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A faculty member explains an equation written on a whiteboard to two Mathematics Majors at Drake

Mathematics Major

Earn a bachelor’s in Mathematics in a department small enough to build close bonds with professors but large enough to conduct work of real consequence.

College of Arts & Sciences | On-Campus

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What You'll Learn

You’ve always known that math is about discovery. As a Mathematics major at Drake University, you’ll work with faculty and peers to explore its problem-solving possibilities and real-world applications in the classroom and beyond.

If you’re interested in careers requiring an understanding of quantitative structures, patterns, and data analysis, you’ll find a home as a math major. In fact, as soon as you get here, you’ll realize how much you can accomplish: clubs, competitions, research, and peer tutoring provide valuable experiences that sharpen your perspective of the field.

Among these opportunities, juniors and seniors apply to participate in a variety of Research Experiences for Undergraduates, where they collaborate with students from across the country to tackle a complex challenge and build their professional networks in the process. Paid summer internships, meanwhile, take you inside the insurance, technology, energy, government, and other industries, where you’ll put your modeling, statistical, and data analysis skills to work.

Across your major’s courses, you’ll learn from faculty who specialize in analysis, algebra, graph theory, applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, game theory, statistics, and topics in mathematics education, including the use of technology. As they get to know you, they’ll help you find your own niche and develop the skills and experiences essential for a related industry career or graduate studies.

About the Mathematics Major

  • Learn and develop the quantitative and reasoning skills that lead to careers in industry, government, or graduate studies.
  • Be part of a robust department—but one still small enough for you to get to know your professors.
  • We’re focused on you: Over the past decade, five department members have been named the Drake Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher of the Year.
  • Build research experience through our many undergraduate research opportunities.
  • Expand your career options by declaring a double major in another field.

Program Facts

  • On campus
  • Attend full-time or part-time
  • 120 total credits; 42 credits for the major
  • Mathematics minor: 24 credits

Program Options

Choose from two bachelor’s degree paths that give you access to deeply committed faculty: over the past decade, five department members have received Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher of the Year awards.

B.A. in Mathematics

If you’re less interested in a scientific emphasis, consider pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics. In this program, you will complete eight core courses and a sequence of electives that allow you to incorporate diverse disciplines into your studies.

B.S. in Mathematics

Students in the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics program take the same math courses as those earning a B.A. but must complete additional science requirements.

Mathematics Minor

Fields such as technology, business, and many social sciences are increasingly reliant on quantitative analysis. A math minor can help your résumé stand out for these roles. This 24-credit program includes classes in calculus, computer science, and other topics exploring math’s theoretical foundations and applications.

Double Major

A Mathematics degree is a valuable companion to many other arts and science majors. Math helps music majors better understand musical theory, education majors become better teachers, and physics majors learn the fundamental principles behind their work. Other recommended pairings include computer science, data analytics, actuarial science, quantitative economics, artificial intelligence, and chemistry.

Meet the Faculty

Award-winning teachers and mentors, Drake’s faculty are ready to equip you with practical insights gleaned from decades of marketing and consulting experience with organizations ranging from local businesses to global enterprises.

Andrew Becklin

Andrew Becklin

Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Dr. Maryann Huey

Dr. Maryann Huey

Professor, Mathematics; Department Chair, Mathematics

Vira Kolesnyk

Vira Kolesnyk

Associate Professor, Math & Computer Science

Dr. Hyejin Park

Dr. Hyejin Park

Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Dr. Stefanie Wang

Dr. Stefanie Wang

Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Dr. Joshua Carlson

Dr. Joshua Carlson

Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Alfred Limbere

Alfred Limbere

Visiting Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Jinmyung Choi

Jinmyung Choi

Visiting Assistant Professor, Math & Physics

All Faculty Members

Outside the Classroom

As a Mathematics major, you’ll be part of a department with over 250 students. That means you’ll meet a lot of people whose love of math is as deep as yours. You can cultivate it together through our Problem Solving Club and research groups—or focus on your own independent study or research.

In a colorful common area, a Drake Mathematics Student analyzes research data on their laptop

Independent Study

At Drake, you’ll get to know your professors well enough that they can help you build customized independent study projects to focus on your unique interests.

A Drake Mathematics student typing on a laptop explains a solution to a research problem to a fellow classmate

Research

You’ll have the chance to start researching in your first year, as a group of students did by building an Agent-Based Model to assess policy impacts on electric vehicle use or working on graph theory through a Cops and Robbers game. Others have studied how programming can help students learn mathematics. Or pursue your own projects with faculty serving as guides.

Looking to qualify for the Basil E. Gillam First Year Award, a Drake Mathematics student shows off their problem-solving skills on a whiteboard

The Basil E. Gillam First Year Award

Sharpen your pencils: the Kappa Mu Epsilon Math Honors Society awards prizes to students who excel at the Basil E. Gillam First Year Mathematics Contest, named in honor of a long-time department chair.

Sitting around a table, Drake Mathematics students put together club fliers with markers and paper

Student Clubs

Solve problems, get to know some of your fellow math and computer science majors, and make professional connections in groups like Women in STEM, the Kappa Mu Epsilon Math Honors Society, the Problem Solving Club, and the Coding Club.

For a competition, a Drake student writes out a mathematics problem on a whiteboard to solve for an audience

Competitions

Test yourself against the best. Our students regularly compete in the Iowa Collegiate Math Competition and the Putnam, the top undergraduate math competition in the U.S. and Canada. Drake’s math students won the Iowa Collegiate Competition in 2025 and will host the event in 2026.

A Drake Mathematics student points to a whiteboard to explain how they solved a complex equation

Scholarships

Students who demonstrate financial need and identify as part of an underrepresented group in STEM may earn our CODE (Community of Digital Excellence) Scholarship, which carries a $5,000 annual value.

Careers & Skills

Quantitative and data analysis skills are in demand—and it shows, based on the range of places where Drake math majors find jobs. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of jobs available to mathematicians and statisticians will increase 11% over the next decade.

Mathematics majors work at technology companies, financial institutions, insurers, government agencies, and anywhere else in need of high-level quantitative analysis.

Employers

  • Ernst & Young
  • Greenpeace
  • National Security Agency
  • MidAmerican Energy
  • NASA

Skills

  • Think critically as you formulate and solve problems.
  • Perform complex mathematical and computational tasks.
  • Work independently and understand unfamiliar mathematical concepts.
  • Understand the historical contexts behind your work.
  • Read and understand technical material.
  • Use technology to analyze and solve problems.
Mathematics students review a presentation on their laptops in a Drake computer lab

Salary & Growth Outlook

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Median salary for mathematicians and statisticians in 2024. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Mel Sadecki uses math as a lens to gain deeper insights into other aspects of humanity. In 2023, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program named her a semi-finalist for its Canada Research/Study grant, an achievement gained by a slender portion of applicants. Today, Sadecki serves as a community educator, raising awareness of dating violence among teens and domestic violence.
Mel Sadecki
Mathematics, Biology, and Political Science, AS‘23

Related Programs

Use your problem-solving abilities to develop software, identify solutions among vast data sets, or craft better economic policies in these related programs.

Computer Science, BA or BS

Become an expert problem solver in this major, which teaches computer programming, computer languages, logic, data structures, and applications of computing.

Data Analytics, BSBA

Study topics such as marketing, finance, corporate law, and organizational behavior, applying statistics and computer science to drive informed decision-making.

Quantitative Economics, BA or BSBA

Do more than observe society’s challenges—analyze them through the lens of mathematics, markets, and policy.

Take the Next Step

Mathematics is quantitative, but it’s the quality of instruction at Drake that sets our bachelor’s programs apart. Contact us to learn how you’ll fit in here.

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Two Drake Mathematics students work on an assignment, with one pointing to a laptop