What should one look for in an undergrad math program?

[musicgold]

Hi,

A friend of mine wishes to pursue an undergrad in mathematics. He is looking at undergrad math programs offered by local universities. He is not sure what career he wants to pursue ultimately but want to have a solid foundation in mathematics.

What are some important factors one should look at when deciding a math undergrad program?

Thanks

 

[member 587159]

Hi,

A friend of mine wishes to pursue an undergrad in mathematics. He is looking at undergrad math programs offered by local universities. He is not sure what career he wants to pursue ultimately but want to have a solid foundation in mathematics.

What are some important factors one should look at when deciding a math undergrad program?

Thanks

If he wants pure math:

- real analysis (including rigorous calculus but also multivariable stuff and metric spaces)
- linear algebra
- abstract algebra (including group theory/ring theory/modules/field theory/galois theory)
- topology
- probability theory
- measure theory
- differential geometry
- algebraic geometry
- discrete maths
- projective/affine geometry
- functional analysis

Optional: a programming course, can always be useful.

 

[musicgold]

Thanks.
So are you saying that he should take these courses in his program?
Also,

1. How much attention should he pay to factors such as the faculty rating, university ranking, research culture, etc.?
2. What courses should he take for applied mathematics?

 

[bryantcl]

Thanks.
So are you saying that he should take these courses in his program?
Also,

1. How much attention should he pay to factors such as the faculty rating, university ranking, research culture, etc.?
2. What courses should he take for applied mathematics?

For whichever institution/degree/concentration your friend chooses, there will be a set of required courses and a set number of elective hours and most likely a computer programming course using a high level language like C++, Java, etc. or software like Matlab.

If your friend is planning on getting an advanced degree (MS/MA/Ph.D) this will matter more. If he plans on going into the workforce after graduation it will matter for some jobs but not all.

This next statement is highly subjective and is merely opinion my part, but if he truly doesn't know what direction he wants to go in, find an institution that offers a B.S. degree that covers Calculus (both the calculus sequence and advance), Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Statistics, and Abstract Algebra and has a computer programming component.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Hi,

A friend of mine wishes to pursue an undergrad in mathematics. He is looking at undergrad math programs offered by local universities. He is not sure what career he wants to pursue ultimately but want to have a solid foundation in mathematics.

What are some important factors one should look at when deciding a math undergrad program?

Thanks

Quality comes from the faculty rather than from the course offerings. I'd be wary of departments with just a few PhDs and lots of MS level faculty so that the upper level courses are taught by a small number of faculty. A real undergrad Math program should have at least 10-12 PhD level full time faculty, and at least half of those should have substantial track records in research beyond what they did to earn their PhDs. I look at the bios/CVs/Google Scholar sites of all the PhD level faculty when assessing the strength of a department to advise and make recommendations to students who ask.

Given a set of geographical or financial constraints, it's not hard to use this criteria to compare and contrast 4-6 different schools and identify relative strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Vanadium 50]

There are two kinds of math degrees: ones for going on to grad school and ones for going on elsewhere. Your friend should probably decide which kind he wants first.

 

[StatGuy2000]

There are two kinds of math degrees: ones for going on to grad school and ones for going on elsewhere. Your friend should probably decide which kind he wants first.

In some colleges/universities, you are correct in that there are two kinds of math degrees. In many others, there is only one kind of degree, and the student is given considerable leeway in deciding whether the student intends to pursue graduate studies or will prepare their degree for employment (or graduate studies in areas outside of mathematics).

 

[Vanadium 50]

and the student is given considerable leeway in deciding whether the student intends to pursue graduate studies or will prepare their degree for employment (or graduate studies in areas outside of mathematics).

I would say there are still two kinds of degrees. They are just labeled the same. But the transcript tells all. (At MIT I had the credits to either major in math or physics, but not both. But I had no illusions that had I chosen "math" I would be prepared for math grad school)

Also, at many colleges, there is really only one kind of degree - the non-grad school kind.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hi,

A friend of mine wishes to pursue an undergrad in mathematics. He is looking at undergrad math programs offered by local universities. He is not sure what career he wants to pursue ultimately but want to have a solid foundation in mathematics.

What are some important factors one should look at when deciding a math undergrad program?

Thanks

What about asking your friend to log in here, and asking the question directly, rather than having to go through an intermediary?

Zz.