Major
For undergraduates the department offers the BS degree
in Mathematics. You can become certified to teach secondary school by
completing any of these mathematics degrees and a few courses in the
College of Education. The BS in Mathematics General Option offers excellent
preparation for graduate school.
Degree Options
There are six options within the Mathematics degree, each having distinct
objectives:
(Click on any degree option to look at its required courses)
The General option
This is the traditional curriculum in Mathematics. It is more rigorous
than the other options. It is especially good for secondary education
majors and students intending to go to graduate school in Mathematics
or other sciences.
The Applied-Statistics
option
The emphasis is on the design and analysis of experiments. With a major
or minor in another department this is an excellent preparation for
work in industry or for graduate school in Statistics.
The Applied-Computation
option
The emphasis is on the mathematics related to computer science and technology.
With a major or minor in computer science this is a good preparation
for work in the computer industry.
The
Applied-Modeling option
The emphasis is on the mathematics used to model phenomena in the sciences.
With a second major in a science this provides ideal preparation for
graduate school.
The Applied-Actuarial
Science option
This curriculum provides the necessary background to become an actuary
and to work in the insurance industry.
The
Applied-Operations Research option
The emphasis is on the mathematics used in the modeling and analysis
of problems from business and industry.
Minor Program
You can receive a minor in mathematics along with any baccalaureate
degree by completing the following program.
Math 170, 175 Analytic Geometry & Calculus, 8 credits.
Six math courses chosen from Math 275, Stat 301, and math courses numbered
303-499, 18 credits.
Putnam Exam
The department participates in the American Mathematical Association
Putnam Examination, the most prestigious mathematics competition in
the nation. Outstanding mathematics students are invited to participate
in a fall semester seminar which culminates with the late November national
examination. In recent years the department team has done exceptionally
well. Its team has ranked 46th, 31st and 86th among the elite group
of 400 participating universities.
Placement in Pre-Calculus and Calculus Courses
The Mathematics Department has a placement testing program to assist
you in choosing your first mathematics course at the University of Idaho.
On admission to the university, you may register for mathematics courses
depending on your ACT scores, SAT scores or transfer credits from other
colleges. If you think your math placement is lower than it should be,
you can take the Compass Math Exam at the Counseling and Testing Center
on campus or at many universities and colleges across the U.S. To determine
the appropriate math course for you, visit our Math
Placement page.
Advanced Placement in the Calculus Sequence
Click on AP Advanced Placement
to read about the credit you can receive from taking AP tests in high
school courses. You can also receive advanced placement by taking as
your first college mathematics course, one of the advanced courses in
the vertical sequence 170-175-275-471-472. When you take one of the
courses in this sequence as your first college mathematics course, you
get credit for the course you take an all of the courses that precede
that course in the sequence. To be admitted to a course beyond 170,
you must present evidence of your readiness to take the course to the
mathematics department and receive approval of your proposal. For a
more detailed discussion of advanced placement, see regulation I-1 in
the General
Catalog .
Schedule of Courses Beyond Calculus
Some of our advanced courses are offered in alternate semesters or alternate
years. You can view our plan for course offerings at 3
year class Schedule.
