Programs Offered
- Mathematics (majors and minor)
- Applied Mathematics (major)
The Mathematics Department at 涩里番 seeks to provide excellent instruction to enable you to be competent in the mathematics required for your chosen field, and to share our expertise with the community through service and leadership.
Find out more about this department鈥檚 mission, vision, and learning outcomes.
The BA in Mathematics is designed to provide you with a good general background in mathematics. As a mathematics major, you will learn analytical skills which can be used in a wide variety of fields.
- A minimum of 62 credits are required for this major, including 33 upper-division.
- This BA is an excellent background for students interested in mathematics as a liberal arts major and for those who wish to teach mathematics at the secondary level.
- If you are pursuing an endorsement in Secondary Education, you must take MAT 3401 and either MAT 3333 or MAT 3360 as part of the 12 mathematics elective credits for the BA. A maximum of 3 credits in MAT 4930 may be applied.
The BS in Mathematics is designed to prepare you for graduate work or a professional career in mathematics.
- A minimum of 72 credits are required for this major, including a minimum of 39 upper-division.
- 15 credits in related, approved courses in which mathematics is applied are also required.
- Courses MAT 4363 and MAT 4830 are strongly recommended for the BS. A maximum of 3 credits in MAT 4930 may be applied.
- You must maintain a GPA of 2.5 for all mathematics courses to earn the BS in Mathematics.
- If you plan to pursue graduate work in mathematics, you are strongly advised to take further work in real analysis in the upper-division program and to acquire a reading knowledge of French, German, or Russian.
The BS in Applied Mathematics is a flexible, yet demanding, major designed for students interested in careers involving the applications of mathematics in a particular field.
In addition to completing coursework in mathematics, you must select a field of concentration in which mathematics is applied and complete coursework in both fields. Example programs of study can be found on the .
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A total of 76 credits are required for this major, including courses in mathematics and computer science, and a minimum of 20 credits in an applied field.
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A minimum of 45 upper-division credits are required, including 25 in mathematics and 20 in the applied field.
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Courses MAT 3237, 3238 and 3360 are strongly recommended as part of the upper-division electives for the BS in Applied Mathematics. CSC 2430 may replace CSC 2230 for students emphasizing computing in their applied field.
Note: Upper-division courses in the applied field will typically have lower-division prerequisites, which are not listed in the credit total. Depending on the choice of concentration, you may have as many as 25 credits of necessary lower-division course work outside the major.
If you intend to minor in Mathematics, begin with MAT 1234, MAT 1235, and MAT 1236, which are prerequisite to most upper-division courses.
- All upper-division electives for the Mathematics minor must be approved by the Mathematics Department faculty.
- MAT 3749 and MAT 4402 are strongly recommended for all minors.
- A secondary teaching minor must include MAT 3749, MAT 4402, and MAT 3442.
- A maximum of 3 credits in MAT 4904 or MAT 4930 may be applied.
Apply to the major or minor
You should apply for a major by the beginning of your junior year using this .
- You must have a GPA of 2.5 or above in 15 credits of Mathematics that apply to the major or minor for admission to the major or minor.
- You must complete the major or minor requirements in effect in the SPU Undergraduate Catalog for the year of your admittance to a Mathematics major or minor.
Applying to Applied Mathematics
When you apply for the major in Applied Mathematics, you must submit an individual plan specifying which upper-division elective courses you intend to take. You should submit this plan, and it should be approved, before you have completed more than two of your upper-division elective courses in either Mathematics or the applied field.
When you submit your plan, explain why you chose the specific courses in the applied field. Note: At least three of your upper-division courses in the applied field should be mathematically oriented.
Elementary Teacher Certification
If you plan to obtain Residency Teacher Certification (K鈥�8) and are interested in mathematics, you must major in the Integrated Studies major with a concentration in mathematics.
- This concentration consists of courses in calculus, algebra, geometry, and statistics.
- is through the advisor for the mathematics concentration, Professor Jerilynn Lepak (lepakj@spu.edu).
Secondary Teachers Certification
If you plan to obtain secondary (high school) Residency Teacher Certification with endorsement in mathematics, you should pursue a BA in Mathematics, and you must also complete Requirements for Secondary Certification through the School of Education.
If you intend to become a teacher, visit the School of Education for complete information.
Incoming students
High school preparation
Three years of high school mathematics, including trigonometry, are required for all students entering one of the degree programs. However, if you intend to make mathematics your career, you are urged to take a minimum of four years of high school mathematics.
Students deficient in their high school mathematics preparation must take the appropriate courses below the calculus level in consultation with the Mathematics Department to make up the deficiency before starting one of the math degree programs.
Advanced Placement
Check the AP, Cambridge International, and IB transfer chart to see how your test scores may count toward mathematics course requirements.
Mathematics placement
Appropriate placement into mathematics courses depends upon your intended major, as well as eligibility criteria. See Mathematics Placement for details.