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Requirements	Options	Math Minor	Interdisciplinary Majors Stat/Math, Biomath	5-Year Combined B.A./M.A. Programs

A large department with many choices

The Rutgers Mathematics Department is one of the premier mathematics departments nationally for research, undergraduate instruction, and its graduate programs leading to a doctorate in pure mathematics or a masters degree in financial mathematics. It is a large department with approximately 80 regular faculty and a huge variety of course offerings.

Undergraduates interested in mathematics have a (bewildering) variety of options. The major itself comes in three flavors (options): standard, computer oriented, or honors track. The major or minor fits naturally with other majors (or minors), such as economics, physics, engineering, statistics, and some of the biological sciences. There are also interdisciplinary majors and 5-year programs leading to the Master's degree in an area related to mathematics.

It can be difficult for an entering student to begin to focus on the relevant options for his or her own objectives, and you will find that these objectives are likely to change during your first year or two, which can be a time for exploration. Students are expected to consult regularly with the Math Department's Head Advisor. (See our web page for Advising Office information.)

Of course, our size and the variety of our offerings means that we offer students many opportunities to build a program which not only suits their goals, but also opens them up to new directions.

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A flexible major combining computation and theory

Graduates in mathematics will find that they have not only acquired useful knowledge and techniques, but have acquired the tools to learn new material later in life and to analyze problems in a flexible way. Mathematical knowledge never becomes seriously outdated, though new discoveries are made all the time. Many mathematicians work in more than one scientific discipline during their careers - much the same techniques apply in almost every setting.

How do we achieve this flexibility? The mathematics major provides a firm basis in techniques of computation (the first two years of training, and some of the upper level courses). This is followed by an intense study of the underlying theory (the last two years of the program). This shift in perspective can be challenging for the math major, and our course in Mathematical Reasoning (Math 300) provides the "bridge" from one to the other.

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The paths available to the student with a strong interest in mathematics are the following

See the links above for more information.