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Best Online Degrees in: Applied Mathematics

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Editor's Picks: Online Schools for Applied Mathematics

Value
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is ranked No. 128 out of 1,248 schools on PayScale.com's list of the best schools for value. In-state students that graduate from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell receive a 9.6% return on investment (ROI) if they did not receive financial aid, and 10.7% if they did. For out-of-state students, the ROI is 8.0% without financial assistance, and 8.7% with financial assistance. The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is therefore our winner of the best online applied mathematics bachelor's degree for value.

Featured Online Programs

Flexibility
Student reviews on College Prowler rank the University of Massachusetts at Lowell as No. 297 out of 1,132 schools for having superior flexibility in its class curriculums. In addition to providing flexibility in scheduling, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell also offers online classes that allow students to complete course work on their own time. Due to its commitment to providing educational opportunities for students that have many responsibilities outside of the classroom, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell is our winner of the best online applied mathematics bachelor's degree for flexibility.

Career Support
By providing multiple career services to its students, the University of Massachusetts ensures that students have the assistance they need to bridge the gap between school and work. Students have access to career resources, job and internship listings, resume and cover letter help, and career guides. The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is therefore our winner for best career support.

Financial Support
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is the winner of the best online applied mathematics bachelor's degree for financial support, due to its dedication to providing its students with tuition assistance. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 89% of first-year, full-time students receive financial aid, with 52% of undergraduates receiving either a scholarship or a grant.

Technology Support
The winner of the best online applied mathematics bachelor's degree for technology support is the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, which has a help desk as well as a section for commonly asked questions. Students can contact the help desk for assistance with technology troubleshooting, and can also contact the university's online learning office for assistance with their classes.

Disability Support
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell provides disability support information on its website. Students can access important documents, answers to common questions, and resources. In addition, the website has a section for faculty. Because it provides options for universal access and accommodations, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell is the winner of best disability support.

Library and Research Support
The winner of the best online applied mathematics bachelor's degree for library support goes to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Students can access library services, librarian contact information, catalogs, databases, and e-brooks through the library website. There are also online guides for citing sources and writing reference pages.

Learning Support
By offering online tutoring to its online students, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell ensures that students have the assistance they need to do well in their classes. Students can find help with math, writing, and planning their degrees. In addition, there are also advisors, which students can contact for help if they need it. The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is therefore our winner for best learning support.

Faculty Accessibility
The winner of the best online applied mathematics bachelor's degree for faculty accessibility goes to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, which has small class sizes. According to the National Center for Education Statisics, students number 14 for every one faculty member. By keeping such a low ratio, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell ensures that faculty members are available to help students on an individual basis.

Alumni Engagement
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell‘s extensive alumni opportunities makes it our winner for best alumni engagement. According to the alumni website, students can network through public profiles. They can also contact other alumni and read university news. The university also holds events for its graduates.

New Online Student Orientation
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is the winner of the best online applied mathematics bachelor's degree for new online student orientation. By providing orientation online, the university makes sure that its new students can become acclimated to the university without having to visit the physical campus. The orientations also show students how they can access the various services that the university has to offer.

Explore a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics

An applied mathematics degree is applicable to many fields and provides a foundation in differential equations, statistics, data analysis, discrete mathematics, and other course work applicable to fields such as computer science, mathematics, statistics, engineering, biological sciences, geology, and physics. Applied mathematics degrees are offered at the bachelor, master, and doctorate level. The field requires communications skills and critical thinking in order to analyze and apply principles and solve problems encountered in areas like statistics, engineering, and related sciences.

Class Curriculum

Introductory and foundational course work in applied mathematics will cover differential equations, probability, data analysis, discrete mathematics, computer programming, calculus, and linear algebra. Advanced and graduate course work includes vector calculus and complex variables, scientific computing, dynamical systems and chaos, calculus of variations, and methods for partial differential equations. Below are a few courses students may expect in applied mathematics degree programs from introductory to advanced course work:

  • Calculus.Calculus covers differential and integral calculus concepts, methods, and applications for engineering, natural sciences, computer science, and mathematics. Advanced concepts cover trigonometric integrals and substitution, infinite sequences and series, and parametric equations and polar coordinates.
  • Differential Equations. Differential equations express the laws of nature and are necessary for scientists and engineers to model and interpret the world. Single variable calculus and multiple variable calculus serve as prerequisites for differential equations. The course allows students to model physical systems to obtain a first order differential equation and visualize solutions in direction fields and approximate them.
  • Introduction to Dynamical Systems and Chaos. Dynamical Systems and Chaos covers methods describing qualitative behavior of solutions on nonlinear differential equations, and gives an overview of bifurcation methods, strange attractors and chaos, and maps. Dynamical Systems and Chaos is applicable to engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology.

Classes in applied mathematics will assign problem sets relating to course lectures for the majority of homework assignments. Students may also gain research experience in related fields, such as theoretical physics, theoretical computer science, computational science and numerical analysis, and computational biology.

Building a Career

Applied mathematics is used in a variety of fields and may provide the necessary background for graduate education in computer science, statistics, engineering, physics, and chemistry, or entry level positions in statistics, engineering, and computer science. A master's degree in applied mathematics often serves as a prerequisite to a Ph.D., leading to mathematical research and academic positions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that mathematical science occupations are expected to increase 17% and mathematician positions are expected to increase by 16% between 2010 and 2020. The BLS also reports that the median pay for mathematicians was $99,380; the median pay for mathematical science occupations was $74,040. Factors such as location, employer, position, and experience may affect wage and job prospects.