Internships in math can provide great opportunities for international students interested in studying math in the U.S. They allow students to have fun practicing with math while also building their skills. This article will describe the many benefits of doing a math internship during your academic program.
International students interested in studying mathematics in the U.S. might wonder whether there are further opportunities to gain experience with math outside of the classroom setting. After all, while learning in the classroom is invaluable, one can gain a lot by practicing using math in other formats or applying math to other areas, such as computer science. Furthermore, it can be fun and enlightening to have more freedom in one’s study of mathematics. One option students might pursue which provides for these sorts of opportunities is a math internship. There are many types of internships in math that can help students be successful post graduation.
Benefits of an Internship
A math internship can be useful for many different reasons. First and foremost, internships help build experience working with mathematics and so reinforce the education gained in the classroom. A large part of mathematical ability comes from dedication and practice. It follows the idea that the more practice one has and the more feedback from experts one has, the better one will be at math.
Internships also look great on one’s curriculum vitae to future employers or graduate schools. Participating in, for example, a math summer internship shows that a student is self-motivated, hard working, cares about math, and interested in gaining experience in his or her field.
Typical Activities
Different internships will have different goals depending on the project. Students can expect to get hands-on experience in different sorts of activities to achieve the organization’s goals. For instance, some internships are research based. These internships will present theoretical projects such as developing theorems or solving vexing mathematical puzzles. These sorts of internships focus on developing skills and expertise within mathematics, building on one’s knowledge of operations, functions, integrals, or other mathematical concepts.
Other internships develop skills applying mathematics to other domains, such as internships that help students interested in software engineering and computer science gain experience with math. These sorts of internships will obviously require some familiarity with programming and with software engineering and development. International students who are interested in both math and computer science might be interested in a math summer internship like this.
While some internships are uniquely designed to advance one’s expertise in a particular field, internships in math are useful for many different fields. For instance, careers in accounting, actuarial careers, and careers in finance are some of the areas where an internship in math can be useful. For example, banks and insurance companies often offer internships in which math majors can put the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to practical use.
Who Can Qualify
Typically, undergraduates with high grades, particularly in math, have the best chance of earning internships in mathematics. In addition to high math grades, there are often other qualifications necessary in earning an internship. For instance, some internships are designed to develop interest and expertise in math among women. These programs aim to promote equality in mathematical fields by providing women with the chance to increase their mathematical knowledge and skills outside of the classroom setting. Since many of the careers involving math tend to have a higher proportion of men than women, a math summer internship, for example, can be a great way to make these fields more balanced between the genders. Female international students interested in studying math in the U.S. might be particularly interested in these sorts of internship opportunities.
Not all internships are recommended for one gender or the other. Another option for math students interested in an internship is to intern at a school. Many students study math to prepare for a career as a math teacher at an elementary school, high school, or college. For these internships, experience in education or working with children is recommended.
Students should try to gain information about specific qualifications for the particular math internships they might want to join.
Other Opportunities
Besides a math internship, there are multiple other ways to gain useful experience in mathematics outside of the classroom. For instance, there are various competitions that pit an individual student or a group of student representatives for a university against others to test their mathematical skills and abilities. There are also undergraduate journals which edit and publish papers relating to mathematics written by undergraduate students only. These activities allow undergraduates to build confidence and experience in mathematics.