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NEW! See below for information on the new track in bioinformatics in both the mathematics major and the statistics major.

The Mathematics Major
To enter the major, the student must have completed two semesters of calculus. The mathematics major consists of the following courses:

these 21 specified credits - MATH 153, 158, 250, 254 or 255, 260, 311, 351, STAT 213 or 311

at least 9 credits of advanced courses chosen by students according to their career plans as listed in the 3 options below.

Option 1 – for careers in business, industry or government: required courses are MATH 352 or 353, and either STAT 311 or MATH 385; an additional course is chosen in consultation with a departmental advisor.

Option 2 – for graduate study toward the PhD: required courses are MATH 352, and either MATH 312 or 340 or 353; an additional course is chosen in consultation with a departmental advisor.

Option 3 – for prospective secondary school teachers: required courses are MATH 331 and STAT 311; an additional course is chosen in consultation with a departmental advisor.

Prospective elementary school teachers should see a departmental advisor about selecting one of the above options. There is also an interdisciplinary major that includes some science courses. Approval of a departmental advisor is needed.

There is a NEW Bioinformatics Option to provide students with a working knowledge of computing and biological sciences for bioengineering careers in bioinformatics, the pharmaceutical industry, and the biotechnology industry. Required courses (in addition to the core): STAT 311 or STAT 213, STAT 319, CSCI 132, CSCI 232. In order to enroll in the Bioinformatics Option within the mathematics major, students must obtain an average of B- or better in the following courses: STAT 213, CHEM 104-105, CHEM 222, BIOL 100. In addition, no more than one (1) of these four courses may be passed with a grade of C. Students following this Option must take the following natural science courses, which will fulfill the requirements for a minor in Biological Sciences or in Chemistry: CHEM 102-103, CHEM 104-105, CHEM 222, BIOL 100, BIOL 300, BIOL 425.

Another requirement for a major in mathematics is entry-level proficiency in symbolic computation. This proficiency may be satisfied by completing either MATH 126 or MATH 154 or a departmental exam. If MATH 150 is completed, then MATH 154 should be taken in place of MATH 126.

Recommended Minors
A minor in a related discipline is required. For students preparing to teach in elementary or secondary schools, the minor may be education. For all other mathematics majors, the minor consists of 12 credits in a field approved by a departmental advisor. Some popular minors are biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, economics, geology, philosophy, physics, and statistics.

The Statistics Major
To enter the major, the student must have completed two semesters of calculus. The statistics major consists of the following courses:

these 29 specified credits – MATH 250, 260, 254 or 354, STAT 212, 213, 214, 311, 312, 313

at least 3 other credits of statistics or mathematics courses approved by the undergraduate statistics advisor.

There is a NEW Bioinformatics Sequence to provide students with a working knowledge of computing and biological sciences for bioengineering careers in bioinformatics, the pharmaceutical industry, and the biotechnology industry. Required courses (in addition to the core): CSCI 132, CSCI 232. In order to enroll in the Bioinformatics Sequence within the statistics major, students must obtain an average of B- or better in the following courses: STAT 213, CHEM 104-105, CHEM 222, BIOL 100. In addition, no more than one (1) of these four courses may be passed with a grade of C. Students following the Bioinformatics Sequence must take the following natural science courses, which will fulfill the requirements for a minor in Biological Sciences or in Chemistry: CHEM 102-103, CHEM 104-105, CHEM 222, BIOL 100, BIOL 300, BIOL 425.

Recommended Minors
A minor in a related discipline is required. Approved minor sequences are in biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, economics, geology, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, and sociology.

Special Programs
BA/MA Programs
The BA/MA program in mathematics offers promising students the opportunity to complete both the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree requirements with a minimum of 120 credits. There is also a BA/MA program in statistics and applied mathematics and a BA/MA program in mathematics for prospective secondary school teachers.

The Math Club
The math club is organized and run by mathematics and statistics majors. It provides opportunities for academic and social interaction. The club sponsors problem solving contests, pizza lunches, math movies, and occasional speakers.

Mathematical Competitions
Each year some majors participate in the six-hour William Lowell Putnam Competition, one of the nation’s most difficult and prestigious mathematics competitions. Undergraduates also participate in the year-long Problem Solving Competition, a national event conducted locally at Hunter; the winner can take part in the championship final at the summer semi-annual meeting of the Mathematical Association of America.

Honors Programs
A mathematics major may become a candidate for departmental honors by successfully completing the Honors Seminar, by presenting a Grade Point Average of 3.6 in the major, and by achieving a satisfactory rating on a comprehensive exam.

Full-time students may qualify for a Hunter NSF Scholarship in Computer Science and Mathematics and participation in a research activity.

There are opportunities to receive complimentary memberships in the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), or the American Statistical Association (ASA). This includes free journals.

Qualified students may be selected by the Department for Pi Mu Epsilon, the national undergraduate mathematics honor society. Members of Pi Mu Epsilon may present talks at the annual summer meeting of the MAA.

 


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Department of Mathematics and Statistics

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Hunter College Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Room 919 East
695 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Phone: 212-772-5300
http://math.hunter.cuny.edu