Mathematics
The Department of Mathematics offers a program leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in
mathematics and a program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in education.
• The BA in MATHEMATICS enables each student through selection of a minor
or area of concentration to prepare for a career as a college professor, actuary,
statistician, or mathematician in industry or government.
• The BS in EDUCATION – MATHEMATICS features a strong program in mathematics
while the student earns state certification to teach mathematics in the middle,
junior high or senior high levels.
• The BS in Mathematics degree provides students
with a wide choice of career oriented programs by allowing the declaration
of a concentration in various branches of applied mathematics.
The program is designed to position its graduates for a career in spplied mathematics.
Career Opportunities
A graduate who holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics can pursue entry-level positions
leading to highly paid positions in business, industry, government, and teaching.
Companies in the computer and telecommunications industries employ students with a
strong background in mathematics, as do energy producing companies, financial
organizations, insurance companies, and consulting firms.
Many branches of the local, state, and federal governments employ mathematicians
working under various job titles such as cryptanalyst, statistician, operation researcher,
and actuary.
Graduates of the department have found positions with
organizations such as DuPont, General Electric, Merck, and RCA. Graduates in
mathematics education have found employment as teachers and administrators at
universities and public, private, and parochial schools.
Graduates also have entered advanced study programs at the
nation's leading universities.
Undergraduate Degree
Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics
Bachelor of Science in
Education - Mathematics
Bachelor of Science in
Mathematics
Bachelor of Arts in
Mathematics. This program begins with a core that includes calculus,
computer science, physics, statistics, and background courses, followed by a
required sequence of courses covering the major areas of the mathematical
sciences - algebra, analysis, geometry, statistics, and applied mathematics.
Bachelor of Science in Education -
Mathematics. This degree prepares you for certification as a teacher of
mathematics in Pennsylvania's secondary schools. This program provides a good
grounding in calculus, algebra, geometry, and statistics. Also, you will be
instructed in the teaching of mathematics in secondary school classrooms. The
department places emphasis on meaningful contemporary applications of
mathematics.
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
This degree provides students with a wide choice of career-oriented
programs by allowing the declaration of a concentration in various branches of
applied mathematics. The program is designed to position its graduates for a
career in applied mathematics.
Students enrolled in this program are
required to declare a concentration. Current concentrations include actuarial
science, statistics, mathematics of finance, industrial mathematics, and
computational mathematics. The concentration must be selected no later than the
second semester of the sophomore year. Students generally spend most of the
first two years taking core requirements common to all concentrations or certain
prerequisites. Mathematics and cognates (courses in fields closely related to
mathematics) required for a specific concentration are normally taken during the
final two years of the program. The mathematics courses are aimed at linking the
course content to applications in the real world. Cognates are aimed at
demonstrating the pervasiveness and importance of mathematics in other
applied-oriented disciplines.
The Student Handbook for Mathematics
Majors should be consulted for current requirements in mathematics degree
programs.
Minors
Mathematics. As a
baccalaureate student, you may receive transcript recognition for a minor area
of study in such areas as astronomy, computer science, economics, finance, and
physics by completing four required courses and two electives selected from the
approved list.
Elementary School Mathematics
(K-8). As a baccalaureate student in elementary education, you may
receive transcript recognition for a minor area of study in mathematics by
completing six required courses.
In the above minors, you must earn a minimum grade of C- in
each course and have an overall GPA of at least 2.0 in the courses taken in the
minor.
Advanced Placement Policy
A score of 3 or higher on the Mathematics Advanced
Placement Exam of the College Boards will allow you as a mathematics major to
begin your studies with MAT 162 Calculus II.
Auxiliary Teaching Support
The department maintains Student/Tutorial Center (Anderson 119) staffed by advanced
students. Those that qualify to staff the Tutorial Center acquire pre-professional
teaching experience, help their peers, and develop communication skills.
Technical and related Support
Students have access to microcomputer networks at numerous locations.
These computers can access the on-line catalog of the library and the Internet.
A current collection of mathematical statistical and programming software is available
for student use including Mathematica, Maple, MathLab, MiniTab, and SAS.
A Computational Mathematics Laboratory is located in Anderson 120 next to the
Student Tutorial Center. Desk-top computers and a large and current software
library are available in the Student Tutorial Center.
The department also houses a Seminar Room within the faculty office complex.
It provides access to a small library related to the courses students are taking,
and is used for faculty/student socials. The popular Wednesday afternoon “teas” for
both students and faculty are held in A 119.
Special Study Opportunities
If you major in mathematics education, you will teach in
nearby secondary schools. This program normally provides two, seven-week
placements: one in a middle school, the other in a high school.
Special Entrance Requirements
Those interested in one of the above programs should have a
solid background in high school mathematics and a strong score in the
mathematics portion of the SAT.
Related Student Activities
Anderson Mathematics Club
Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics
honor society)
Advanced Degree
Master of Arts in Mathematics (concentrations: pure
mathematics or mathematics education)
Master of Science in Applied
Statistics
Faculty
The mathematics faculty engages in the study of
mathematics, mathematics education, and statistics and is dedicated to the art
of teaching. Faculty members have served as officers in the state and local
chapters of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (The executive
director of NCTM is a WCU graduate.) Researchers have presented, by invitation,
their work at Princeton, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania (to name a
few), and at international conferences. All faculty members are always ready to
meet and discuss mathematics with our majors, particularly during the "tea and
coffee hour" which follows our colloquium talks in our new tutorial/student
center. You can obtain a complete listing of faculty and their qualifications
from the contact person listed below.
For More Information
Dr. Richard Branton, Chair
Department of
Mathematics
124 Anderson Hall
West Chester University
West Chester,
PA 19383
610-436-2440
rbranton@wcupa.edu
