Mathematics

As a BYU undergrad, you will have access to top-notch facilities and equipment. Not only is our gear great, but our staff and faculty are as well. In the Math Lab, you can ask skilled student employees for help in any of your mathematics courses. Professors and TAs will be available every step of the way to help guide you on your quest to become a math expert.

The relationships you build here through mentored teaching and unsurpassed undergrad research are valuable resources that will be helpful throughout your life. At BYU, you’ll approach mathematical science in a way that is both spiritually strengthening and intellectually enlarging. You’ll address real scientific questions in the light of the Gospel.

For more information on required classes for these majors and minors, please see the current undergraduate catalog. You can declare one of these majors or minors by visiting the Advisement center.

Undergraduate research makes classroom learning come alive and can help propel you into a professional career. You will have the opportunity to put your book knowledge into practice by working on real research projects. The Math Department has several special labs and resources available to students including Interdisciplinary Mentoring Program in Analysis, Computation and Theory (IMPACT), Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), and Center for Mentoring Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURM). We teach students technical and research skills that will prepare them for careers and higher education.

BYU is a pioneer in this area—one of the few universities that allows undergrad students to work side by side with professors on their research projects. This means that even though you may be fresh out of high school, you could find yourself assisting professors and grad students in valuable projects with real-life applications. Some students are even paid during their mentorships.

Undergraduate students can do research in nine areas. Specific projects within these areas include making and breaking codes, creating techniques to model sound waves, and using math to explore the many dimensions of the universe.

• Algebraic Geometry

Students study curves, surfaces, and other shapes defined by systems of algebraic equations. This combination of algebra and geometry has many areas of application including computer graphics, cryptography, and mathematical physics.

• Applied Mathematics & Mathematical Physics

Applied mathematics students research mathematical methods that are used in science, engineering, business, and industry. It describes the professional specialty in which mathematicians solve practical problems.

Mathematical physics students study the development of mathematical methods that are applied to physics. It develops methods suitable for the formulation of physical theories.

• Combinatorics & Matrix Theory

Combinatorics students study finite structures. Aspects include counting the structures, deciding when criteria can be met, and constructing and analyzing objects meeting certain criteria.

Matrix theory students study matrices; rectangular arrays of numbers, symbols, or expressions. Matrices are used in most scientific fields including physics, computer graphics, and quantum mechanics.

• Differential Equations & Dynamical Systems

Students research systems that evolve in time, with a particular focus on how short-term rates of change affect long-term outcomes. This theory is applied to the study of many things including the motion of the solar system, the growth of populations, and the spread of disease.

• Geometric Topology & Geometric Group Theory

Geometric topology students research settings which mathematicians call a space. This branch of math emphasizes aspects that are most closely allied to classical geometry like distances, polyhedral objects that generalize intervals and triangles; manifolds that generalize planes, surfaces, and Euclidean spaces.

Geometric group theory students research models of symmetries and rigid motions. It is applied when objects such as a molecule or a space exhibits symmetries or admits motions. The group of symmetries or motions reflects the geometry of the object or space on which it acts.

• Mathematical Biology

Students focus on the mathematical representation, treatment, and modeling of biological processes. This branch of math has a variety of applications ranging from predicting how populations change over time, how infectious diseases spread, and how do cells move.

• Number Theory

Students solve problems involving whole numbers. This branch of math also studies prime numbers and answers questions by developing precise answers.

• Partial Differential Equations

Students study equations involving unknown functions and several independent variables and their partial derivatives. These equations are used to solve problems such as the propagation of sound, heat, or elasticity.

• Stochastic Differential Equations

Students research equations in which one or more of the terms is a stochastic process. SDE are used to model various phenomena from fluctuating stock prices to thermal fluctuations.

Mathematics reveals innumerable opportunities.  With an undergraduate degree in math, many job opportunities are open including working as a/an: 

With an undergraduate degree in mathematics you could earn:

*Industry-wide estimate from: payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp

Many of our students go on to get advanced degrees and additional experience that broaden their career opportunities. BYU Mathematics alumni have found jobs in government, academia, and numerous business positions including working at: