Education · 1 of 5

The path

Long, and it does not really end until graduate school does. There is no exam and no license.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Calculus if your school offers it. Grades in math and a habit of working on hard problems for hours are what matter.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree in mathematics

   4 years

   Four years. Real analysis and abstract algebra are the two courses that tell you whether this is for you.

3. 3

   Undergraduate research

   One or two summers

   A summer research program or a project with a professor. This is what gets you into graduate school.

4. 4

   Master's or doctorate

   2 to 6 years

   A master's is two years and opens industry jobs. A doctorate is five or six, is usually funded, and is what the job title normally requires.

5. 5

   First research position

   Year 1

   A postdoctoral position in a university, or a job in a federal lab, a defense contractor or a technology firm.