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Mathematical Sciences
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Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
Students are encouraged to declare a mathematics major in the freshman year so they can receive proper academic advising. A grade point average of 2.5 with no failing grades in mathematics courses through MATH 351 is a minimum indication of success in this major.

Degree Requirements

The baccalaureate degree general requirements, the area requirements, and the Bachelor of Science degree requirements are listed in the School of Science Section of the IUPUI Campus Bulletin. Students should become familiar with the information contained in the bulletin. Among those requirements are specific requirements in the following areas:
  • First-Year Experience Course
  • Area I: English Composition and Communication Skills
  • Area II: Foreign Language
  • Area IIIA: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Comparative World Cultures
  • Area IIIB: Junior/Senior Integrator
  • Area IIIC: Physical and Biological Sciences
  • Area IIID: Mathematical Sciences
  • Area IV: Major Department Requirements
For a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, the following additional requirements and restrictions apply:

Note: These requirements and regulations are excerpted from the 2006-2008 IUPUI Campus Bulletin and are in effect for students who are admitted to the School of Science from August 2006 (fall semester) through May 2008 (summer semester). Students who enter after this period may be subject to different requirements; students who entered prior to August 2006 may elect to follow the graduation requirements that were in effect at the time of their admission to their degree program or the graduation requirements that became effective thereafter. However, the requirements chosen must be from only one bulletin. Please consult the appropriate IUPUI Campus Bulletin.

First-Year Experience Course: Each beginning freshman and transfer student (with less than 18 credit hours) is required to take either SCI I120 Windows on Science (1 cr.) or an equivalent freshman experience course that may be offered by a department in which the student is a major.

Area I: No additional requirements. The second semester of English composition may be satisfied by ENG W132 (or ENG W150), ENG W231, or TCM 320.

Area II: All degree options require 5 credit hours in a modern foreign language.

Area III: The following apply to all degree options:

  1. Mathematics courses below MATH 163 and those mathematics courses in which the student has received grades below C- do not count toward the degree.
  2. In Area IIIC the following courses are not acceptable: all AGR courses; AST A130; BIOL N100, N120, N200; CHEM C100, C101, C102, C110; GEOL G130, G135; and PHYS 010, 100, 140, 200, 218, 219, P201, and P202 . (Also, only mathematics majors in the Secondary School Teaching option may use PHYS 218 or 219 to satisfy the science requirements, Area IIIC.) If in doubt about a particular course, the student should consult a mathematics department advisor.

    Note: Refer to specific mathematics option major requirements for any additional Area IIIC requirements.

  3. The Area IIID computer science requirement must be in a higher-level programming course (not BASIC). A grade of C (2.0) or better is required.

Area IV: Mathematics courses in which a student has received grades below C (2.0) do not count in area IV. The Area IV requirements for the secondary area of concentration and the major for the four degree options (pure mathematics, applied mathematics, actuarial science and mathematics education (secondary teaching)) can be found by following the links below. There is no single semester-by-semester plan of study for any of the options because flexibility is encouraged within the various programs. However, a sample program that shows one possible sequence of courses is given for each option. Variations from the sample program should be made in consultation with the student's advisor. Because of the complexity of the requirements, and because certain courses are not offered every semester, it is important that each student consult the assigned advisor as soon as possible in order to proceed through a proper plan of study for the chosen degree program. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 is required in all mathematics courses that count toward the major.

Area IV Secondary Area of Concentration Requirements

So that each student can acquire some depth of study in a subject outside of the major area, the Department of Mathematical Sciences requires students to have a secondary area of concentration outside of the department. The secondary area of concentration consists of at least 18 credit hours and includes at least three courses beyond the introductory level. It is subject to the approval of the student's advisor. Although a secondary area of concentration is usually in one department, it may be from two or more if the advisor approves.

Courses may be used for the double purpose of fulfilling the general requirements and also for fulfilling the secondary area of concentration requirements of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. For students in the Pure Mathematics Option or the Applied Mathematics Option, a secondary area in one of the physical sciences or in a subject that makes serious use of mathematics, such as computer science, engineering, or economics, is desirable. Students in the Actuarial Science Option satisfy the requirements for a secondary area by the required business and economics courses. Students in the Secondary School Teaching Option satisfy the requirements for a secondary area by the courses they take to meet the professional education requirement.

The requirement of 18 credit hours in a secondary area of concentration does not, by itself, constitute an official minor that would be acknowledged on the student's transcript. A minor must be offered through the department or school in which the minor is taken. One such minor, which is designed to be of particular interest to students choosing a career in actuarial sciences, is offered by the School of Business in conjunction with the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Students interested in the business minor for mathematics majors should contact the Department of Mathematical Sciences or the School of Business for exact requirements.

Area IV Major Requirements

For details on the Area IV major requirements for the four tracks offered by the Department of Mathematics, click on one of the links below:

Pure Mathematics Option
Applied Mathematics Option
Actuarial Science Option
Mathematics Education (Secondary School Teaching) Option


The Department of Mathematical Sciences of
IUPUI
( Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis)
School of Science.