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Why Business Mathematics?
The new course of studies Business Mathematics at RheinAhrCampus Remagen allows the students to delve into a rich spectrum of fascinating and up to date mathematical and business oriented themes of practical relevance.

The combination of these mathematical topics with a modern education in applied computer science, fits to the needs of the industry and lays a cornerstone for a successful career. As an applied mathematician, who has – in addition to his theoretical knowledge – lots of experience in computer aided problem solving, all doors in your professional life are wide open. In contrast to many subjects that are en vogue today, mathematics is timeless. It is also for this reason, that you as a future graduate are not that much subject to fluctuations in the job market.

During your course of studies of Business Mathematics you will not only gain a deeper understanding of insurance and financial mathematics as well as of decision support and applied computer science, but you will also acquire the ability to familiarize yourself quickly with new and complex problems. So you are not restricted to a limited number of professions but you are able to work successfully in a large variety of different areas.

In parallel to Business Mathematics, another mathematical course of studies named Biomathematics is offered at Remagen. Except of three special courses the basic studies of Bioand Business Mathematics are identical, so that a change of the course of studies is possible up to the main study phase without any problems.

Contents of courses
During the first 3 semesters (basic study phase, Grundstudium) lectures, exercises and short presentations in analysis, linear algebra and probability/statistics enable you to get a working knowledge of the foundations of mathematics. In numerical mathematics you are going tackle mathematical problems with the aid of computer programs.

As a student of mathematics you become acquainted with several programming languages, e.g. C++, Java and Visual Basic, with professional statistics software and, of course, with office programs. Some courses in bioscience and finance will introduce the students to their application areas. In addition, lectures in English and business administration supplement your mathematical skills, broaden your scope and enhance your professional competence.

The second part of your studies (main study phase, Hauptstudium) deepens your knowledge in analysis, numerical analysis and statistics and you dive into new mathematical subjects like differential equations, martingales, brownian motion and stochastic integrals. You learn these new mathematical concepts hand in hand with their applications in insurance, business and finance. Your programming skills are extended and you become acquainted with modern relational and object-oriented data base technologies. Exercises, seminars and practical work will enable you to successfully solve projects in your favorite areas.

The first time you transfer your knowledge from university to real life will be in the practical semester (5th semester). During these four to five months, you work for a German or foreign enterprise or public institution, in industry, research or business. You may deepen your contact to business in a diploma thesis which should be done in co-operation with an external site during the last (8th) semester. This close relation to professional work opens promising perspectives for your future

Aims of Studies
During your successful studies you have familiarized yourself with insurance mathematics and mathematical finance. You know about the different types and how insurance companies calculate their tariffs. You know the modern financing instruments which are traded at the stock exchanges worldwide and you know how the prices of these shares are calculated.

Furthermore you are familiar with the concepts and procedures for risk analysis used by banks, investment companies and investment managers. In addition, you are familiar with the essential optimization procedures which are used in the decision-making process. You know how to implement algorithms in relevant programming languages. You know about modern data base technology and you are able to define data base models for practical problems and to implement them in commercial data base systems. Beyond your knowledge of mathematical techniques, you have gained competences which characterize mathematicians: you understand complex logical relationships, you are able to translate problems into mathematical terms, to select appropriate methods for their solution and to develop efficient algorithms.

Finally, you can solve the problem, usually using a computer, and display the results in a language which is within everybody’s grasp. Your have got contacts to business and industry. This opens the possibility to continue working in your special area, or you may decide to rely on your mathematical skills and achieve a new area by work. Mathematics is valid at all times, not a fashion. less prone to fluctuations of fashion. Therefore, mathematicians are less dependent on fluctuations in the job market.

Career Perspectives
As a graduate of Business Mathematics you have access to a variety of different professions. The following list presents a selection of conceivable employers.

• Insurance Companies
• Banks
• Investment Companies, Asset Management Companies
• Audit firms
• Federal Institutes for Banking and Insurance
• Controlling and Risk Management Departments
• Management Consultancies
• Software-Development and Database Programming Companies

General Information
Prerequisites for admission

• Advanced Technical College Certificate, general qualification for university entrance (Abitur) or equivalent. You can begin your studies in winter and summer Degrees awarded
• Diplom-Mathematiker/-in (FH)

Duration of studies
8 semesters (3 semesters basic study phase and 5 main study phase, including 1 practical semester and diploma thesis.) The practical semester has to be completed in a company where the students have the opportunity to make their first work experience and get ideas for their diploma thesis.

Equipment
The computer centre has lots of Windows PCs and UNIX Workstations. From all computers it is possible to log into scientific networks and into the internet. There are also six mathematics laboratories available with especially powerful workstations. The library offers online research facilities in a variety of scientific databases.

Further information
Course Director: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kremer
kremerrheinahrcampus.de
Secretary: Elvira Kluge
Tel. +49 (0) 2642/932-307 (Fax: -399)