Students interested in business should look at accounting, finance, budgeting, billing or financial-record keeping.

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1 The intent of this webpage is to help high school teachers connect mathematics to high interest careers for adolescents. Many times students do not see the connection between the mathematical content being taught and their possible chosen area of interest. It would be impossible to identify every vocation that is dependent on mathematical knowledge; therefore I have chosen careers that the majority of students are expressing a high interest in currently (according to Naperville North High School and 200 Best Jobs for College Graduates). The top areas of interest include Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Marketing, Computer Programming, Engineering, and Construction Management. The requirements for each vocation are outlined below: Education/Training Required: Bachelor s Degree or Associate s Degree Education/Training Programs: I will specifically look at accounting, finance, and marketing. o There are many jobs that fall under the Business Administration umbrella. o Business Administration attracts the student who is interested in making a business or organization run smoothly. o This interest can be satisfied by working in a position of leadership or by specializing in a function that contributes to the overall effort in a business, nonprofit organization, or government agency. Students interested in business should look at accounting, finance, budgeting, billing or financial-record keeping.

2 Education/Training Required: Bachelor s Degree/Associate s Degree Education/Training Programs: Accounting; Accounting and Business Management; Accounting and Computer Science; Accounting and Finance; Auditing; Taxation. o Accountants need to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports to determine or maintain record of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities within an organization. High school requirements for students interested in accounting include a strong knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus and statistics and their applications. Education/Training Required: Bachelor s Degree Education/Training Programs: Accounting and Business Management; Accounting and Finance; Finance, General. o Financial analysts conduct quantitative analysis of information affecting investment programs of public or private institutions. o Financial Analysts analyze financial information to produce forecasts of business, industry and economic conditions for use in making investment decisions. High school requirements for students interested in finance include general mathematic knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, and statistics and their applications. They also must be able to use mathematics to solve problems.

3 Education/Training Program: Bachelor s Degree Education/Training Programs: Apparel and Textile Marketing Management; Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management; International Marketing; Marketing Research; Marketing, Other; Marketing/Marketing Management. o A career in marketing involves determining the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors and identifying potential customers. o Marketers must develop pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the firm s profits or share of the market while ensuring the firm s customers are satisfied. o They must also oversee product development or monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services. o Mathematics is used to determine how money will be spent to get the work done and accounting for these expenditures. High school requirements for students interested in marketing include general mathematic knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, and statistics and their applications. Education/Training: Bachelor s Degree Education/Training Programs: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics; Bioinformatics; Computer Graphics; Computer Programming, Specific Application; Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification; Computer Programming/Programmer, General; E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce; Management Information Systems, General; Medical Informatics; Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant; Web Page, Digital/Multimedia, and Information Resources Design; Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster. o Computer programmers convert project specifications and statements of problems to detailed logical flow charts for coding into computer language. o Computer programmers develop and write computer programs to store, locate and retrieve specific documents, data and information.

4 High school requirements for students interested in computer programming include mathematic knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics and their applications. o Computer programmers also use critical thinking skills by using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to a problem. o Computer programmers also use skills that identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. Education/Training: Bachelor s Degree Education/ Training Programs: There are many different types of engineering. Aerospace, chemical and mechanical engineering are highlighted below. Aerospace Engineers: o Aerospace engineers must perform a variety of engineering work in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. o Conduct basic and applied research to evaluate adaptability of materials and equipment to aircraft design and manufacture. Chemical Engineers: o Chemical engineers design chemical plant equipment and devise processes for manufacturing chemicals and products, such as gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, detergents, cement, paper and pulp by applying principles and technology of chemistry, physics, and engineering. Mechanical Engineers: o Mechanical engineers perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. o Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of such equipment as centralized heat, gas, water and steam systems. High school requirements for students interested in engineering include knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics and their applications.

5 Education/Training: Bachelor s Degree/Associate s Degree Education/Training Programs: Business Administration and Management, General; Business/Commerce, General; Construction Engineering Technology/Technician; Operations Management and Supervision. o Plan, direct, coordinate, or budget, usually through subordinate supervisory personnel, activities concerned with the construction and maintenance of structures, facilities and systems. o Construction managers must participate in the conceptual development of a construction project and oversee its organization, scheduling and implementation. o Mathematics is used in preparing and submitting budget estimates and progress and cost tracking reports. o Evaluate construction methods and determine cost-effectiveness of plans, using computers. o Determine how money will be spent to get the work done and be able to account for these expenditures. High school students interested in construction management include knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Based on Northern Illinois University and Michigan State University the following mathematic courses are needed to obtain a degree in each specified field. The mathematic requirements for an associate s degree are based on Waubonsee Community College s curriculum. Description of courses (4-year University): MA 101: Core Competency Mathematics MA 155: Trigonometry and Elementary Functions MA 201: Foundations Elementary Mathematics MA 206: Introduction to Discrete Mathematics MA 210: Finite Mathematics MA 211: Calculus for Business and Social Science MA 229: Calculus I

6 MA 230: Calculus II MA 232: Calculus III MA 240: Linear Algebra MA 336: Ordinary Differential Equations STAT 208: Basic Statistics STAT 301: Elementary Statistics STAT 350: Introduction to Probability and Statistics Accounting Business Admin Finance Marketing Computer Science Engineering MA101 MA155 MA201 MA206 MA210 MA211 MA229 MA230 MA232 MA240 MA336 STAT208 STAT301 STAT350 At the community college students can obtain the following Associate Degrees: Accounting Associate in Applied Science Degree (transferring to University) Associate in Computer Science (transferring to University) Associate in Engineering Science (transferring to University) Construction Management Technology Description of courses (Waubonsee 2-year Community College): MTH 104: Business Math MTH 113: Technical Mathematics MTH 210: Finite Math MTH 211: Calculus/Business and Social Science MTH 231: Calculus with Analytic Geometry I MTH 232: Calculus with Analytic Geometry II MTH 233: Calculus with Analytic Geometry III MTH 236: Intro to Linear Algebra MTH 240: Differential Equations

7 Accounting Computer Science Engineering Construction Management MTH 104 MTH 113 MTH 210 MTH 211 MTH 231 MTH 232 MTH 233 MTH 236 MTH 240 The chart below gives the beginning average salary ranges, average annual earnings as well as the percent growth and average annual openings. Career Average Starting Salary $ Average Annual Earnings $ Percent Growth % Average Annual Openings Computer Software Engineers, Applications 41,000-55,000 73, ,000 Computer and Information Systems 30,000-47,000 90, ,000 Managers Marketing Managers 36,260 85, ,000 Accountants 37,000-45,000 49, ,000 Computer Programmers 46,739 61, ,000 Mechanical Engineers 45,000-53,000 65, ,000 Chemical Engineers 50,000-56,000 75, ,000 Aerospace Engineers 57,980 77, ,000 Finance 40,906 61, ,000

8 Teachers can incorporate word problems into their curriculum to show students how specific mathematic concepts relate to certain occupations. In general, students with a stronger mathematics background will qualify for more jobs, as well as perform at these positions with added success. The following problems are actual problems resulting from interviews from various professionals as to how mathematics is used in their chosen occupation. By presenting problems such as these to our students, hopefully a connection can be made to the importance of the concept being taught and how it directly relates to the student s future area of interest. Five examples are provided. 1. Accountant Accountants must determine whether a business is making enough profit. They use a figure called gross profit percent, which is determined by the following formula: GP% = Sales-Overhead x 100 Sales Calculate the gross profit percent on sales of $850,000 and overhead of $550, Electrical Engineer The capacity of using a 3-phase system is given by: Current = P P = power (kilowatts) V 3 V = line voltage Calculate the current (in amperes) for a 3- phase system in which there are 144 kw of power and 480 volts in the line. 3. Electrician An electrician uses a bridge circuit to locate a ground in an underground cable several miles long. The following formula gives the distance to the ground: x = R 2 L R 1 + R 2 Find x if R 1 = 750 ohms, R 2 = 250 ohms, and L = 4000 ft. 4. Marketing Representative (Computers) One of the jobs of a marketing rep is to help the customer fit the computer equipment into the available space. Since today s computer equipment comes in metric dimensions, the rep will often need to convert between English and metric units. Will a machine 90 cm wide fit through a 3-foot doorway? 5. Contractor A pile of sand dumped by a hopper is cone-shaped. If the diameter of the base is 18 feet, and the height is 8 feet, how many cubic feet of sand are in the pile?

9 Provide information about high interest careers via bulletin board postings, handouts from various medias, and internet postings. Provide expert speakers to attend their classrooms and discuss aspects of their career with the students. Plan field trips to various work sites so that students are exposed to many different areas of interest. Encourage students to investigate training necessary to obtain certain degrees and examine how mathematics is used in their chosen field. The internet allows teachers to assist their students in connecting content to real-world problems that will be faced in their future careers. The following sites are excellent resources for today s teacher. The George Lucas Foundation ( founded by George Lucas provides project-based learning strategies that encourage students to work in teams to explore real-world problems and create presentations to share what they have learned. Also, innovative methods are encouraged in teaching and learning. The site offers articles and video segments that allow teachers to see better practices in action. A video gallery contains short documentary segments and interviews from leading experts in their field. Free instructional modules created by professors of education can be used as extension units in existing courses which correlate with ISTE/NCATE NETS standards. Also interactive case studies include examples of lesson plans and links to outside resources. Teachers are the most important individuals in our society- Nothing is as powerful as the human touch in education. -George Lucas National Security Agency ( offers a plethora of information for the use of creative and innovative lesson plans. The site allows teachers to create lesson plans with real-world applications, thus showing students how mathematical content can be applied to their future career interests. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics ( supplies teachers with much needed resources that connect the content standards with conceptual applications. NCTM provides publications that offer a wealth of ideas on teaching concepts conceptually so that the student can apply to real-world situations. Mathematics Teacher, Online Journal for School Mathematics and Journal for Research in Mathematics Education are all excellent resources for the teacher.

10 References: Saunders, Hal. (1988) When Are We Ever Gonna Have To Use This? Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour Publications. Sterrett, Andrew. (2002).101 Careers in Mathematics. Washington, D.C.: MAA Service Center. Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000). Farr, Michael.(2006) 200 Best Jobs for College Graduates. Indianapolis, IN: JIST Publishing,Inc