David Hetu, a PC Summer Fellow " It's been a really good learning experience if nothing else - getting in touch of some math I wouldn't otherwise get to do and doing some real research that isn't a class assignment." > Learn More

Mathematics Department

What can a mathematics major mean to you?

The analytical reasoning and problem-solving skills that one develops while studying mathematics are valued by employers, opening a variety of career doors.

Over the past few years, math majors from PC have entered a variety of fields. Some have entered graduate school to do graduate work in mathematics, statistics, actuarial science, and civil engineering. Recent graduates have done doctoral studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ohio State University, and Arizona State University and masters studies at Clemson University, the College of Charleston, Georgia State University, and Wake Forest University. Several graduates have taken jobs teaching in public schools, while others have chosen careers in business, government, or industry, including such areas as accounting and environmental research.

As a part of the general education requirement, mathematics helps to establish a base which can be used in a wide variety of other areas. Presbyterian College freshmen are given placement tests in mathematics to help determine the appropriate courses to take. In addition, some of the department's majors conduct help sessions for students in freshman-level courses, providing free assistance in the evenings for college algebra, trigonometry, and finite mathematics students.

The faculty members in the mathematics department use their experience both on and off campus. They are active in professional circles, having attended conferences on such topics as teaching strategies, educational technology, and collaborative learning.  These conferences enable the math faculty to bring what they learn back to the classroom at PC, thus providing a direct benefit to their students.

A student chapter of the Mathematical Association of America is active on campus, increasing the interaction between faculty and students.  Students are able to take advantage of MAA resources, including books and Web pages on career information and on graduate programs in the mathematical sciences. In addition, the PC library contains all three journals published by the MAA (The American Mathematical Monthly, The College Mathematics Journal, and Mathematics Magazine) as well as a magazine designed especially for undergraduates, Math Horizons.

During the past decade, technological advances have drastically altered the way in which mathematics is taught. Presently, graphing calculators are used in all college algebra, trigonometry, finite mathematics, and calculus sections at PC. In some upper level math courses, students are able to  use the Harrington-Peachtree computer  laboratory. The mathematics department is committed to acquiring and integrating technology into the curriculum while maintaining an appropriate balance between tradition and reform in its teaching.