Which school has the better math program: UNC or NC State?

[Geekchick]

I have been accepted into UNC and am anticipating an acceptance letter from State. I had planned on attending State because I wasn't sure if I would get into UNC, but now that I have I can't decide where I won't to go.

So my question is which school has the better math department? I plan on getting my B.S. in mathematics then applying to grad school so I can get my PhD.

Both schools seem to have very good programs and ample opportunity for undergrad research, as well as participation in competitions such as the Putnam exam. I would love to get some opinions from student or alumni from either university as well as from anyone who knows more about the university than what they state on their respective websites.

Thanks!

 

[hedgebox]

Hi, I am currently a junior physics major at UNC, so I have had my fair share of math classes here. If you choose (or have chosen, only got a week or so left if I remember admissions correctly) UNC, the professors you have for your individual classes will make a huge difference on what is covered in the class and how difficult the class is. There seems to be little departmental oversight of what is taught in classes, as I have had friends take a class with a different professor and they covered completely different topics. Quite frankly the physics students find the math department here not very helpful. Classes are much slower paced than in physics and seem to have little direction.

 

[Sheneron]

I am also deciding between Chapel Hill and NCSU as a transfer this coming year. So you aren't impressed by the math department there? I am planning on double majoring in math and physics so a good math and physics department is important to me. How do you like the physics program there? And do you know anything about NCSU's math or physics program?

 

[hedgebox]

I am also deciding between Chapel Hill and NCSU as a transfer this coming year. So you aren't impressed by the math department there? I am planning on double majoring in math and physics so a good math and physics department is important to me. How do you like the physics program there? And do you know anything about NCSU's math or physics program?

The math classes here at UNC is somewhat of a joke when compared to the physics classes. The physics classes here that are taught by not so good professors still force you to learn material. The math classes lack focus and direction. For instance, my calculus 3 class focused more on the teacher's area of research in math (topology) than it did on things we were supposed to learn. We did not even mention surface or volume integrals until the last day before class when he realized we were supposed to cover them. The physics department has ended up introducing me to more math than the math department.

I can not speak directly to the math/physics departments at NCSU, but I can speak generally from friends that attend there and people taking classes at the other school. NCSU is much easier than UNC, even in the sciences. A friend of mine was deciding between the two schools and visited a junior level mechanics class at NCSU and she said it was essentially the same as her AP Physics C class. There are also some people who have taken classes (science and nonscience) here at UNC, failed them, then taken them at NCSU and received an A.

I suggest visiting both schools and just walking around. I chose not to even apply to NCSU for undergraduate after I visited because the academic atmosphere was just not on the same level of UNC or Duke.

 

[Sheneron]

So much for the grass being greener...