Master of Science in Mathematics - Actuarial Science

at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee USA

Emphasizing the use, implementation, management and evaluation of information technologies for a wide range of organizations, the IT concentration will prepare you to work in a diverse information technology landscape.

The School of Information Studies prepares students for careers in libraries and the information professions. The School’s array of graduate programs provides students with the opportunity to develop attitudes associated with progressive information services, and to develop an understanding of the value, role, and application of modern technology as it relates to library operations and the transfer of information.

Environmental engineers use the principles of engineering, soil science, biology and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems. Environmental engineers work to improve drinking water supply, public health, recycling, sustainability, to control water and air pollution, and manage waste.

Areas of Specialization:

• Water and wastewater treatment
• Air quality
• Environmental remediation
• Environmental technology
• Energy and sustainability
• Water resources management
• Environmental health

In the Comparative Literature major, students examine literature across languages, geographic location, time periods, and genres. The discipline also explores the relationship between literature and other forms of cultural expression such as pop culture, technology, arts, music, or film, as well as the relationship between literature and other academic disciplines, like anthropology, history, religious studies, or women's and gender studies. It's a great major for anyone who loves to explore other cultures.

Students sometimes ask whether they need to be fluent in a foreign language in order to study comparative literature. Definitely not! While all of UWM's instructors and faculty in comparative literature do research in other languages, all Comparative Literature courses are taught entirely in English. Comparative Literature majors choose one of two paths - one path that requires some literature courses be taken in a foreign language program, or another path where all classes are taught in English.

The Master of Science in Biostatistics program provides an innovative curriculum to meet a range of professional needs and interests. The program trains students in study design, appropriate use of statistical and computational techniques, and interpretation of data analysis results arising from public health and biomedical research. Students learn both classical and modern statistical methods and apply their statistical skills and knowledge to solve "big data” problems. They have the opportunity to work with faculty on cutting edge research projects, such as discovering genetic causes of common diseases, developing statistical algorithms to monitor treatment efficacy, and reducing medical costs through electronic health record.

The MS in Computer Science program is a rigorous graduate program designed to meet the needs of any student wishing to gain advanced understanding of the principles and practices needed to harness the power of computing to help society and the world.  The program can be a stepping stone on the way to further studies and the pursuit of advanced research, such as can be obtained by pursuing the PhD. Or the program can provide a pathway to professional advancement through greater technical knowledge and intellectual maturity.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences offers graduate programs of study in mathematics with specializations in the fields of algebra, analysis, topology, applied mathematics, probability and statistics, actuarial science, industrial mathematics, and atmospheric science.

The programs of study at the master’s level are designed to suit both the student intending to continue toward a PhD as well as the student who wishes to begin a professional career upon completion of the master’s program.

The student may prepare for a career in teaching at the secondary or college level and for a career in research in the academic, industrial, government, or business communities.

Industrial Mathematics
The objective of the master’s program in industrial mathematics is to enable students to acquire the fundamentals of applied mathematics in areas of classical and numerical analysis, differential equations and dynamical systems, and probability and statistics. At the same time, the connection of these fields to modeling of physical, biological, and engineering phenomena will be stressed by requiring credits outside of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Students are to obtain practical experience in mathematical modeling and analysis during an internship or industrial project that will culminate in a thesis.

Actuarial science is the quantitative analysis of risk. In addition to mathematics and statistics courses, students in actuarial science take classes in finance, economics, and computer programming.  

What Do Actuaries Do?
Actuaries help individuals, businesses and society manage risk by evaluating the likelihood of future events and creating plans to reduce the negative financial or emotional impact of undesirable events. Some of the questions that actuaries address on a daily basis include:

• What price best balances an insurance company’s risk tolerance with various risk parameters such as age of the insured, health status, place of residence, and other risk characteristics?
• What would be the economic loss in the event of a flood, and how can these costs be covered?
• How large a fund is needed for a company to provide pensions for its employees?
• How likely is it for someone to be hospitalized? What is the average duration of a hospital stay, and how can the costs associated with each day of hospitalization be provided for?
• In the event of a merger, how can the employee benefits plans of the different organizations be reconciled?
• How should an investment portfolio be balanced to maximize return and minimize risk?
• Actuaries also must take this information and convey it to their companies and customers clearly and concisely through written reports, graphs, charts, or other visual or oral presentation formats.

The Urban Studies major draws from classes in sociology, geography, history, political science, economics, urban studies, and urban planning to explore issues related to cities, suburban communities and metropolitan regions such as transportation, education, housing, population shifts, crime, discrimination, and more.

The Department of Urban Studies develops students analytical and critical thinking abilities through an examination of the history and growth of urban centers and the challenges they face today and into the future. Our faculty includes international specialists, but much of our curriculum focuses on American cities, and Milwaukee in particular. Our home city is unique, vibrant, and a wonderful place for hands-on study and research.

The Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies offers a master’s program for educators, community leaders, and those working in community-based organizations. Students deepen their knowledge about urban education and the contexts of urban communities. The program enhances participants’ ability to critically analyze education and processes of community change, and courses focus on the causes of inequality and oppression and explore approaches for fostering change.

The Department of Geography offers both master’s and doctoral programs of study across a range of systematic, regional, and technical fields, with innovative energy in the doctoral program for studying urban environments. The department’s overall strengths are aligned along a theme of “Changing Environments,” with three major axes, each responsive to areas with strong demand for new professionals:

• Urban Environments: This area emphasizes the spatial interactions of economic systems as well as political, social, cultural, environmental, technological, and other forces that influence the people, identities, landscape, development, and dynamics of urban areas. With the world’s population becoming increasingly urbanized and globalized, courses examine the continuing challenges of urban growth and change, race, ethnicity, and gender in the city, immigration and identity politics, and spatial aspects of urban planning processes and political decision-making.
• Physical Geography and Environmental Studies: This area addresses the interactions among natural forms and processes on the earth’s surface, the impact and implications of global climate change, and human connections with those natural phenomena. Courses discuss and analyze the distribution and processes of earth surface landforms (geomorphology), soils (pedology), plants and animals (biogeography), water (hydrology), and long-term atmospheric conditions (climatology). Overlapping emphases include phenology, water resources, conservation, natural hazards, natural resource scarcity, and the mounting challenges of global environmental change.
• Geographic Information Science (GIS): This area emphasizes using geospatial technology to further understanding of spatial interactions among natural and social forces at multiple scales across the Earth’s surface, and exploring the impacts of using such technology on social and cultural interactions. Courses examine geographic information collection (including remote sensing), data analysis and geocomputation (spatial analysis), information presentation (cartography), and societal implications. Our program emphasizes applications of GIS in urban, regional, and environmental planning, policy making, and public health.