Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Mathematics belongs both to liberal arts and to sciences. Not only is it the language of science (including social science), but it is also studied for its own beauty. It is therefore one of the most vital and lively subjects in the University curriculum. In the technology-oriented climate of today, the department’s graduates have excellent employment opportunities.

Statistics is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data, in the context of uncertainty. Statistics is primarily mathematical in nature but has grown through applications in the social sciences, natural sciences, as well as business and engineering, to become its own separate, though closely allied, field.

Mathematicians and statisticians are in demand, not only in teaching and research of mathematics and statistics, and in the traditional fields of physics, chemistry, computer science and engineering, but also, and increasingly, in business, economics, environmental sciences, geology, biology and the health sciences among others. Students interested in the applications of mathematics and statistics should consider a minor in another discipline or even a double major, and consult the faculty in the relevant departments. Knowledge of computer science is useful for many applications of mathematics and statistics.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics (hereinafter referred to as the department) has programs leading to BA, BS, MA and PhD degrees (MAT and MSEd degrees are offered through the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership). The department offers a BA program in mathematical sciences with three tracks: mathematics, statistics and actuarial science; the challenging BS degree program, with tracks in mathematics and actuarial science, provides excellent preparation for graduate work at any university. Students considering a BS degree should seek advice as early as possible and plan their schedules carefully to meet the demanding requirements.

The department offers a five-year 4+1 program combining a bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences with the Master of Arts in Statistics (MAS) degree.

The department collaborates with the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership in offering the five-year 4+1 program leading to a BA in mathematics and an MAT degree in mathematics adolescence education. Other 4+1 programs include one that combines a BA in mathematics with a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), and one that combines a bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences with a Master of Business administration (MBA).

The department serves other disciplines by providing instruction in various mathematical and statistical skills. Traditional mathematical preparation for the hard sciences (biology, chemistry, economics, physics and engineering) is provided by MATH 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 230, 304, 323, 324, 327, 371, 375, 471, 478, 479 and other courses. Statistical preparation is provided by MATH 147, 148, 327, 447, 448, 455, 457 and 458, among others.

Note: Math 224 is required for all mathematics and statistics majors. If a student does not place into MATH 224, then MATH 223 and, if needed, MATH 108 are also required for the completion of the major.

Grade Requirements and Prerequisites

Any math course in which a student earns a grade of C- or less is not acceptable as a prerequisite for any other course offered by the department unless stated otherwise in the course description.
Any math course in which a student earns a grade of C- or less cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the major or minor.
Math courses may only be repeated once to meet the above minimum grade requirements for the major. No course for the major may be taken more than twice. Students who fail to receive a grade of C or better after two attempts in a required major course will be dropped from the major. Withdrawals do not count towards the attempt limit. Students who are seniors may petition for an exception to this policy.
A pass grade (P) does not count toward the major or minor unless the only grade available is Pass/Fail; in this case, consent of the department is required.
A student who has received credit for a course may not take one of its prerequisites for credit at a later time.

Honors in Mathematics

The Undergraduate Committee determines the recipients of departmental honors. Usually, these will be students who are in the BS program and/or have a strong record of success in mathematics, statistics or actuarial science. Final awarding of honors requires satisfactory completion of the student’s final semester courses as determined by the Undergraduate Committee.

Departmental Advising

Students considering a major in mathematical sciences should seek advice from the faculty as early as possible. Every student declaring a mathematical sciences major is assigned a faculty advisor, and should meet regularly with the advisor to discuss course selection and career goals. Students are free to choose another advisor from among the faculty once they get to know the faculty better. In addition, any issue related to the major/minor can be discussed with the director of undergraduate studies. The department also has an advising liaison who can advise students interested in math but has not declared the math major as well as those math majors who are still taking lower-level courses.

Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science

The Department of Computer Science in the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science offers a minor program that may be combined with a BA track in Mathematics or a BA track in Statistics to provide a strong background leading to careers in computer science. Both BA tracks are designed to facilitate this combination by allowing up to two computer science courses to be included in the BA track in Mathematics and up to one computer science course in the BA track in Statistics. Students interested in mathematics, statistics, and computer science should also consult with the Department of Computer Science.

Graduate Programs

The department is committed to the idea that pure and applied mathematics are two faces of the same subject. The research of the faculty and the training of the students cover a wide variety of topics in pure mathematics, as well as probability and statistics. The department offers a lively research atmosphere. Students are encouraged to take a broad range of courses. Teaching assistants are given varied assignments intended to increase their experience and employability. The department has a tradition of developing intellectual independence in its graduate students. Much time is given to the education of graduate students, both individually and in small classes. The distinguished research faculty offers considerable personal attention to graduate students.

The department offers degrees in Master of Arts (MA) in Statistics, Master of Arts (MA) in Mathematics and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mathematical Sciences. Research areas of faculty expertise include algebra, analysis, combinatorics, dynamical systems, geometry/topology, graph theory, number theory, probability and statistics.

The MA in mathematics program is intended to give the student a solid professional basis either for proceeding to the PhD program or for work in government, industry or teaching at the community college level. The PhD degree prepares a student for university or college teaching and for higher-level employment in government and industry. Entering students having substantial graduate-level training may enter the PhD program, skipping the MA.

The Master of Arts in Statistics program provides students with a solid foundation of practical knowledge to work with applied statistics in depth, preparing them for future careers in the public and private sectors as data scientists, consultants and engineers who manage and analyze data. This program leads to an MA degree.

The department is noted for its method of graduate education. In first-year courses, the emphasis is on training the student to do mathematics in depth. Many students report that these courses are the formative experiences of their professional lives.

Teaching assistantships are available. They provide not only financial support but also valuable experience, either in teaching a variety of courses or assisting faculty in special courses. The aim is to enhance students’ training with actual experience helpful in obtaining employment. Department members assist students in obtaining suitable employment and offer advice for career development.

The department cooperates with the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, which offers both the MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) degree in mathematics adolescence education and the MSEd (Master of Science in Education) degree in adolescence education in mathematics. Details about these programs and requirements for the degrees are listed in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership section of this Bulletin.

Within the MA and PhD programs, there is a choice of two areas of emphasis. The flavors of these areas are indicated as follows:

Mathematics: The mathematics component provides students both with breadth and depth of higher-level pure mathematics. In pure mathematics, the department has special emphasis in algebra, analysis, combinatorics - geometry/topology, graph theory, number theory and probability. In addition, students are encouraged to be acquainted with some applications and to take some courses in statistics and/or computer science.
Statistics: The statistics component gives broad training. The master’s degree prepares students for jobs as statisticians and data analysts in government and industry. The PhD degree prepares students for university teaching and research, as well as consulting and research roles in industry and government. Students are given training in many diverse statistical methods used to analyze data, as well as the mathematical, statistical and probabilistic foundation.