Mathematics Major
The mathematics major at Azusa Pacific University provides students with a general basis in mathematics. The student who majors in mathematics has the option of obtaining a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. Both degrees have the same mathematics requirements, which include a balance of pure and applied mathematics, but the B.S. degree requires a minor in physics, chemistry, or computer science. (See these subject areas for requirements and course descriptions.)
Benefits and Distinctives
- Excellent employment opportunities are available for teaching at the secondary level.
- People with math degrees generally possess solid problem-solving skills and are in high demand in a variety of businesses.
- When APU mathematics majors graduate, they are equipped with a broad liberal arts background and marketable in a wide spectrum of fields.
Career Opportunities
- Teaching positions
- Computer software industry
- Graduate school in pure or applied math areas
- Industry jobs
- Research and testing for government or corporations
What about internship and graduate school opportunities?
APU students often secure internships conducting research at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Projects include applied research and computational simulations of resonating devices. About 30 percent of APU mathematics graduates go on to graduate school. Recent graduates have been accepted to the University of California, Santa Barbara, Riverside, and Berkeley; and the University of Southern California.
Objectives
A student majoring in mathematics will be able to:
- Demonstrate proficiency in problem solving and logical reasoning.
- Apply analytical aproaches toward a range of cross-disciplinary problems.
- Integrate moral and ethnical reasoning strategies with skills required in mathematical applications.
- Describe and appreciate the traditional foundations of mathematics and the role they play in modern mathematical thought.
- Identify how a Christian worldview informs and enhances and understanding of mathematics.
“The study groups that went way into the early morning in review for the next day’s tests built a community among math majors, who were definitely a minority, as we were in almost all major classes together throughout our four years.”
Christen Will ’05
Mathematics
