2011-2013 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog (with addenda) [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Mathematics
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The Department of Mathematics administers the mathematics degree program. More information can be obtained from the department website, by calling (718) 260-3850 or by e-mailing chair@math.poly.edu.
Mathematics comprises abstraction, logic and quantitative reasoning. It is an indispensable tool for science and engineering. Today, mathematicians are employed by a wide range of companies, including Wall Street investment banks and government agencies, especially the National Security Agency. Polytechnic offers a complete spectrum of mathematics courses leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The degree programs provide not only a solid foundation in mathematics, but also extensive exposure to how mathematics is used in other fields of science and engineering. The department prides itself on providing each mathematics major, undergraduate or graduate, with extensive individual attention and a program tailored to individual needs.
Undergraduate Programs
The undergraduate program in mathematics provides a background for advanced study or subsequent research in mathematics and training for those students who expect to end their formal education with a bachelor’s degree.
For science and engineering majors, mathematics provides the theory and methods essential to understanding the mathematical aspects of their respective fields.
With these objectives, the Department of Mathematics offers courses in mathematics and, for the mathematics major, specific programs leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. Students wishing to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mathematics may elect to follow either of two courses of study. Students wishing to focus their studies within mathematics or to apply mathematics to other fields may elect the program leading to a BS in Mathematics. Students wishing to incorporate extensive physics into their mathematical training may elect the program leading to a BS in Mathematics and Physics. These two programs provide basic grounding in mathematical knowledge.
Dual majors in Mathematics and Physics
Polytechnic offers undergraduates a dual major in mathematics and physics , according to the general rules described in the section Degree Requirements. Specific course requirements for this 128-credit degree must be approved by advisers from both the mathematics and physics programs. The dual major allows students to gain competence in two different and substantial fields of science to such an extent that, upon earning a bachelor’s degree, they may qualify for industrial positions in two distinct areas or go on to graduate studies in either of the two subjects.
Graduate Programs
The Department of Mathematics offers graduate-level mathematics courses in analysis, geometry, topology, algebra, applied mathematics. These courses form a major portion of the work for advanced degrees in mathematics. They may also be taken by students in other departments to satisfy minor and elective requirements and by qualified pre-degree students who desire further study in graduatelevel mathematics.
The department offers master’s and doctoral degrees in mathematics. Departmental requirements for these degrees are supplemented by general requirements for advanced degrees set forth elsewhere in this catalog.
Outstanding students are advised to apply for research fellowships, teaching fellowships or partial tuition remission. ProgramsNon-DegreeBachelor of ScienceMaster of ScienceDoctor of Philosophy
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