Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics (Non-Certification)

Below are the requirements for the B.A. degree in mathematics as listed in the 2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog (#130). This listing is for informational use only.

FRESHMAN YEAR

SOPHOMORE YEAR

JUNIOR YEAR

SENIOR YEAR

Description of Electives

1. Math Electives: (15 hours) Select at least one of the following: MATH 415, 423, 433 (MATH 415 is taught only in the fall and MATH 433 is taught both in the spring and summer). Select at least one of the following: MATH 411, 414, 442, 470. Any remaining hours should be selected from MATH 405-489 (Math 451 taken after fall 04 only); STAT 407, 410, 414, 415, 485, 489; CPSC 210-489; ISEN 400-499.

2. Science Electives: (8 hours) Select 2 courses from CHEM 101 (or 107) or CHEM 103/113; CHEM 102 or CHEM 104/114; BIOL 111; BIOL 112 CHEM 102.

3. Core Electives: (21 hours) Take ENGL 104 (3 hours), ENGL lit. (3 hours), ENGL 210 or 301 (3 hours), a Social Science CORE course (3 hours) and 3 hours of a Visual and Performing Arts CORE course. For a list of the acceptable ENGL literature, Social Science, and Visual/Performing Arts courses, please see your catalogue or the Mathematics Department's Undergraduate Weg page at Core Requirements and Course List. The English Literature elective must be chosen from the list of Humanities electives. English 360 and 361 cannot be used as literature electives. In addition, 6 hours of International and Cultural Diversity are required. Some of these courses may be used to satisfy other degree requirements. For a list of these courses, please see your catalog or the Mathematics Department's webpage at International and Cultural Diversity Requirement.

4. HIST/POLS: (12 hours) POLS 206 and 207 are required. For the HIST requirement, 6 hours of American History are required. Most students satisfy this requirement by taking HIST 105 and 106. For other options, see your catalogue.

5. Free electives: (9 hours) Almost every course offered at TAMU will count as a free elective. However, there are some exceptions. Please see an advisor or the Mathematics Department's Undergraduate Web page for a list of unacceptable courses. NOTE: There is a residency requirement at TAMU stating that every student must take at least 36 hours of 300/400 level courses at TAMU. Therefore, depending upon what courses were taken to fulfill the CORE requirements, some Free elective courses may have to be 300/400 level courses. Math 289 counts as free elective hours.

6. MINOR electives: (18 hours) A minor area of emphasis is required. At least 9 of the hours must be 300 or 400 level. To satisfy this requirement, students should either fulfill the minor requirements for a particular department or see a math advisor for help in selecting an area of interest. For example, some of the courses recommended for students wishing to go to medical school can be used towards satisfying this requirement.

1. See Math Course Descriptions for a brief description of Math Courses offered.

Career Options with a BA in Mathematics

The BA in Mathematics is designed primarily for students who are interested in teaching, pursuing a professional degree in medicine or law and those students who are interested in both mathematics and some other area.

The BA in Mathematics requires the fewest number of hours of mathematics and has 41 hours of free electives but it does require that 18 hours be taken in some focussed area of study other than mathematics. Professional schools such as medical schools, dental schools and law schools do not care if a student has a BA or a BS, so the 36 hours of free electives can be used for courses required to get into a professional school. This makes the BA in Mathematics a good degree to pursue for getting into professional schools. Students interested in going to medical school should also consider the BS in Mathematics.

Students interested in the liberal arts and who can write will find that this combination is greatly desired by employers. Technical firms frequently need people who can reason out a logical argument and then explain it to others. Graduates with a degree in mathematics and a minor in English are ideally suited to this work. Newpapers and publishing houses also need people with a technical degree who can write.