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FAQ

GENERAL QUESTIONS:
What can I do with math besides teaching and actuarial work?

What is the accelerated BA/MA program?

Are there assistantships in the graduate programs?

Does the Department have internships?

Are there opportunities for undergraduate research?

REGISTERING FOR COURSES:
What should I do if I have a question for a departmental advisor but my schedule does not allow me to visit during office hours?

How do I get an evaluation of a course that has been transferred to Hunter?

May I take a math/stat course on permit at another college?

I have been exempt from the math proficiency test. Why am I having difficulty registering for MATH 101 (or MATH 104, MATH 125, STAT 113)?

I have a score of 46 –65 on the Algebra Part (S2) of the COMPASS Math Test. Should I register for MATH 101?

How can I try to get into a closed section of a math/stat course?

Are there math/stat courses that do not allow overtallies?

ANSWERS TO GENERAL QUESTIONS:

Q. What can I do with math besides teaching and actuarial work?
A. Mathematics and statistics are used in connection with just about everything – medicine, finance, music, sports, movies, weather, among many other fields. Employers need persons with good analytical skills. Mathematics is well respected as a pre-professional major and as business preparation, especially for students considering the best medical and law schools and business schools.

Q. What is the accelerated BA/MA program?
A. The BA/MA program gives a student both a BA and a MA degree with fewer credits than required for obtaining the two degrees separately. There are several BA/MA programs because the BA may be in mathematics or statistics, and the MA may be in pure mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics or mathematics teacher education. Each BA/MA program requires a major, a minor (except for prospective teachers), the General Education Requirement, and a master’s sequence.

Q. Are there assistantships in the graduate programs?
A. Although there are no assistantships, graduate students have the opportunity of teaching a course in the Department as adjunct lecturers. Until 2006-2007, there is the possibility of National Science Foundation Scholarships for qualified full-time students; see the NEWS page of this site.

Q. Does the Department have internships?
A. In Fall 2006, the Department started to develop a program that provides external internships as well as internships at Hunter in various departments such as geography, political science, and psychology. For now, it is expected that students will receive credit for such internships. The departmental Internships Coordinator is Professor Edward Binkowski.

Q. Are there opportunities for undergraduate research?
A. For the past six years, the Department has conducted a National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships program in which students received a stipend and had the opportunity of participating in research projects with full-time faculty mentors. It is expected that a similar NSF program will exist at Hunter shortly. Yearly, talented students are encouraged to apply for a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. The NEWS page of this site mentions the students who succeed in being admitted to the REU program.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT REGISTERING FOR COURSES:

Q. What should I do if I have a question for a departmental advisor but my schedule does not allow me to visit during office hours?
A. Advising may be done by e-mail. When you e-mail an advisor, be sure to include a topic in the “Subject” field. E-mail without an identifiable source and e-mail without a subject are usually not opened. The e-mail addresses for the departmental advisors are on the CONTACTS page of this site.

Q. How do I get an evaluation of a course that has been transferred to Hunter?
A. You must see a departmental advisor. Bring your Hunter transcript, a description of the course transferred and descriptions of its prerequisites. If your schedule does not allow you to see an advisor during office hours, leave the necessary documents in the department office, 919East, to be picked up later.

Q. May I take a math/stat course on permit at another college?
A. It is expected that you take all your math/stat courses at Hunter. The Department’s rotation schedule tells you how often courses are given so that you can plan ahead. If it becomes necessary for you take a course elsewhere, the course must have the same prerequisites as the Hunter course. You need a permit approved by a departmental advisor. Permits for CUNY campuses are now handled online in CUNY's e-permit system.

Q. I have been exempt from the math proficiency test. Why am I having difficulty registering for MATH 101 (or MATH 104, MATH 125, MATH 150, STAT 113, STAT 213)?
A. Students “exempt from the math proficiency test” are exempt only from those parts of the test required for admission to Hunter. (The test is called the COMPASS Math Test.) These students may register for MATH 100 provided that is the math course they need. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics uses the remaining parts of the COMPASS Math Test to place students in its other entry-level math/stat courses, such as MATH 101, MATH 104, MATH 125, MATH 150, STAT 113, and STAT 213. If you wish to register for one of these courses, you must have the prerequisite for the course – the prerequisite is either a preceding course or placement by the COMPASS Test.

Q. I have a score of 46 –65 on the Algebra Part (S2) of the COMPASS Math Test. Should I register for MATH 101?
A. You are eligible for MATH 101, but you should not register for MATH 101 unless you need the course for your program of study. Is MATH 101 a prerequisite for a course that you need to take? Note that MATH 101 does not count toward the General Education Requirement (GER). MATH 100 is the course you should take if you do not expect to be in a program that requires precalculus, calculus, or statistics. MATH 100 goes toward the GER.

Q. How can I try to get into a closed section of a math/stat course?
A. You can keep trying to register in case spaces become available. There are no waiting lists to register for closed sections. If a section allows overtallies, you must wait until the first meeting of the class. On the first day of classes, pick up an overtally form near 919East, go to the class, and see if the instructor is willing to sign it. If you obtain a signature, return the form to 919East. Overtallying is left to the discretion of the instructor. Departmental advisors are not allowed to overtally.

Q. Are there math/stat courses that do not allow overtallies?
A. Yes. MATH 101 does not allow overtallies because it uses a small-groups setup. Overtallies are not allowed in MATH 126, MATH 154, STAT 113 and STAT 214 because these courses require computer terminals.


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Department of Mathematics and Statistics

last updated 9/1/07
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Hunter College Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Room 919/944 East
695 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10065
Phone: 212-772-5300
http://math.hunter.cuny.edu