldwide
- American Mathematical Society/American Association for the Advancement of Science (AMS/AAAS) Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow
- Associate vice president, Barclay’s Capital Inc.
- Associate Professor of Mathematics at Saddleback College
- CAMD lab coordinator, Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Data science associate, Fannie Mae
- Financial analyst, Starr Companies
- Foreign affairs officer and AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow, U.S. Department of State
- Integration engineer, Leidos Inc.
- Mathematics teacher, various high schools
- Professor of mathematics, University of Berkeley
- Professor of mathematics, Kent State University
- Professor of mathematics, University Notre Dame
- Professor of mathematics and statistics, The College of New Jersey
- Professor of mathematics, Williams College
- Software developer, Allscripts
- Teacher, Fairfield Public Schools
- Visiting assistant professor of mathematics, College of Holy Cross
