B.Sc. Mathematics

Mathematicians have outstanding career prospects, as they are highly sought after wherever high-level analytical thinking skills are a requirement. Mathematicians find employment in almost every segment of the public and private sector.

Many mathematicians find work in the financial services industry, in consulting and auditing, market research, logistics, pharmaceuticals and IT, as well as in the research and development departments of high-tech companies. Graduates aiming for a scientific career path at a university or research institute can continue by studying for a master’s degree.

You will gain the ability to put problems into precise terms, train your conceptual, analytical abstract thinking, logical reasoning and the ability to discover underlying patterns and analogies. You will learn to recognise mathematical relationships in a wide variety of areas, and how to formalise and analyse them. You will develop models of complex theoretical or pragmatic problems and learn to select the appropriate mathematical approach to solving them. This programme places an emphasis on teamwork and oral and written presentation of mathematical facts, as well as on logically sound and consistent analysis and reasoning.

The degree programme is balanced in terms of its theoretical and pragmatic aspects, providing students with a wide-ranging mathematical education while at the same time adopting an application-orientated approach. You will learn the basics of programming and the use of mathematical software, as well as having access to a comprehensive range of courses on algorithmic mathematics – such as cryptography, computer algebra, image and signal processing, statistics, stochastic simulations and many more.

Moreover, you will gain in-depth knowledge in your chosen elective, allowing you to communicate and cooperate beyond the confines of your academic discipline.

The available elective subjects are:

• Computer science
• Data science
• Economics
• Quantitative business studies
• Business/economics didactics (only in combination with a teacher training programme with mathematics and business/economics as the teaching subjects)

Computer science:
Computer science is a classic elective for mathematics, as it fits well into the algorithmic direction of the programme and offers additional career prospects, since there is a dearth of IT specialists in the industry. A joint degree in mathematics and the teacher training programme for secondary schools (Gymnasium) with mathematics/computer science as the teaching subjects can be completed in just 10 semesters. This is only one semester more than the standard length of study for the teacher education programmes.

Data science:
This strongly interdisciplinary elective is only offered by the University of Passau. If you choose this elective you will study data management and data analysis processes, particularly for large data volumes (‘Big Data’), and learn how they are used in the social sciences and humanities. ‘Big Data Analytics’ is set to become a key occupational area in the future, and demand for experts in this field is already rising rapidly.

Economics:
Did you know that many famous economists started out as mathematicians? Mathematical knowledge is paramount for understanding relationships and models in a wide range of economic fields, e.g. in international finance, game theory, macroeconomics and econometrics. Studying this elective qualifies you for research work and occupations in the financial services industry, in the manufacturing and service sectors, consultancy, in ministries, associations and international institutions.

Quantitative business studies:
This elective teaches you comprehensive business knowledge, placing the focus on the quantitative approach to business problems from all related disciplines, including accountancy and management accounting, marketing, production, technology, innovation management and of course problems specific to the financial sector. This elective expands your job market potential, particularly if you are considering a career in the private sector or in management.

Business and economics didactics:
This elective is offered to students enrolled simultaneously in the teacher education programme for Gymnasium with mathematics and business/economics as their teaching subjects. Taking this route, you will need only one semester longer than the standard period of study to gain the B.Sc. Mathematics jointly with your teacher training programme and open up vast new employment prospects – an important choice to make before the background of a diminishing demand for teachers at Gymnasium-type secondary schools in Germany.