College Catalog: 2010-2011

Mathematics continues to be a vibrant and growing discipline. At Ramapo College students can find a mathematics program that is challenging, up-to-date, and tailored to meet their career needs. Students are offered the choice between a traditional major and one concentrating on teacher education. A blend of pure and applied mathematics courses is offered to provide students with a firm and diverse foundation. This gives the student the opportunity to pursue graduate study, to teach at the secondary or elementary school level, or to seek employment in industry or government.

Students are expected and encouraged to become familiar with emerging technologies. Mathematics is no longer simply a traditional subject of instruction, it is also an important tool in developing these new technologies. Mathematics majors at Ramapo College take a semester of computer science, use graphing calculators in the Calculus sequence, and continue to develop their technological skills in higher level mathematics courses. This incorporation of computers and graphing calculators helps students develop the skills necessary to meet the challenges of the technology age.

Mathematics education is facing new and important challenges. The need for mathematics teachers is currently strong and expected to grow. The mathematics program at Ramapo College prepares students for careers in education, through the teacher education concentration within the mathematics major. This program is tailored to provide the background and insights needed for a career in secondary education. In addition to the standard calculus-analysis sequence, students receive instruction in algebra, geometry, number theory, probability, statistics, and the history of mathematics. Mathematics majors intending to pursue a career in elementary education will also benefit from the diversity of courses offered in the teacher education concentration, through those courses students receive instruction in the practices and methods of teaching. In their senior year, they spend a semester student teaching in area schools.

A knowledge of mathematics offers students a diversity of job opportunities. Someone who has completed a major in mathematics has developed a strong set of quantitative and analytical skills. A person possessing such skills, along with experience in computer science, is well-qualified to pursue a career in such areas as actuarial science (primarily in the insurance industry), quantitative analysis (a growing field in the financial industry), market research, scientific programming, biomedical statistics, cryptography (one of the nation’s largest employers of mathematicians is the National Security Agency) and diverse other fields.

Employment opportunities for mathematics graduates exist in the computer industry, on Wall Street (all trading firms employ people with a mathematics background), in business, and in science. Many companies today do large-scale modeling projects which require sophisticated mathematical analysis.

Students in mathematics can also continue their education in graduate or professional school. Someone who has pursued a graduate degree will have, in addition to the opportunities mentioned above, the possibility of a career in research (many such positions exist in both industry and government) or in teaching at the college or university level.

Mathematics is a language which is spoken worldwide. The need for understanding analytical and quantitative concepts is universal. An education in the mathematical sciences opens the door to a rich, challenging, and beautiful realm of knowledge.

The faculty in the mathematics program at Ramapo College consists of highly qualified, dedicated, experienced, and caring instructors. The knowledge of this faculty encompasses a wide spectrum of the mathematical cosmos.

Whether a student has an interest in mathematical analysis, abstract algebra, probability and statistics, topology, Fourier analysis, or graph theory, there will be a faculty member to share that interest. The ever-increasing importance that the computer plays in our world is recognized by the mathematics faculty. This faculty has the knowledge to assist and instruct students in mathematics, computer science, and the interaction between the two fields.

The mathematics major is offered by the School of Theoretical and Applied Science and leads to a B.S. degree.

The mathematics minor is an excellent complement to a wide range of majors.

1. Transfer students who have 48 or more credits accepted at the time of transfer are waived from the courses marked with a (W) below.  Waivers only apply to General Education Requirements NOT School Core or Major Requirements.
2. Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible.  Check with your advisor to see if any apply.

Note: A 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation.

Note: A school core is NOT required for completion of the minor. Minors are open to students regardless of school affiliation.

General Education Requirements
Graduation Requirements
School of Theoretical and Applied Science Website
Faculty Profiles