Applied Mathematics, B.S.

Students majoring in applied mathematics gain practical skills, knowledge and specialties within their select fields including economics, finance, data science and general applied math.

This program produces highly effective professionals with the quantitative skills and the expertise required in their areas of interest. More and more companies are relying on mathematical and statistical models, and students with our applied math degree are able to satisfy this need.

Why major in applied mathematics at 麻豆原创?

Get to know your professors through research opportunities, study abroad programs and department events.
Develop applied skills that will prepare you for a job in your major. Learn to program computers and to conduct research in different areas of applied mathematics.
Develop transferable skills that are important in many career fields and in life. Courses will challenge you to become a critical thinker through analysis, reasoning, evaluation, decision-making and problem-solving.
Discover your career path. Through our Career & Vocation Seminar, visit workplaces and explore the array of options available to you.
Learn to work with data. Technology allows for the collection of vast amounts of data, and more experts are needed to make sense of it. You will learn to analyze data, extend patterns and make logical arguments about its significance.
Have fun and build community with fellow students through clubs, service-learning opportunities and social events. The mathematics & computer science department hosts several parties each year, including a Christmas party hosted by faculty and a Pi Day party.
Connect your faith with your learning. You will be encouraged to incorporate your worldview into your classes, for instance by considering the link between miracles and probability.
Become who you're meant to be.

One interesting project I worked on was for my Differential Equations class where we analyzed crop-raiding baboons. Some conservation parks in Africa have mischievous baboons that escape and eat the crops of nearby farmers. Utilizing mathematical equations, we aimed to model the population dynamics of these baboons, factoring in variables such as the tastiness of crops or the baboons' picky palates. Safe to say, the project was pretty bananas.

Ahmed Amir '26
What it's Like

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A row of trees stands at the end of a field covered in multi-colored autumn leaves.

Ask our faculty

Have questions? Our faculty are here to share their expertise and help you learn more about this program.

Ask Diana

dschepens@whitworth.edu

Associate Professor Diana Schepens specializes in general applied math.

Ask Kent

kjones@whitworth.edu

Professor Kent Jones' areas of expertise are bioinformatics and computer engineering.

Ask Martha

mgady@whitworth.edu

Associate Professor Martha Gady specializes in math education and statistics.

Ask Kelsey

kmarcinko@whitworth.edu

Assistant Professor Kelsey Marcinko's favorite area of research is mathematical ecology. She also has expertise in scientific computing and numerical methods.

Our applied mathematics grads make a difference (and get jobs)

Graduates in applied math can pursue a wide variety of vocations within large corporations, financial sectors and research teams. Many grads find employment right away as financial analysts, specialists in firms, data scientists or mathematicians. Others choose to attend graduate school to further their careers.

Recent job placements include:

Victoria Roberts, portfolio evaluation analyst, Fisher Investments, Camas, Wash.
Joyce Merkel, foreign exchange trader and vice president, U.S. Bank, Chicago, Ill.
Scott Mayfield, director of financial planning & analysis, Hawk Ridge Systems, Mountain View, Calif.

Our recent grads further their studies in top graduate programs at institutions including:

- Claremont McKenna College
- Clemson University
- Colorado School of Mines
- Georgia State University
- Michigan State University
- North Carolina State University
- Northwestern University
- Oregon State University
- Portland State University
- University College of London
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Washington
- US Davis

Opportunities outside the classroom

Tutor fellow students at the math homework hangout or work as a teaching assistant for a Calculus class and teach supplemental instruction sessions.
Apply for a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). 麻豆原创 applied mathematics majors have recently completed highly competitive REUs at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Wisconsin for topological data analysis.
Put your problem-solving skills to the test by participating in our annual Integration Bee or the national Putnam competition.

Pack your bags!

Bring your textbooks to life through the Math History study abroad program. This faculty-led Jan Term program will take you and your peers to England and Germany, where you will visit places where famous mathematicians lived and worked. See the buildings they planned, the art they produced, the equipment they worked with and their inventions. You'll gain an understanding of how mathematical ideas have developed over time and how math has contributed to society and culture.

麻豆原创