 DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS MISSION STATEMENT The purpose of the Department of Mathematics is 1. to provide all Francis Marion University students with a varied and well-balanced program for undergraduate education in mathematics which, in the liberal arts tradition, is designed to teach students:
2. to offer a broad range of entry-level courses in order to meet the needs of students with widely varying mathematical backgrounds and to provide the mathematics skills appropriate to their selected majors. 3. to provide a varied curriculum leading to baccalaureate degrees in the two distinct but overlapping areas-mathematical sciences and teacher certification in mathematics. This curriculum should prepare the students for careers in education, business or industry, or for further study in graduate school. 4. to offer graduate courses in support of post-baccalaureate programs such as teacher recertification and the master's degree in secondary education. 5. to undertake new course development, to conduct research, and to participate in other faculty development programs that will support and enhance the University's and department's teaching mission and maintain vigor within the department. 6. to serve the general public by providing and/or participating in workshops, seminars, science fairs, and other programs and by providing professional support for regional programs in K-12 education, continuing education, and development. MAJOR A major in mathematics requires the following: (Students must select one of the following two options.) 1. Mathematical Sciences Option
2. Teacher Certification Option The rationale and organizing principles that guide the Department of Education's development of professional education programs is couched in a tripodal model which mirrors our goals for our students. We believe that our students must be knowledgeable about learners, content, and pedagogy. Students must be reflective as they plan, implement, and evaluate pedagogical and curricular issues. Students must be collaborative, developing and honing communication and leadership skills necessary to work with colleagues, students, parents, and community leaders to plan and implement efficient and effective educational programs and to initiate change when needed. We believe that critical thinking is the connecting strand which permeates these three elements. Critical thinking is a process which involves assessment, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and appropriate action. It is our goal to prepare the Professional Educator for the 21st century. The Department of Mathematics provides the major knowledge base for students certifying to teach mathematics in the state of South Carolina. The department supports and encourages the conceptual framework strands in the School of Education: critical thinking, collaboration, and reflection.
Electives (if needed) 3. Minor/collateral requirements: For either option
It is strongly recommended that all mathematics majors take Physics 201 and 202. The minimum number of semester hours required in major courses for a major in mathematics is 36 for the Mathematical Sciences Option and 39 for the Teacher Certification Option. The minimum number of semester hours in all courses (major and nonmajor) required for the major in mathematics is 120 (131 for Teacher Certification option). To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in mathematics, a student must satisfy all requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree and complete a foreign language through 202. MINOR A minor in mathematics consists of Mathematics 201, 202, and 203 plus nine additional semester hours in advanced-level mathematics courses approved by a faculty adviser. COLLATERAL A collateral in mathematics consists of Mathematics 201 and 202 plus six semester hours in advanced-level mathematics courses approved by a faculty adviser. During registration, beginning students at Francis Marion University may be advised by members of the mathematics faculty of the Department of Mathematics on their first mathematics course. Students who took an AP Calculus AB course in high school and scored a 5 on the examination are advised to enter Mathematics 203; those who scored a 3 or 4 are advised to enter Mathematics 202; those who scored a 1 or 2 are advised to enter Mathematics 201. All students with a strong high school background in both algebra and trigonometry are advised to enter Mathematics 201. Beginning students with a strong background in algebra but little or no background in trigonometry are advised to enter either Mathematics 112, Mathematics 114, or Mathematics 140. Students who have had at least two years of high school algebra and who make between 440 and 530 on the Quantitative Section of the SAT are advised to enter Mathematics 111. Students who have less than 2 years of high school algebra or who make less than 440 on the Quantitative Section of the SAT are advised to enter Mathematics 105 or Mathematics 120. Mathematics 105 is also available to older students who are not recent high school graduates. Mathematics 105, while earning credit toward graduation, will not satisfy any of the six hours of Mathematics Basic Communications (Mathematics and/or Logic) in the General Education Requirements. Mathematics 170, 270, and 370 are designed for students seeking South Carolina Teacher Certification in early childhood education or elementary education and are not open to other majors. It should be noted that Mathematics 111 or a score of 530 or more on the Quantitative Section of the SAT is the prerequisite for Mathematics 170. Many areas of concentration require completion of Mathematics 112 or 114 as preparation for certain applied courses. |
