Mathematics & Computer Science

Planned Revision to the Math Major

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science plans to revise the requirements for the mathematics major, beginning in 2024-25.  The revisions incorporate several new classes that will be taught for the first time in 2023-24.  The revised major will be more flexible than the prior requirements, allowing students to focus mainly on pure mathematics, applied mathematics, or statistics – or to sample from all of these areas.  The new requirements listed below are a draft and not yet finalized.  We expect that the final revision will be very close to this, so it is still useful for planning your courses.

Students who plan to declare the major in spring 2023 or during 2023-24 should consult with a faculty member in the department to determine whether the new major or old major requirements are a better fit for their background and interests.

Notes on specific classes

MA120 (Applied Linear Algebra)

MA120 (Applied Linear Algebra) is a new course that will be required for the major.  Starting in 2024-25, MA220 (Linear Algebra) will be revised to become a second course in linear algebra, with MA120 as a prerequisite.  During 2023-24, these courses will be largely redundant with each other, so they should not both be taken in that year.  Either plan to take MA120 in 2023-24 and MA220 in 2024-25, or only take MA220 in 2023-24.

MA275 (Sequences and Series)

MA275 (Sequences and Series) is a new course that will be a prerequisite for many upper-level courses beginning in 2024-25.  If you have not already taken MA375 (Real Analysis), you should take MA275 as soon as possible.

New Math Major Requirements (Draft)

Total courses required, assuming no prior credit: 14.

Required Introductory Courses

  1. Calculus 1 (MA125 or MA126), Calculus 2 (MA129), Calculus 3 (MA204)
  2. Applied Linear Algebra (MA120)

Required Mid-Level Courses

  1. Linear Algebra 2 (MA220)
  2. Sequences and Series (MA275)
  3. ONE OF: Discrete Math (MA201), Statistical Methods 1 (MA237), or Number Theory (MA251)

Required Upper-Level Courses

  1. ONE OF: Abstract Algebra 1 (MA321) or Real Analysis 1 (MA375)
  2. ONE OF: Probability (MA313) or Ordinary Differential Equations (MA315)

Electives

Four electives, generally at the 300-level or above
  1. At least one must be at the 400- level
  2. Two 200-level electives (not taken as required courses) can replace one 300-level elective. The department also maintains a list of non-mathematics courses that can count as one of these 200-level electives

Capstone

Students must complete a senior thesis (which includes taking MA499) OR take History of Mathematics (MA408).

Planned Prerequisite Revisions

Existing Math courses and their new prerequisites for the 2024-25 academic school year

Course

Prerequisites Beginning in 2024-25

MA117: Elem Prob and Stats

None

MA120: Applied Linear Algebra

None

MA125/MA126: Calculus 1

None

MA129: Calculus 2

MA125 or MA126

MA201: Discrete Math

Two 100-level math courses

MA204: Calculus 3

MA129

MA217: Intro Prob and Stats

MA126

MA220: Linear Algebra 2

MA120

MA237: Statistical Methods 1

MA217 OR (MA117 AND MA126)

MA251: Number Theory

Two 100- level math courses

MA256: Mathematical Biology

MA120 AND MA126

MA275: Sequences and Series

MA129

MA300: Geometry

MA220 OR MA251

MA313: Probability

MA204 AND MA275

MA315: Ordinary Differential Equations

MA120 AND MA275

MA321: Abstract Algebra 1

MA220 AND MA251

MA325: Graph Theory

MA220 AND (MA201 OR MA251)

MA375: Real Analysis 1

MA204 AND MA275 AND (MA220 OR MA251)

MA400: Topology

MA375

MA408: History of Mathematics

MA321 AND MA375

MA410: Complex Analysis

MA375

MA416: Partial Differential Equations

MA204 AND MA275 AND MA315

MA417: Mathematical Statistics

MA237 AND MA313

MA418: Numerical Analysis

MA275 AND MA315

MA421: Abstract Algebra 2

MA321

MA475: Real Analysis 2

MA375
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