 The focus of the SMU Department of Mathematics and Statistics is to create an environment for the appreciation and understanding of two important branches of knowledge in the liberal arts: mathematics and statistics. Specifically, it provides students guided opportunities to develop powers of logical thought and critical analysis together with an orientation for mathematical and statistical modeling in applications. Culturally, the department aims to demonstrate the precision, beauty, and power of mathematics and statistics, their systematic organization, symbolic clarity and exact reasoning, and their capacity for yielding generalizations and predictions from data submitted to mathematical and statistical laws. Departmental courses are designed to provide an appropriate mathematical or statistical experience for students whether they are majoring in the department, taking courses to complement another major, or taking courses in the general education program.
General Department Goals
The overarching goals of the department are to help students to:
- Communicate about and with mathematics and statistics in oral and written formats;
- Understand and use mathematical and statistical theory and techniques to analyze and solve problems; and
- Translate real-world problems into mathematical situations and then apply mathematics and/or statistics to solve the problems.
As part of the university advising program, the department makes recommendations for each freshman student concerning the preparatory mathematics and statistics courses they are required/qualified to take. These recommendations are based on the ACT subscore in mathematics and/or the department placement tests. Placement tests are offered to incoming freshmen during the summer orientation sessions. They may also be taken at almost any time by arrangement with the department chair.
Students who have a high school background in calculus are encouraged to apply for credit through advanced standing. A sufficiently high score on the national advanced placement (AP) College Entrance Examination, the CLEP Calculus Test, or the Saint Mary’s University Advanced Placement Calculus Test is required. Advanced placement information is available from the department chair.
There is an active student-operated Mathematics and Statistics club which freshmen through seniors are welcome to join. In addition, the department has its own chapter, Minnesota Zeta, of the national honorary mathematics society, Pi Mu Epsilon, to which qualified sophomores, juniors, and seniors may earn membership.
Besides the mathematics major, the department also offers a secondary mathematics education major and a mathematics concentration for the elementary education major. Both are designed to deepen the student’s mathematical knowledge and prepare her or him to be a stronger mathematics teacher. See the education department section in this catalog for more information.
Majors/Minors Offered:
Mathematics Major
Mathematics Education Major
Mathematics Minor
Statistics Minor
For more information contact:
Dr. Kevin Dennis, Chair
Mathematics and Statistics Department Chair
kdennis@smumn.edu |
