Mathematics Department

The Department of Mathematics offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with either a general program of study or one of four different concentrations: applied mathematics, statistics, secondary education certification, and dual certification mathematics and special education. Completing these last two certification concentrations fulfill the requirements necessary for official certification for teaching mathematics (or mathematics and special education) at the secondary level. The B.S. in Mathematics program is carefully structured to give students a unique level of exploration and guidance on careers in the mathematical sciences.

Mathematics Career Opportunities

Careers in the mathematical sciences, such as actuary, mathematician, statistician, data scientist, or operations researcher are consistently rated among the best in terms of income, job security, and work environment. A wide variety of career opportunities exist in private industry, business, government, science, and education.

Mathematics B.S. Degree

The B.S. degree is designed to give the student a broad knowledge of mathematics as well as a firm grasp on the application of mathematics to other disciplines. The most typical applications include computer science, statistics, actuarial science, data science, physical and biological sciences, and teacher certification at the secondary level. As part of the B.S. degree, students take a significant number of upper level courses outside the mathematics department to strengthen their knowledge in one or more application disciplines.

Key features of our Mathematics B.S. program include the following:

All mathematics concentrations share common coursework in the first year, making a seamless process for choosing or changing concentrations.
The latest technology is brought into the classroom to teach mathematics in a modern fashion.
All mathematics majors are advised by professors in the mathematics department, and students pursuing secondary teaching certification have an additional advisor with expertise in mathematics education and Pennsylvania certification processes and policies.
All incoming students complete in their first semester a 1-credit MAT 185 - First Year Seminar in Mathematics, which includes engaging with faculty and current students, exploring all available concentrations, and learning more about the many career opportunities for mathematicians, and statisticians.
In addition to the formal concentrations in applied mathematics, statistics, secondary certification or dual certification, students can work with an advisor to create a custom path through the mathematics curriculum. The latter option is popular with students considering mathematics graduate school.
Students are required to complete advanced coursework (and are encouraged to complete a minor program) in a discipline to which mathematics or statistics is applied. Common minors among our students include business, computer science, physics, engineering, and economics.
Students interested in a career as an actuary typically complete a B.S. in Mathematics with the statistics concentration along with a Business minor. Through coursework in these programs, students are able to prepare for the Financial Mathematics (FM) and Probability (P) exams required by the Society of Actuaries (SOA), as well as complete the SOA’s Validation by Educational Experience (VEE) requirements.

For a Mathematics B.S. degree, a student must take ten “core courses,” which are required of every mathematics major. Beyond the core courses, the student must complete either a concentration or a general program of study. The general program of study includes at least five courses at the 300 level or above, of which at least two are at the 400 level along with either a minor, a major, or three allied electives.

Allied Electives

In general, allied electives are courses numbered 300 or above from ACC, BIO, CHM, CSC, CMPE, ECO, ESS, FIN, MAT, MIS, PHY, SCM, or SWE. Other courses will be considered by the department chair on a case-by-case basis. Students not in the Secondary Certification concentration must complete three allied electives, at least one of which must be from disciplines other than MAT. This requirement is waived for students completing a minor or second major.

Course Sequencing

The department maintains a suggested sequence for scheduling the required core math courses and the courses required by the various concentrations. To ensure graduating in four years, each student should take the courses in the semesters indicated on the departmental list.

A typical first year sequence of math courses for all mathematics majors is given below:

Semester I

MAT 185 - First Year Mathematics Seminar Credits: 1
MAT 211 - Calculus I Credits: 4

Semester II

MAT 212 - Calculus II Credits: 4
MAT 225 - Discrete Mathematics Credits: 4

More information on each concentrations is included below.

Mathematics, Applied Math Concentration, B.S.

New applications of mathematics are discovered constantly, and established mathematical and statistical techniques are applied to emerging fields and new problems every day. This constant growth creates a wide variety of career opportunities for those with appropriate training in the mathematical sciences. Careers in applied mathematics are often coupled with separate disciplinary specialties or areas of research interest. Applied mathematics plays a major role in the development of innovations that advance industry and improve business performance in today’s data-driven marketplace. In short, applied mathematicians solve real-life problems to make an impact in the world.

The applied concentration combines a solid mathematics core with additional coursework in traditional applied mathematics topics such as mathematical modeling and differential equations, with electives available in wide range of areas including data science, mathematical biology, numerical analysis, and mathematical interest theory.

Mathematics, Statistics Concentration, B.S.

Thanks to the increasing prevalence of data in every corner of business, industry, and government, the fastest growing sectors in the mathematical sciences all relate to statistics and data. With applications ranging from financial modeling to government services to consumer marketing, statisticians are key players on a wide variety of multidisciplinary teams in the workplace.

Shippensburg students concentrating in statistics will take a two-semester sequence in applied statistics as well as a two-semester sequence in theoretical probability and statistics. In addition, students have access to electives in data science techniques that emphasize computer programming and data visualization. Students with an interest in actuarial sciences are encouraged to complete the statistics concentration with additional electives in business and finance, as described below.

Mathematics, Secondary Certification in Math Concentration, B.S.

The Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with Secondary Certification in Mathematics provides excellent preparation for teaching math in grades 7-12 in Pennsylvania and more than 40 other states with reciprocal agreements. In this concentration, students complete the requirements for the mathematics major while taking education courses necessary for certification.

As students prepare to become a teacher, they will participate in hands-on learning experiences such as:

Observation of classes in elementary, middle school, and high school settings
Opportunities to provide one-on-one tutoring to develop math and communication skills
Observations of physically challenged and exceptional learners
Student teaching placements for field experience in a future profession

Mathematics Education 7-12 students seeking Pennsylvania certification should see requirements outlined in the College of Education and Human Services.

Mathematics, Dual Certification in Math and Special Education Concentration, B.S.

Students completing this dual certification program are eligible to teach in both a mathematics classroom and a special education classroom thereby broadening their job prospects and distinguishing them from the general student population. In addition, as a traditional classroom math teacher, graduates have the training necessary for effectively dealing with classes in which high numbers of students have Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

Mathematics Education 7-12 students seeking Pennsylvania certification should see requirements outlined in the College of Education and Human Services.

Data Science Minor

Every academic discipline and sector of the economy has access to more data today than at any point in our history, and those individuals with appropriate quantitative skills can make unique contributions to any endeavor in research, business, or industry. Data science is an applied field that involves the analysis and synthesis of large, messy, quickly changing data sets to identify trends and create actionable plans in real-world contexts.

The Shippensburg University Data Science minor prepares students for every phase of the data science pipeline: forming mathematical models, collecting and cleaning data, exploring data with visualizations, identifying appropriate statistical techniques, and communicating results. Course requirements strike a balance between statistics, computer programming, and specialized data science training. Students will complete a data science capstone research project in their major. In this way, the Data Science minor is an excellent complement to any major on campus.

Mathematics Minor

Students in many disciplines can supplement their existing mathematics requirements with additional coursework recommended by Shippensburg University faculty to achieve a higher level of quantitative expertise in their major area. The most common majors to add a minor in mathematics are computer science, engineering, physics, chemistry, and economics.

Programs

Major

Minor

Courses

Mathematics