Mathematics is no longer a marketable degree?

[Liberal_in_LA]

For Tim Balzer, graduate school has become a place of financial refuge. The 2002 Little Miami High School alum is accruing $37 in interest weekly on his more than $60,000 in student loans that so far have bought him two undergraduate majors, a minor and a master’s degree, all in theater and mathematics.

None has led to a job offer.

“A lot of us with student loans kind of refer to graduate school as a place where we hide from our student loans,” he said.

While in graduate school, loan payments are deferred, even if additional interest is accrued.

Balzer works part time at Costco while he tries to make payments on his loans, and though he continues to search for a full-time job, he may go back to graduate school again for a more marketable degree — something he wishes he would have considered before he went to a private school and studied subjects that did not lead to a direct career path.

http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/student-loan-defaults-put-colleges-at-risk-1188461.html

[CarmanK]

1. that's because math is an exact science and business hates truth!

His skills would have been deeply appreciated by a business community that cherished truth and had a vision for the future. However, in today's business climate, if truth interferes with business or political goals, it needs to be suppress and altered. This is so short sighted but so true both in business and during the Bushies regime.

[pnwmom]

2. I wonder what the MA was in -- could have been Theater.

You can't tell from the article.

But someone with math talent might have had a better shot at a job with a degree in engineering or computers.

[DavidDvorkin]

3. I got my BA in math in 1965, and it wasn't a marketable degree then

It took a Masters in math or any science field to get a job. This isn't a new situation.

[exboyfil]

4. It really also depends on the type of math

Lots of jobs for actuaries and those who can do financial modeling or other types of numerical analysis. Companies us lots of statistical methods especially in the quality control area.
Not so much for pure mathematicians.

You are right about the M.S. degree in general. My old roommate had to get an M.S. before he was able to secure a good job. I was able to get a good job with my B.S. in Engineering. Unless you have a real love for the way out abstract math, I guess I would advice anyone who is interested in math to consider engineering. I don't think it is any harder than a math degree, and the employment opportunities are still pretty good.

A Math degree with secondary teaching credentials has lots of opportunities (at least in our state). I was recently consulted about someone with a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering to do secondary math teaching (my father in law who taught math/math education in college was contacted first, but he directed them to me to give some details on the type of coursework). To even look at an engineer for this type of position shows how shallow the candidate pool is for math teachers. I could teach math in High School but only to students who were interested in learning it.

[LonePirate]

5. I have a B. S. in Mathematics and IT work has kept me employed since graduating in the mid 90s

I would certainly recommend any potential math majors to seek an engineering degree. If you can handle calculus and differential equations, then almost every engineering major will be a walk in the park. Given how extremely difficult mathematics is, especially theoretical mathematics that comprise a lot of third and fourth year coursework, engineering is a far better investment of college dollars and time.

[exboyfil]

7. I remember the way out stuff my math roommate was

doing. In engineering, like you said, once you get the Differential Equations down, it is just a matter of applying the same mathematics to a variety of different problems.

For some reason companies love engineers. They love them so much they hire them to do things not really related to engineering. Almost every employer has been that way for me. I asked about it at my first job (why I was given certain work and opportunities that someone else without an engineering degree was not given), and I never got a good answer. No way the job required any knowledge I gained in my 3rd or 4th year.

I guess the biggest reason for the love is that engineering is problem solving, and companies have lots of problems to solve.

[madinmaryland]

11. Calculus and differential equations were the most enjoyable part of

getting my Electrical Engineering degree.

I probably should have majored in mathematics, but to get a job you needed an engineering degree. BSEE, 1983

[karynnj]

8. Depends on the year - I graduated with Math/Econ in 1972

and was hired due to math degree by Bell Labs.

[EFerrari]

15. My uncle took an engineering degree instead of math.

He wanted to be a mathematician but PG&E had jobs. That was in 1960 or so.

[karynnj]

6. What a poorly written article

It is speaking both of possible higher standards for "for profit" schools and the dilemma of kids not getting jobs. They identify the high school the young man went to, but not the college (s).

The point that kids are continuing school because it is the only way to avoid the immediate problem of their debt suggests that there needs to be a change in the rules that recognizes when, through their best intentions, people are not employed at high paying enough jobs to pay off the debt. Does anyone know if there are hardship rules? It seems wrong that they are pushed to ADD to a debt that they are already being drowned by.

[exboyfil]

9. I thin the approach to flush out the garbage institutions

is a good place to start. I would even go farther and even target specific majors.

[3waygeek]

10. I majored in math back in the 80s

and the job market for math majors was much the same. In fact, most of the other math majors I knew had a second major, usually physics or education. My additional majors were physics & computer engineering; after graduating in 1987, I went into the aerospace industry, designing embedded controller hardware, then transitioned into software development, where I've been ever since.

[aikoaiko]

12. there aren't jobs for pure mathematicians, but there are for statisticians, accountants, actuaries

[defendandprotect]

13. The gangsters running the country abhor intelligence ....

Only elites are entitled to access to information --

Information = Power

They can't have it in the wrong hands -- !!

[jmowreader]

14. I can't think of many jobs a Math/Theatre grad could get...

Math plus Engineering? Lots of jobs.

Math plus Education? Once again, lots of jobs--maybe not the kinds of jobs that will enable you to pay off your loans and also allow you to live somewhere besides a van down by the river, but there are jobs.

If his credit is still good he could get his Ph.D. in Math then go to work for the National Security Agency, who is always looking for Math Ph.D's to work on inventing new encryption gear.

[customerserviceguy]

16. That's a rather odd combination of major and minor

I can't really think of any sort of career where they'd intersect. If Tim could figure out such a job, I can't think he'd have too much competition for it.

[lib2DaBone]

17. Our leaders in the USA are not interested in making this country better....

[MilesColtrane]

18. He should have known that, to get a job in theater, you don't have to...

count past, "Ah-Five, Six, Seven, EIGHT!"