UAH > Math > Undergraduate Programs
The reasons for getting your math degree from UAH are numerous. They include the quality of our nationally respected faculty; the department's size, which permits considerable individual help; the faculty's attitude, which puts teaching ahead of research in importance; flexible course options and a variety of specialties adaptable to career plans.
In addition to its academic standing in the scientific and technical communities, UAH also offers unique opportunities for undergraduate participation in research.
The UAH Mathematical Sciences Department offers both a B.A. and a B.S. degree in mathematics. Several options and areas of concentration are available. Whichever option is selected, its courses will prepare our graduates to enter the job market or to continue their studies at the graduate level at UAH or another of the nation's best colleges or universities.
Because we are student-oriented, scheduling is flexible. Courses are offered days and evenings, giving students the opportunity to attend school while working.
Mathematicians are employed in a wide range of careers in education, industry, and government.
A large number of mathematicians have teaching and research jobs in a variety of educational institutions.
In industry and government, mathematicians typically work with other scientists as part of a team, solving a variety of problems, such as translating mathematical problems into computational procedures, developing reasonable mathematical models to be used for predictions in economic and business situations, or designing mathematical models to predict the behavior of phenomena in a physical or a life science.
Mathematicians must be able to communicate effectively, so they can interpret problems and present technical results to people with limited mathematics training.
Mathematicians continue to be in high demand in most areas of employment. In coming years that demand is expected to increase. There is a distinct need in government and industry for statisticians and applied mathematicians. Industry also has realized that the analytical training and logical mind of the mathematician are very beneficial in all areas of business life.
Aside form traditional opportunities in math, major scientific advances in the past few decades have opened to mathematicians many new areas in business and industry, including actuarial science, biomedical mathematics, computer science, cryptography, econometrics, and mathematical linguistics. Nationally, the job outlook is good. Huntsville has many technical industries, so local opportunities for mathematics majors are even broader and more varied than usual.
There are approximately 20 full-time faculty members in the department, all dedicated to excellence in teaching and research. Their research interests include areas such as numerical analysis, statistics, probability, mathematical modeling, combinatorics, differential equations, graph theory, matrix theory, functional analysis, mathematical biology, and fluid dynamics. The results of faculty research frequently appear in well-known journals, and several faculty members are reviewers and editors of books and journals.
Students find that the department is small enough to provide a friendly and informal atmosphere, with a great deal of personal contact between faculty members and students. This personal approach allows a large degree of flexibility in the program.
No student may enroll in his or her first MA course at UAH before a placement determination has been made. Students are placed in an appropriate course (depending on major) based on their high school mathematics background, their ACT or SAT scores in mathematics, their previous college credit in mathematics (if any), or a placement test. Students usually begin with one of the following MA courses:
For a student majoring in an area of science or engineering, the initial sequence of math courses would typically be one of the following, depending on placement:
For a student majoring in administrative science, the initial sequence of math courses would typically be one of the following, depending on placement:
A student majoring in liberal arts would typically take one of the following courses, depending on placement:
A student majoring in nursing would typically take one of the following courses, depending on placement:
All majors in mathematics must include the following basic core courses (21 semester hours):
Only MA courses numbered 171 or above may be included in a mathematics major, and an overall average of C is required for all MA and ST courses that are included in a mathematics major. Information on other MA course requirements are given in Curricula I and II below. Students who think that substitutions in those curricula can produce a program better suited to their needs should consult their faculty advisor about the feasibility of such substitutions. All MA electives must be approved by the student's faculty advisor prior to registering for the courses. Majors in mathematics must also include the following computer science and physics courses:
Students majoring in other academic areas who wish to minor in mathematics may select, in consultation with and approval of the mathematical sciences faculty, at least 21 semester hours of appropriate courses in mathematics, including 6 semester hours in courses numbered 300 or above. Only MA courses numbered 171 or above may be included in a mathematics minor, and an overall average of C is required for all UAH MA or ST courses that are included in a mathematics minor. A typical mathematics minor consists of
All minors must include MA 171 and MA 172.
Students majoring in other academic areas who wish to obtain a more solid background in mathematics than is provided by a minor may pursue a second major in mathematics rather than a minor in mathematics. The courses required for the second major are used to replace the minor courses and some of the free electives in the requirements for programs of study leading to a B.A. or B.S. degree.
This curriculum leads to a BA or BS degree with a major in mathematics, and is appropriate for students planning careers in industry or graduate study in mathematics.
| Courses | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| MA Basic Core | 21 |
| MA 238, MA 442 MA 452 MA 465 | 12 |
| MA electives numbered 300 or above, with at least one 500 level course | 9 |
| CS 102, CS 121 (GER Area V) | 6 |
| PH 111, PH 112, PH 114, PH 115 (GER Area III) | 8 |
| Minor | 21-24 |
| GER and Electives | 62-65 |
This curriculum leads to a BA or BS degree with a major in mathematics that meets the requirements for an Alabama Class B Middle/Junior High School Teacher's Certificate or an Alabama Class B High School Teacher's Certificate.
| Courses | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| MA Basic Core | 21 |
| MA 333, MA 442 MA 452 MA 487 | 12 |
| MA electives numbered 300 or above, with at least one 500 level course | 6 |
| CS 102, CS 121 (GER Area V) | 6 |
| PH 111, PH 112, PH 114, PH 115 GER Area III) | 8 |
| Professional education courses | 33 |
| GER and Electives | 56 minimum |
Notes:
This curriculum is restricted to students who are pursuing a double major in mathematics and another discipline in the College of Science, or a dual degree with a major in mathematics and a second major in a discipline in the College of Engineering or the College of Administrative Science. This curriculum prepares students for careers in industry.
| Courses | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| MA Basic Core | 21 |
| MA 238 | 3 |
| One approved analysis course (MA 415, MA 452, MA 460 MA 503) | 3 |
| One approved algebra course (MA 442, MA 508, MA 540 | 3 |
| MA electives numbered 300 or above, with at least one 500 level course | 9 |
| CS 102, CS 121 (GER Area V) | 6 |
| PH 111, PH 112, PH 114, PH 115 GER Area III) | 8 |
| GER and Electives | 39 minimum |
Notes:
A student who majors in mathematics must have a minor. The student is strongly encouraged to select a minor in science or engineering. Typically, such student minors in computer science, physics, chemistry, or engineering, but other options are available. Any minor must include at least 21 hours in one discipline, with a minimum of 6 hours at 300- level or above. All courses in a minor must be approved by the department concerned and the student's mathematics faculty advisor.