Information for Math Majors and Minors
Nature of Program
The Department of Mathematics provides a curriculum with programs for:
• An undergraduate major and minor in mathematics.
• The pre-service elementary and secondary teacher.
• Students interested in the applications of mathematics to the fields of computer science, statistics, engineering, physical, natural and social science, and businessband economics.
• The non-science major, to explain the ideals and objectives of mathematics.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the mathematics degree program, students must have at least a 2.0 overall grade point average (GPA); must have completed MATH 155, 156, and 283 with at least a grade of C in each; and must have at least a 2.5 GPA in all of the required mathematics courses attempted prior to the request for admission. MATH 283 should be taken no later than the sophomore year, and if that course has not been completed with a grade of at least a C, a student may request admission on a provisional basis; the petition should be addressed to the Mathematics Academic Standards Committee.
Degree Requirements
Mathematics majors must complete at least 39 hours of approved courses in the mathematical sciences, plus a capstone requirement. For the bachelor of arts degree and the bachelor of science degree, the required courses are: MATH 155, 156, 251, 283, 343 or 441, 222 or 420, STAT 215 or 461, and two additional upper-division courses. These two courses may be selected from those numbered above 200 with the exclusion of MATH 231, 331, 332, and 455. It may be possible to substitute one of the two additional courses
with an upper-division course offered by another department. The content of such a course must be at an advanced level mathematically and its acceptability will require prior departmental approval.
In addition, for the B.A. degree, students must take at least one of MATH 261 and 378 and at least two from MATH 341, 381, 451, 456. For the B.S. degree, students must complete MATH 261 and 451 and take at least one course from MATH 341, 381, 456. Students completing the B.A. program must complete WVU GEC requirements, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences B.A. requirements, major requirements (above), and electives to total 128 hours. Students completing the B.S. program must complete WVU GEC requirements, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences B.S. requirements, major requirements (above), and electives to total 128 hours. Successful completion of the major requires that the student receive at least a grade
of C in each of the required mathematics courses presented for the degree, or a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.25 in the courses numbered above 200. An upper-division mathematics course for which the grade is lower than C (including a grade of W) may be repeated only once. In this case, the second grade is used to compute the mathematics grade point average and determine whether the 2.25 average is satisfied. A student with
a valid medical or emergency reason for failing to receive an acceptable grade in two attempts may petition the Mathematics Academic Standards Committee for permission to register a third time.
Recommended Electives
Students should choose a computer science elective so that they can achieve
programming proficiency. Programming skills are a prerequisite for MATH 420. Elective courses are selected in consultation with a departmental advisor; they should be based on interests and goals.
Minor in Mathematics
Students who wish to pursue mathematics as a secondary field, either to support another major or to obtain deeper insight into mathematics itself, can receive a minor by successful completion of 24ˆ25 hours of approved courses. Two tracks lead to the minor. The corresponding required courses are:
Track One:
MATH 155, 156, 251, 283; at least one course chosen from among MATH 341, 343, 381, 451; two additional courses chosen from those numbered above 300 with the exclusion of MATH 331, 332, and 493, and the inclusion of STAT 215 and STAT 461.
Track Two:
MATH 155, 156, 251, 261; at least one course chosen from MATH 375, 420, 456, and 465; and two additional courses chosen from those numbered above 300 with the exclusion of MATH 331, 332, and 493, and the inclusion of STAT 215 , and STAT 461.
The student‚s interests and goals will determine which plan is most appropriate as well as which electives best meet these interests and goals. The choice should be made in consultation with the student‚s major advisor; additional information may be obtained from one of the advisors in the Department of Mathematics. Successful completion of the minor requires that the student receive a grade of at least a C in each of the mathematics courses presented for the minor, or a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.25 in these courses.
If you have more questions, please contact our Undergraduate Director Professor Christie (email).