Mathematics has a fascinating dual nature.
Many study it as an object of endless beauty, interest and intellectual challenge, while others are motivated by its applications to real-world problems. Increasingly, mathematics is an essential tool for modeling phenomena in the physical, biological and social sciences. Mathematical literacy is the key to surviving and thriving in the world of technology. At its heart, mathematics is the study of patterns: it is a creative art as well as a science.
A student who majors in mathematics at Wellesley College is prepared for a variety of career paths, whether graduate school in mathematics or a related field like economics or biostatistics, as well as a career in education, medicine, finance and engineering. As technology grows ever more universal, quantitative skills become increasingly valuable. Moreover, the critical thinking and logical reasoning skills developed in the pursuit of a major in mathematics are excellent preparation for fields as diverse as law, publishing, management consulting and software development.
As the world becomes increasingly quantitative, there is growing awareness of the power of statistics to extract information from data and the importance of statistics across the disciplines. Statistics is the science of drawing inferences from data. The statistics minor is recommended for students who wish to gain experience in both the theoretical foundations of statistics and applied data analysis. The study of statistics prepares students for graduate study in statistics, biostatistics, or a related filed; research in applied science or social science; or work in business, medicine, technology, law, finance, and many other fields.