Originally Posted by Alexmahone

Thanks a lot for your answers. In that case, could you suggest a job I can get with a BSc (Hons) in math and stat? What do you plan to do after graduating, btw?

Contrary to the stereotype, there are actually quite a few jobs out there for math majors -- the thing is that the jobs are typically not in math.

In general, the easiest area for a math major to get a job is somewhere in IT. You don't even really need to know how to program, syntax is easy to pick up if you can think logically, and companies know it.

Job prospects change depending on what math you go into (the IT jobs are open to pretty much any math major). With stats, there's actuarial work. Finance is also an option for people in stats or applied math. I don't know many people who went into the workforce with a pure math degree, but that's mainly because most people with a pure math undergrad tend to go to grad school (or teacher's college). (Personally, I can't stand the thought of having a 9-to-5 job.)

I'm planning on going to graduate school.

Originally Posted by herBs

McLean is a lecturer in the Math department and only has his Masters.

McLean is awesome.

Originally Posted by Silver

Someone told me the the Math 1LS3 prof (Clements) came straight outta her undergrad. That would be kind of funny.

Originally Posted by Watoko

Nope, she has a MSc.

Clements taught in the same hall I had a stats class in last semester, on the same days, just in the timeslot right before my stats class. The first few times I went to stats I thought the professor always left early or something because I thought I'd never seen who was teaching the class. Then one day I noticed that a bunch of people gathered at the front were all asking questions of one other person, and then I realized it was just that the lecturer was really young looking compared to what I expect from a math class.

Also I think she's kinda hot.

...

Originally Posted by Mahratta

Contrary to the stereotype, there are actually quite a few jobs out there for math majors -- the thing is that the jobs are typically not in math.

In general, the easiest area for a math major to get a job is somewhere in IT. You don't even really need to know how to program, syntax is easy to pick up if you can think logically, and companies know it.

Job prospects change depending on what math you go into (the IT jobs are open to pretty much any math major). With stats, there's actuarial work. Finance is also an option for people in stats or applied math. I don't know many people who went into the workforce with a pure math degree, but that's mainly because most people with a pure math undergrad tend to go to grad school (or teacher's college). (Personally, I can't stand the thought of having a 9-to-5 job.)

I'm planning on going to graduate school.

I agree with this. A lot of math/physics people I know also happen to know how to program fairly well, probably because the majority of the work involved in software isn't the actual act of writing lines of code, it's figuring out how to solve the problem. IT jobs just take some technical knowledge and problem solving skills, the former of which are easy to pick up, and the latter being something a math major almost certainly has if they have completed their degree...

There are a good amount of social work prof's who only have MSWs, but they're sessional and still practice in the community. There is one full prof with an MSW, but she has years and years of professional experience. I think it's more likely to be able to teach in professional programs, but it may be more difficult in more theoretical programs.

Originally Posted by Mahratta

Yeah. That said, it's probably still very competitive.

Unbelievably so. I was nearly hired to teach Math 1K03 in Fall 2011 (helps when your masters thesis supervisor is the department head...), but my job was literally snatched out from under me before I could sign a contract, by someone with a PhD. (Who ultimately got poor ratings anyway...)

So in short: Is it possible? Yes. But you're far less competitive unless you have tons and tons of experience. I'm starting at the college level (I'm currently an adjunct professor/sessional lecturer for Mohawk College), and just turned down a job teaching at Columbia International College (which, I believe, is how Erin Clements got started).

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And for the record, Clements has her masters degree (we were classmates).

Originally Posted by Incognitus

Unbelievably so. I was nearly hired to teach Math 1K03 in Fall 2011 (helps when your masters thesis supervisor is the department head...), but my job was literally snatched out from under me before I could sign a contract, by someone with a PhD. (Who ultimately got poor ratings anyway...)

Yeah. I was hoping you'd comment, since you have first-hand experience. It seems to me like there is more competition for lecturer positions, as you've not only got the applicants with PhD who want professorial jobs, but also Master's applicants.

That said, I still do think there is a trend towards hiring people with Master's degrees; the only thing a PhD could possibly add is research experience, and lecturers are supposed to be good at, well, lecturing. In general, especially when we look at the demographics of math courses as a whole (i.e. the number of students taking X course), there isn't really a need for PhD-equipped profs to be teaching the majority of students taking math courses (engineers, lifesci kids, etc.)

And for the record, Clements has her masters degree (we were classmates).

Classmates eh... ;-)

With Mcmaster introducing an Actuarial and financial mathematics program. They will likely introduce more financial mathematics courses. Perhaps a masters in mathematical finance will make you more competitive for a teaching position.

Yes but you have a much higher chance of doing so with a PhD. Hope this isnt too "sarcastic"

Yes you can. One of my prof was a post-graduate student. She was teaching a course as a sessional professor.

I'm pretty sure you can. Toppozini (Physics 1L03) only had her Master's when she taught us.

Couple of things:

Firstly, finding a full time position at a university can be quite difficult- with a PhD. To illustrate this, consider this year's graduating class at MIT. Of the graduating members, perhaps one will end up accepting a full time position at MIT. The bottom of the class will fall down the rankings. In effect, you see a trickle down of talent. You'll notice that a number of your professors have degrees from Ivy Leauge schools, brand name can be difficult to compete with.

Another student made the very poor suggestion that you should attempt an MMF (Master's of Math. Finance) and go into teaching. If you are able to attain such a qualification, I strongly suggest you work in quantitative finance- you'll probably outearn the average PhD. At the same time, a number of PhDs find themselves working in quantitative finance ("Quants") at very good salaries.

If you can place into a very good PhD program, academia is a good bet. With that said, you do have other options. Toronto has an MMF program that I suggest you take a look at- although bear in mind that some of those people admitted already have PhDs.

Originally Posted by Watoko

Nope, she has a MSc.

Exactly. She is really good looking, but not good looking enough to take an expedited route.

I know a few people who teach at universities with only a bachelors and a lot with only a masters.

Most English courses offered in the summer are either taught by graduate students or teachers who have only recently acquired their PhD. Regardless, I have never taken a summer course taught by a tenure prof, either. They're all sessional.

Possible yes, likely no. When I was in college I asked a few professors I had what their credentials were... Most told me that they had a PhD, my math professor was the only exception to that with saying she had only a MA... Some of the prof's I've talked to told me that university professors usually have MULTIPLE PhDs... However since my math teacher in college only had a MA she told me that it was because with fields like mathematics the equations you learn are not used in every day life all the time, hence a lesser need for a PhD to be able to teach math in college

Originally Posted by rkb12

I'm pretty sure you can. Toppozini (Physics 1L03) only had her Master's when she taught us.

The consensus was that she did a pretty horrible job.

Ninja edit: Of course, I'm not saying that the two are related.