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Undergraduate
Mathematics
Undergraduate Program
Mathematics majors may earn a bachelor's degree in the College of Science, the College of Education or the College of Liberal Arts. Besides specific College and University requirements, all these programs include calculus, linear algebra and computer programming. Beyond this core, majors consult with a mathematics advisor to plan a program suited to individual interests and goals.
A Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Science can provide the foundation for a career in education, industry, the actuarial profession, government, business or for graduate study followed by an academic career in mathematics research and college teaching.
The mathematics component of the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Liberal Arts is identical to the College of Science program. Majors also take a secondary concentration consisting of two or three approved courses in some field in which mathematics is applicable.
The Bachelor of Science program in the College of Education and Human Services is designed to give a solid background for teaching high school mathematics. The choice of mathematics courses in this program can leave open the option of graduate study in mathematics or an alternate career in business or industry.
Mathematics Opportunities
Opportunities for mathematics majors have expanded greatly in recent years. Mathematics majors become actuaries, statisticians, mathematical computer scientists, applied mathematicians, operations research analysts and mathematical researchers. Mathematics is growing and changing and holds fascinating challenges for inquiring minds.
As an undergraduate mathematics major at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, you may work toward a Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Science or the College of Education and Human Services, or a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Liberal Arts. The classes in the mathematics major curriculum are small and are taught by senior faculty members. A strong support system of college and departmental advisement is available to you at SIUC throughout the year.
A student planning for employment with a bachelor’s degree should consider a minor or a second major in some field in which mathematics is applied. Many students earn a double major in mathematics and computer science. All of the bachelor’s degree programs in mathematics, including the Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Education and Human Services, have sufficient flexibility to allow you to prepare for alternate career possibilities.
To prepare to major in mathematics at SIUC, you should have a solid high school preparation in algebra, geometry in two and three dimensions, and trigonometry, including a substantial study of functions and graphing. Students transferring to SIUC after two years at a community college should have completed the calculus sequence and, if possible, linear algebra and a course in a high-level computer programming language.
As a mathematics major at SIUC, you will meet with a Department of Mathematics advisor at least once each semester for planning and departmental approval of courses appropriate to your goals and interests.
A grade of C or better is required in every mathematics course used to satisfy departmental requirements. A student cannot repeat a course or its equivalent in which a grade of B or better was earned without the consent of the department.
Double majors in mathematics and related fields
Special provisions are made for students to earn a double major in mathematics and a field in which mathematics is extensively applied. The courses Math 447, 449, 471, 472 and 475 carry credit in both mathematics and computer science. See Bachelor of Science Degree, College of Science for specific requirements in mathematics for students who also earn a major or minor in computer science.
For students pursuing a double major in math and engineering, physics, or chemistry, the mathematics requirements are Math 150, 250, 251, 305 and five additional mathematics courses numbered above 300, including at least three courses above 400, and including two of the three areas of algebra, analysis, probability and statistics. A mathematics department advisor must approve the courses.
Students majoring in business and administration with a secondary concentration in mathematics may obtain a second major in mathematics. The requirements are Mathematics 150, 221, 250, 251 and five approved mathematics courses at the 300-400 level, of which at least four are at the 400-level. Recommended courses for this program include Mathematics 471, 472, 475A, 483, 484, Management 352, 360, 456; Economics 315, 465; Finance 310, 331 and 341.
Option in Statistics
A student majoring in mathematics in the College of Science or the College of Liberal Arts may choose to concentrate in statistics. For this option, the 300- and 400-level course requirements include: 417; 305 or 472; one of 352, 450, 452 or 455; 380 or 480; 483; and at least two of 473, 481, 484, 485.
Minor
A non-teaching minor consists of Mathematics 150 and 12 hours of mathematics courses at the 200-level or above, including at least three hours at the 400 level (excluding 220, 257, 282, 300I, 311, 314, 321, 322, 411, 412, and 458). All courses used for the minor must be completed with a grade of C or better. The 400-level mathematics course must be taken at SIUC. The departmental advisor must approve the student's minor program. Elementary and secondary education students interested in adding a certification or endorsement in mathematics should see a mathematics department advisor to obtain a list of specific requirements.