The department provides courses for students anticipating employment or graduate work in mathematics, statistics, or mathematics education. In addition, we offer courses for students wishing to use mathematics or statistics in support of another major or simply to learn something new and quantitative.
The major begins with calculus and moves to intermediate courses that lay the foundation for further exploration of mathematics. One is required to take a theoretical course in analysis or algebra and also a course (or one can demonstrate proficiency) in computer programming. From there, the department offers a rich collection of advanced mathematics courses that prepare students for a variety of career options.
Students work one-on-one with faculty in independent studies and directed readings to study topics outside of the regular curriculum. Research opportunities also are available through the Summer Scholarship and Research Program (SSRP) and the NSF-funded REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates).
Recent topics of independent studies include operations research, computer graphics, neural networks, quality control, design of experiments, multivariate statistical analysis, object-oriented programming languages, calculus of variations, partial differential equations, and advanced linear algebra.
From your first year on campus, you can get off campus with Travel-Learning Courses and other OWU Connection opportunities. Journey to a distant land and immerse yourself in another landscape and culture.
Mathematics students have recently conducted research in China, Alaska, and the Virgin Islands through Connection grants and travel-learning.
A Travel-Learning Course took math students to Matanuska Glacier to study climate change.
Apply your classroom learning to real problems and build your connections to the professional world with internships. Work with the Career Connection Office to explore internship opportunities. You can also apply for Career Grants to fund internship, externship, and career exploration experiences. OWU's mathematics majors have interned in a variety of business, government, and academic organizations across the country.
In the 10-week Summer Scholarship and Research Program, students work with a faculty mentor on a topic of mutual interest. The research findings are presented at the all-campus Patricia Belt Conrades Summer Scholarship and Research Symposium.
The department encourages creativity, initiative and discipline by offering credit to students who wish to do independent work with a faculty member. This is an excellent way to pursue a topic in greater depth than would be possible in the classroom setting.
OWU students have several opportunities every year to compete in their areas of expertise (computer programming or mathematics) with students at peer institutions.
Especially strong students are invited to participate in the departmental honors program. Students work for a year on an independent study, write and present a paper, and take a comprehensive examination. This experience is appropriate for students preparing to enter graduate school. Recent honors graduates have attended Cornell University, University of Wisconsin, Rice University, and others.
A double major in Mathematics and Physics, Ben earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh, and he now is Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences at SFL Scientific in Boston.
Ohio Wesleyan Professor Contributes to New Research Published in Nature Physics Journal
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