Mathematics Department
Program Description
Mathematics majors can expect to work in jobs ranging from teaching high school, to pension consulting and risk analysis, to computer simulations, to statistical analysis. Other positions involve business development, systems analysis and design, and systems and networks operation. Mathematics provides a very strong background for the study of law, engineering, or economics. The greatest strength of mathematics is in providing the firm foundation in the fundamental rules of abstraction and expression. Mathematics shapes the way one thinks about problems and hones one’s ability for analytical thought. It provides excellent background to model data, determine optimal information, and understand spatial and temporal relationships.
The Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and the Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics prepare students for graduate studies in mathematics, bioinformatics, operations research, and management science. Other options include employment at large corporations as operations research personnel, computing researchers (with a computer science minor), and statisticians. The Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with Secondary Certification prepares students for a teaching career in high schools. The Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and the Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with an Actuarial Studies Emphasis are intended for students seeking jobs as actuaries in the insurance industry. The actuarial emphasis prepares students for the professional actuarial examinations offered by the Society of Actuaries. A minor in mathematics is often pursued by computer science majors. It supplements their education enabling them to work more efficiently as programmers in computer simulations.
The Department of Mathematics offers the following degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics
- Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with Actuarial Studies Emphasis
- Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with Secondary Certification
- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with Actuarial Studies Emphasis
The department offers a minor in mathematics.
A student majoring in mathematics may also take a minor in engineering physics or participate in a pre-engineering program. Possible career paths include jobs with large aerospace, automobile, and electronic corporations. The pre-engineering program requires students to take the first two years at Lindenwood and complete the remainder of the degree in their chosen engineering specialty at an affiliated university. The program requires completion of a certain core of courses in mathematics, physics, computer science, chemistry and engineering. See the pre-engineering section of this catalog for more information.