2014-2015 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Mathematics, BS
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 Return to: College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
The Department of Mathematics offers a curriculum leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. The Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics is well-suited for those students aiming toward a career in applied mathematics or planning for graduate school in applied mathematics. The program is also appropriate for those mathematics students who have not yet decided between a teaching career or a career in industry.
Modern industrial and scientific enterprises are so dependent on advanced mathematical concepts that applied mathematicians are needed today by almost all concerns that are engaged in such work. The undergraduate curriculum is designed to give training in mathematics and in engineering and science. The use of numerical methods and computers is included.
Normally, a graduate of mathematics who accepts a position in the private or public sector will be working as part of a team to solve applied problems outside of mathematics. Seldom is this problem purely one in mathematics. Because of this, an applied mathematician needs a working knowledge of another discipline, and so each graduate of the BS in Mathematics program must complete a secondary area requirement. This secondary emphasis area is in a specific engineering, computer science, or applied science department. The choice of a secondary area must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor.
Foreign languages are encouraged for students interested in research. A maximum of 8 hours of foreign languages may be taken and applied to the approved electives requirements. German, French and Russian are the approved languages.
Departmental Goal
- Prepare students for employment or graduate study in a subject related to mathematics
Learning Outcomes, Mathematics, BS
- Be able to apply both theoretical and computational techniques to the solution of mathematical problems
- Be able to comprehend, formulate and produce mathematical proof
- Be able to communicate correct mathematical content in both written and oral form
- Be able to understand a broad array of interconnected concepts within mathematics
General Requirements
- Completion of at least 43 semester hours in Mathematics
- 18 semester hours in Basic Science and Technology
- 18 semester hours in Secondary Area Requirements, of which 9 hours must be 3000 level or higher
- A minimum 2.0 on each required mathematics course
- A CU minimum GPA of 2.0
- An Exit Interview with the Mathematics department is required prior to graduation.
- All Math majors are required to meet with a faculty advisor in the Math department during their first year as Math majors. Math students should check the Student Success Advising Guides for additional information regarding the degree requirements.
Departmental Honors Track
The UCCS mathematics department offers a special honors track to qualified math undergraduate students who are already pursuing a BA or BS in Math at UCCS. Admission to the honors track is by application only; an application form is available from the math undergraduate office or from the Math Department website. A letter of recommendation from a faculty in the Math Department is required. Students should normally apply no later than the beginning of their first semester of their junior year. Please consult the Math Department website for details about the application process.
Requirements for graduating with Departmental Honors in Mathematics:
- Maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA in all Math courses and overall 3.0 GPA
- Complete five 4000 or higher level Math courses with at least 3.3 GPA in these courses
- Complete a written report based on an undergraduate research project, a senior project in an advanced course or a senior thesis, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, and approved by the Undergraduate Committee.
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Required Mathematics Courses (43 credit hours)
Recommended Mathematics Courses
The following courses, while not applicable to the required 43 credit hours, are strongly recommended as prerequisites to other required courses. Restricted Mathematics Elective Sequences (6 Credit Hours)
Choose between one of the two areas (Applied Math or Statistics). Applied Mathematics
Two courses from: Statistics
Two courses from: AND Mathematics Electives Numbered 3100 or Higher (3 credits)
MATH 3410 is strongly recommended. Students should not take MATH 3100 after MATH 3810. Basic Science and Technology
18 semester hours chosen from the following courses.
Note: taking PES 1110, 1120, and 1160 automatically satisfies 9 credit hours of the LAS Natural Science Area Requirement, including the laboratory requirement. BS Secondary Area Requirements (18 Credit Hours)
Secondary area requirements may be done in any one of the following ways:
Departmental Course Work: Select classes from one of the following departments: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or Psychology. Courses used for general education requirements may be counted towards this requirement.
Interdisciplinary Secondary Areas: Complete one of the interdisciplinary secondary area programs that have been approved by the department. At present, there are two such programs: System Science and Engineering and Actuarial Science (see below).
Personalized Secondary Area Program: Design a personalized secondary area program that may include courses from departments other than those listed in above, and/or may be interdisciplinary in nature. Such a program MUST have the approval of the faculty advisor from the Mathematics Department. Concentration in Actuarial Science
Actuarial Science is a professionally oriented program combining business, economics, and mathematics, and is designed to prepare students to begin careers as actuaries. Actuaries are experts in risk management. Graduates of this program are prepared for the early professional actuary exams and have a solid base of preparation for further exams. See the Society of Actuaries Web page, www.soa.org, for additional information concerning these exams and a career in Actuarial Science.
To provide a solid foundation for this career and to prepare for actuary exams, students should complete the following requirements: Concentration in Systems Science and Engineering
Systems science is an approach that views an entire system of components as an entity rather than simply an assembly of individual parts; each component is designed to fit properly with the other components rather than to function by itself. The engineering and mathematics of systems is a rapidly developing field. It is one of the most modern segments of applied mathematics, as well as an engineering discipline. It is concerned with the identification, modeling, analysis, design, and control of systems that are potentially as large and complex as the U.S. economy or as precise and vital as a space voyage. Its interests run from fundamental theoretical questions to the implementation of operational systems. In its mathematical aspects it draws on the most modern and advanced areas of mathematics. At the application end of the spectrum, the systems scientist is a scientist/engineer with a unique and indispensable viewpoint. For example, in the aerospace industry, the systems engineer devises the control and guidance laws, navigational systems, trajectory tracking, and estimating algorithms—indeed the total coordinated structure of complex aerospace undertakings. LAS General Education Requirements for Math BS Students
Humanities (9 Credit Hours)
The 9 credit hours must include the following:
Natural Sciences (9 Credit Hours)
The PES courses required for the Basic Science and Technology component (above) also satisfy the LAS Natural Science Area Requirement. The courses are: Social Sciences (9 Credit Hours)
Mathematics BS students should select from the LAS Social Sciences area general education courses. Writing Requirements (6 Credit Hours)
Free Electives
Math BS students should take a number of courses in computer science to prepare them for the various career options in mathematics. Foreign languages are encouraged for students interested in research. |
Return to: College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
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