Math Pathways

Consult your school counselor or math teacher for support in determining the right math pathway for you. College Admissions representatives are also great resources. They can confirm the required college math course(s) required for the degree programs in your career interest areas, and they can advise on the types of preparatory courses that set students up for success at their institutions.

Not every middle and high school offers every course included on the math pathways. When a desired course is not offered, students should discuss other opportunities with their high school counselor, including access to that specific course through the South Dakota Center for Virtual Education.

In addition to appropriate preparatory course work in middle and high school, placement into college math courses includes other factors, such as student GPA or math index score.

The occupations included in the Career & Math Search Tool are not comprehensive. In fact, our library of careers is ever growing. If you have a suggested occupation to add to the advising tool, please submit your request using our Contact Us Form.

In the meantime, research the math requirements of similar careers in the Career & Math Search Tool, or visit a South Dakota college or university’s website and research the math curriculum requirements of a particular degree program typically found under their Academics section.

No worries! If you’re unsure about your career path, take the Career Matchmaker and Skills Lab assessments on SDMyLife. This free resource for South Dakota students in grades 6-12 helps you explore your interests and skills in relation to academic and career opportunities. To login to SDMyLife.com, use your K12 email address (username) and K12 email password (password).

No matter your future career path, it’s always advisable to take the highest-level math attainable because it provides growth opportunities for future advancement. And make sure to take a fourth year of math in high school! In addition to keeping yourself eligible for potential scholarship opportunities, research shows that students who take a fourth year of math are more prepared to be successful in college.

No. Currently, this advising opportunity is only available for mathematics.