Mathematics

Mathematics is the fundamental study of how the world works, the generalizations and abstractions underlying all the basic structures of nature and human society. The Department of Mathematics seeks to provide all its students with the theoretical and practical knowledge that will enable them to analyze and solve problems of an increasingly complex nature.

The student who majors in Mathematics has the opportunity to prepare for a career in business, industry, or secondary mathematics teaching by means of programs that coordinate with other departments or divisions on campus. Alternatively, those mathematics majors who choose to do so can readily make the transition to graduate school. Over half of our students choose this path by entering graduate schools with assistantships to finance their graduate education.

The Department offers two degrees in Mathematics, a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts.  Eligibility for the Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics is restricted to students who minor in Adolescent and Young Adult Education for licensure to teach grades 7-12 math.

The student who elects a minor in Mathematics along with a major in another discipline demonstrates an ability for abstract problem solving that will make them more attractive on the career or graduate school path.

All Mathematics courses offered in this department presume that the student has successfully completed 3 years of high school mathematics, including algebra II and geometry. Students who have not demonstrated proficiency in these subjects by virtue of their SAT or ACT scores are required to pass a placement test prior to enrolling in most MTH-prefix courses.

Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Computer Code: MTHS

Licensure for Secondary Teaching

Students seeking secondary school licensure in mathematics in Ohio are required to complete a major in mathematics. See the Education Department section for details.

Mathematics Minor

A minor in mathematics is available. It consists of MTH 141 and MTH 142 (Calculus I and II) and either 10 additional MTH credits numbered above 199 or MTH 161 and 9 additional MTH credits numbered above 199.

Why a Minor in Statistics?

 The demand for statistical specialists has been growing very rapidly.  The growth of the internet has spawned an explosion in the collection of data.  Therefore there is a rapidly expanding interest in using this data to support decisions.  This in turn has created a great demand for statistical specialists.

Evidence of this demand is provided by data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  For the occupation “Statisticians”, the BLS forecasts 13.1% employment growth for the decade 2008-18.  Further, a keyword search at the BLS site for “data analysis” returns ten occupations across a variety of fields with employment growth forecasts ranging from 17% to 53% over the 2008-18 period.  For all of these BLS occupations, the median annual wages are rated “very high”, or in one case, “high”.

The statistics specialist is expected to have rudimentary knowledge in an area of application, so this proposed program marries the strength of a student in an applied area with specialized knowledge in the application of statistics. It goes beyond the basic knowledge that every major might be expected to have.
The minor in Statistics consists of a core of required courses and an elective capstone course.

Statistics Minor

AP Calculus Credit

A student scoring 3 or better on an AP Calculus exam will be awarded credit as follows:

Mathematical Economics Major

The Mathematics Department also cooperates with the Economics Department to offer a major in Mathematical Economics. This combination is particularly appropriate for students seeking to pursue graduate studies in economics. See the Economics Department section for details.