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Mathematics

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Why study Mathematics

The mathematics major is designed for any student wanting to pursue graduate study or a career in any mathematically-based field, which includes all STEM areas, business or finance, and many social sciences.  Generally, students who like to solve problems, work with numbers, make logical arguments, or who have simply enjoyed previous math courses would find a mathematics major appealing.  

Our program features small upper-level classes with opportunities for one-on-one engagement with professors, all of whom have a Ph.D. in mathematics or a related field.  Our students have the opportunity to conduct research with professors, receive funding to attend mathematics conferences, participate in study abroad programs, complete a capstone project in your chosen area, and are eligible for many departmental scholarships to make your education more affordable. 

Studying mathematics or applied mathematics opens up a lot of opportunities for you in a wide variety of industries and subjects. It makes you better at solving problems, provides you with skills that you can use in many other fields, helps you understand the complicated world we live in that is flooded with data and statistics, and prepares you for a vast array of career paths. 

Mathematics majors usually rank high on lists of earning potential and starting salaries after graduation.  Employers consistently seek out applicants with strong math backgrounds due to their data analysis, organization, critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills.  Some common career paths taken by graduates include the fields of actuarial science, data analysis, operations research, teaching at the K-12 or post-secondary level, mathematical finance, and statistics.  Mathematics majors also tend to perform better than nearly every other major on graduate entrance exams such as the LSAT for law school, the MCAT for medical school, or the GMAT for graduate business degrees. 

Here are unique features about APSU’s mathematics program: 

  1. Small class sizes and individual attention from faculty 
  2. A close-knit community of math majors and professors 
  3. Opportunities for undergraduate research with internationally recognized scholars 
  4. Active student organizations – the Galois Math Club and the Tennessee Epsilon Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, a national mathematics honor society 
  5. Opportunities to attend regional and national conferences, often with funding available to cover travel expenses 
  6. Participation in the Putnam Exam or the Mathematical Contest in Modeling to compete against math students from across the country 
  7. A great record of placing graduates in highly ranked Masters and Ph.D. programs, including the opportunity to continue your APSU education in one of our graduate programs 
  8. A large number of departmental scholarships to assist in funding your education 

The majority of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty have doctoral degrees in mathematics across a wide variety of the major subfields of pure and applied mathematics.  This includes expertise in analysis, algebra, topology, discrete mathematics, and even interdisciplinary fields such as mathematical biology, physics, and engineering. Our faculty have vast experience teaching at the university level in addition to having successful research agendas.  They often include undergraduate and graduate students in their research projects or incorporate it to enhance the classroom experience. 

What Will I learn

 

Sample Course Plan and General Education Requirements

Mathematics Sample 4 Year Plan

General Education Core