When you ask kindergarteners what they want to be when they grow up, what are the most common answers? Ballerinas, doctors, firemen, astronauts? As students approach college, the idyllic aspirations of childhood dreams are often left behind, and students find themselves picking more “practical” majors and career paths. Many of the majors chosen by undergraduates require extensive coursework in mathematics and science. Help your students start preparing for their chosen field of study by having a discussion about some of the interesting majors that involve math and science. Perhaps you can help steer your left-brain thinkers towards a career hadn’t even considered!

Pre-Med

The road to becoming a doctor is a long and difficult one. It starts with excelling in 4 years of undergraduate coursework. Then, during their senior year, pre-med students start applying to medical schools, where they will spend another four years studying the human body. After medical school, students must complete a residency program or undergo even more training to become a specialist in a specific field.

Students can start preparing in high school for a future career in medicine by setting a firm foundation in math and science. Encourage students interested in pre-med studies to challenge themselves to take the most difficult AP/IB coursework your school offers in biology, chemistry, and calculus. In college, their base knowledge of these subjects will assist them in completing the hours for Calculus I, Chemistry I and II, Biology, Organismal Biology, Physics I and II, Organic Chemistry I and II, Genetics, Microbiology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry that most pre-med programs require. Students should also consider starting to do volunteer work at local hospitals and health clinics to start learning more about their field of interest. Though becoming a doctor is difficult, in the end, it is a very rewarding and fulfilling career for most.

Geology

Geology is a field of study that is all about the Earth: its structure and composition, its development, and how it changes. Most universities offer two distinct tracts for geology majors: B.S. in geology and B.S. in geophysics. Geologists learn through direct observation, while geophysicists must have a more extensive knowledge of math and physics to generate mathematical models. After majoring in geology or geophysics, many undergraduates go on to complete their masters or PhD in geology. Following their studies, many graduates will work for environmental consulting agencies, where they ensure compliance with government regulation, or oil companies, where they help maximize the production from their employer’s oil & gas royalty interest. Others will work for non-profits, the government or pursue a life of academia.

While some co-eds joke that geology is “rocks for jocks”, geology is in fact a very math and science intensive major. In preparation for this major, students should take coursework in physics, statistics, and calculus during high school. According to weusemath.org, coursework in college will likely include algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus I and II, linear algebra, differential equations, physics and statistics.

Economics

Economics is the social science that studies the production, consumption and distribution of wealth. Most economics majors go on to work in corporate America, while others go on to pursue careers as professors, in government, or even law. Though a “science”, economics requires a solid background in math, so students should focus on taking as much math as possible in high school. In college, they will be expected to complete coursework in algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus I and II, game theory, and statistics. Additionally, they will take classes in subjects including macroeconomics, the study of broad cycles and trends in the economy, and microeconomics, the study of how individuals spend their resources.

Students may have learned about famous economists in their history class which include Adam Smith, who championed free trade and private enterprise (capitalism) and Karl Marx, author of the controversial Communist Manifesto.

This short list is just a start to spur your students towards a math and science-heavy major. We’d welcome your feedback to include other majors in future posts on this topic!