Mathematics at Millersville University

Mathematics is a popular major at MU:

There are about 120 mathematics majors at MU. With this many majors, there are always fellow students with whom to study and we are able to offer all of our required core courses every semester, with most electives offered at least once each academic year. Many courses are also offered in the summer. This high availability of courses makes it easy for students to complete their programs in their desired timeframe.

Dedicated, highly-qualified faculty:

All mathematics courses for our majors are taught by one of our twenty full-time, dedicated mathematics professors, all of whom hold the doctoral degree. While our faculty members are highly engaged in scholarly activities in their field, our first priority is to deliver high quality instruction to our undergraduates, in every course, every day. In short, our teaching always comes first.

A broad range of mathematics experts:

Our faculty has diverse interests in pure and applied mathematics, statistics and mathematics education. This is no accident and means that every advanced mathematics course will be taught by an expert in that specific area of mathematics, statistics or mathematics education. While many universities are content to offer advanced mathematics courses taught by faculty who simply have a general knowledge of the field, this is never the case at MU.

The best mathematics facility in the region:

The Department of Mathematics is housed in Wickersham Hall, which was completely renovated in 2006, designed to meet the needs of our mathematics students. Wickersham represents one-stop shopping for mathematics, with all mathematics classrooms and faculty offices located there. The facility also boasts a large, state-of-the art computer lab, dedicated mathematics tutoring center and student study areas. Our classrooms are all equipped with the latest in teaching technology, including ceiling-mounted LCD projectors to display our computer output.

Continuing student successes:

With the largest number of mathematics majors of any state university in PA, we also certify more secondary mathematics teachers than nearly any other university in the region. Each year, we successfully place our students in top graduate programs around the country. Many of our alumni have gone on to earn masters and doctoral degrees in pure or applied mathematics, statistics or mathematics education and many of these are now teaching at colleges and universities around the nation. The mathematics teachers we graduate are in tremendous demand and our alumni are teaching mathematics at middle and secondary schools throughout the country. It is worth noting that the demand for mathematics majors is expected to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

Nationally Recognized:

Following an extensive review of our department by a national panel of experts, the MU mathematics education program was recently designated as, “Nationally Recognized”, by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. We are justifiably proud of this designation, the highest rating possible.

Flexible programs:

All of our programs (B.S., B.A., B.S.Ed., with any option) all share the same basic core of courses, making it very easy to move from one program to another. These shared core courses include a three-semester sequence in calculus, linear algebra, mathematical proofs, abstract algebra and real analysis, all of which are offered every semester. Required courses for some program options, such as differential equations and statistics, count as electives in other programs and are also offered every semester. Additionally, more advanced electives are offered on a regular basis, making it quite easy to schedule all of the courses a student needs to complete his or her program.

Student research projects:

Many mathematics majors complete independent research projects, working one-on-one with one of our professors. These are often completed as part of a student’s senior honors thesis for either departmental honors or as part of the university’s Honors College requirements. Other students complete research projects simply for the experience of conducting independent research. Our students frequently present the results of their research at regional or national conferences and have frequently won awards for their work.

Small classes:

All of our courses for majors are taught in small classes, providing students ample opportunity to interact with our dedicated professors. Professors also meet regularly with students individually, as needed, giving students every opportunity to learn.

Scholarships:

Thanks to several very generous contributions made to MU, the department is able to offer a number of merit scholarships each year to deserving students who will be studying mathematics.