East Tennessee State University
Office of Registrar

The Department of Mathematics offers courses to serve a variety of programmatic needs, including coursework to support training in pure and applied mathematics, mathematics education for secondary certification, statistics, computer science, business, and the physical and life sciences. The programs of study enable students to select courses suited to a variety of career goals. Advising plays an integral role in achieving these objectives. Consequently, each student selecting mathematics as a major is assigned an advisor to assist with scheduling and career planning. A minor in mathematics is also available to the student choosing to complement another choice for major.

Scholarships and loans are available for the conscientious mathematics majors who are seeking support for their education. The Edward Stanley Scholarship, Jeffrey Lynn Hightower Memorial Scholarship, Charles F. Wilkey Scholarship, Wilson-Hartsell Scholarship, Depew Scholarship, Faber-Neal Scholarship, and Roesel Awards are scholarships designated for mathematics and science majors. To encourage students to teach mathematics in the public schools of Tennessee, the Teacher Loan/Scholarship program has been instituted to cover tuition and fees at East Tennessee State University. The interested student should consult the Financial Aid section of this catalog.

Students admitted to the university for the first time will be placed in a mathematics course based on their ACT score (or comparable SAT score) to ensure the best possible chance for success. Moreover the Department of Mathematics strongly recommends that each student meet with an advisor to see what mathematics courses to take based on mathematics background and program requirements.

Besides those mathematics courses designed for the mathematics major, mathematics minor, and other technical programs of study, there are a number of mathematics courses designed specifically to serve the needs of other programs.

Science and Technology Majors – These majors are expected to complete the three-course sequence 1720, 1840, and 1850. As electives, the interested students may wish to include coursework in linear algebra or in statistics.

General Education Requirements – See major or minor listing for courses to satisfy this requirement. To fulfill the General Education requirement in mathematics, the student must successfully complete one of the following courses: MATH 1840, MATH 1530, or MATH 1910. Undeclared majors or students in programs with no specified mathematics course should enroll in MATH 1530.

The programs of study in mathematics available to students are briefly described here. Specific program requirements are explained in greater detail later.

Mathematics Major – The B.S. degree is available for undergraduate mathematics majors. A major must complete the mathematics core requirements and then select one of four tracks: mathematical sciences, mathematical statistics, quantitative modeling, or mathematics education. Curriculum requirements for each of the four tracks are given below. Students planning to teach mathematics at the secondary level may choose the education track. In addition, such students must complete professional education requirements for secondary education students. Students planning to pursue careers in industry or a field that utilizes statistics should choose the statistics track, while those desiring a job in research or industry utilizing areas of mathematics other than statistics should choose the quantitative modeling track. Those intending to pursue a graduate degree in mathematics should choose the mathematical sciences track. A minor is not mandatory for students majoring in mathematics.

Mathematics Minor – Students majoring in other disciplines may wish to complement their programs by completing a minor in mathematics. The program consists of 23 credit hours of mathematics as follows: 1910, 1920, 2010 are required. The remaining coursework must be selected from 2050, 2110, 2120, 2800, or upper level (junior/senior) courses. The interested student should be advised by the undergraduate mathematics advisor.

Co-Op Program – All students are encouraged to participate in this program to gain practical experience in the applications of mathematics. Consult the chair for information.

Graduate Program – The master of science degree in mathematical sciences is available. Consult the graduate catalog for details.

Overview – The requirements for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in mathematics are as follows:

1. Completion of the university and college general education requirements. (See the core curriculum requirements in this catalog.)

2. Completion of the mathematics core requirements listed below, as well as completion of the requirements for one of the four mathematics tracks, also listed below.

Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.)

Mathematics Major (MATH)