Mathematics Program
Mathematics is a versatile subject that can be applied to almost any career. Having an Associate's Degree in Mathematics opens many doors. The opportunities are virtually endless.
The ability to think analytically, solve problems and communicate precisely are just a few skills that you will acquire while studying various topics in mathematics. These skills are always on the top list of almost any job advertisement, whether the job is directly considered mathematics intensive or not.
A students who studies mathematics can go on to become a teacher or professor, a mathematician, a statistician, an actuary, a financial analyst, a research analyst, a software designer and developer, a consultant, an engineer, a financial engineer, a cryptographer, a scientist, and many other things. An associate degree in mathematics may be also a good start for a pre-medical or pre-law school; many employers say that they like to hire math majors even when the job does not directly involve mathematics because students who student mathematics learn important reasoning, communication and problem-solving skills that are important in any field.
BMCC currently has about 150 mathematics majors, from a wide range of backgrounds. BMCC math majors are impressively diverse: about 42% are female, 26% are Latino, and 30% are African-American.
While some major come to BMCC with an extensive mathematics background already, about two-thirds begin their mathematics career at BMCC in MAT 056 or below and then go on to take advanced courses and do independent research projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Our math majors have gone on to make presentations at regional mathematics conferences, work in mathematics internships, and many of them are members of our award-winning
math team.
Academic advisement for math majors is not just about scheduling your classes. It's a personal connection with the faculty and an individual glimpse at your career plans and your everyday academic questions. It is important to know that there is only one person that will advise you throughout your academic career at BMCC. This personal approach and guidance will help you in every step of the way up until your graduation from BMCC. You will also get information about transferring to a four-year college, applying for scholarships and internships, in addition to career advice. It is very important to keep in touch with the Mathematics Coordinator, so that you can get all the information needed.
General Requirements
This is the first college level writing course. Readings are used to stimulate critical thinking and to provide students with models for effective writing. Students become acquainted with the process of writing, from pre-writing activities to producing a final, proofread draft. Grammar and syntax are discussed as needed. At the end of this course, students take a departmental essay examination that requires them to compose, draft, and edit a thesis-centered essay of at least 500 words.
Prerequisite: Pass the CATR and CATW tests
This course is a continuation of ENG 101. It helps the student further develop composition skills through literary analysis. Students continue to focus on the writing process as they are introduced to a variety of literary genres including the short story, drama, poetry, and/or the novel. Students complete a documented paper based on library, electronic, and field research.
Prerequisite: ENG 101
This is an introductory survey course to health education. The course provides students with the knowledge, skills, and behavioral models to enhance their physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual health as well as facilitate their health decision-making ability. The primary areas of instruction include: health and wellness; stress; human sexuality; alcohol, tobacco and substance abuse; nutrition and weight management; and physical fitness. Students who have completed HED 110 - Comprehensive Health Education will not receive credit for this course.
The aim of this course is to develop effective skills in speech communication. The student examines how to generate topics and organized ideas, masters elements of audience psychology and practices techniques of speech presentation in a public forum. All elements of speech production and presentation are considered.
A two-semester sequence in the same language is required. For students who are native speakers of Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish, testing and placement by the Modern Language Department is required.
Note: Some Music courses are one credit. A total of two credits is required.
4. Choose from PHY210-220; PHY 215-225; CHE 210-220; or BIO 210-220.
5. Choose two courses from anthropology, economics, geography, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology or any Ethnic Studies social sciences course.
Curriculum Requirements
This is an integrated course in analytic geometry and calculus, applied to functions of a single variable. It covers a study of rectangular coordinates in the plane, equations of conic sections, functions, limits, continuity, related rates, differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions, Rolle¿s Theorem, the Mean Value Theorem, maxima and minima, and integration.
Prerequisite: MAT 206
This course provides an introduction to the concepts of formal integration. It covers the differentiation and integration of algebraic, trigonometric, and transcendental functions. Topics include the definite integral, the antiderivative, areas, volumes, and the improper integral.
Prerequisite: MAT 301
This course is an extension of the concepts of differentiation and integration to functions of two or more variables. Topics include partial differentiation, multiple integration, Taylor series, polar coordinates and the calculus of vectors in one or two dimensions.
Prerequisite: MAT 302
This course covers matrices, determinants, systems of linear equations, vector spaces, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, Boolean algebra, switching circuits, Boolean functions, minimal forms, Karnaugh maps.
Prerequisite: MAT 302, or permission of the department
Program Electives
(Choose three or more courses for a total of nine credits)
This course is a continuation of CSC 110. Students are introduced to elementary data structures, string processing, and searching and sorting techniques. Students are expected to complete several complex programs.
Prerequisite: CSC 110
This course covers fundamental mathematical topics associated with computer information systems, including: numeration systems; sets and logic; Boolean algebra, functions, and elementary switching theory; combinatorics; mathematical induction; permutations; combinations; binomial coefficients; and distributions.
Prerequisite: MAT 012 or MAT 051; and MAT 056.
This course will satisfy the math requirement for students in Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Computer Network Technology, Computer Science or Accounting. Prerequisites to this course should be taken in the first semester or as early as possible
This course covers statistical concepts and techniques with applications. Topics include probability, random variables, the binomial distribution, the hyper-geometric distribution, measures of central tendency, the normal distribution, precision and confidence intervals, sample design and computer projects.
This is a first course in the theoretical and applied aspects of ordinary differential equations. Topics include: first-order equations, exact equations, linear equations, series solutions, Laplace transforms, Fourier series, and boundary value problems.
Prerequisite: MAT 302
The course follows the growth of mathematics from its empirical nature in Egypt and Babylonia to its deductive character in ancient Greece wherein the roots of the calculus will be identified. The concept of number and the development of algebra, with Hindu, Arabic, and medieval contributions are discussed. The rise of analytic geometry, the calculus, and the function concept are examined. Finally, the trend towards greater rigor and abstraction is considered including formal axiomatic systems and Godel¿s Incompleteness Theorem.
Prerequisite: MAT 302
The course presents the logical structure on which the foundations of the calculus have been based: construction of the real number system, mathematical induction, limits and continuity in precise formulation, functions of several variables, point sets in higher dimensions; uniform continuity, and elements of partial differentiation.
Prerequisite: MAT 303 or departmental approval
This course covers the standard material comprising an introduction to group and ring theory: set theory and mappings; groups, normal subgroups, and quotient groups; Sylow¿s Theorem; rings, ideals, and quotient rings, Euclidean rings, polynomial rings.
Corequisite: MAT 315
Note:
1. A two-semester sequence in the same language is required. For students who are native speakers of Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish, testing and placement by the Modern Language Department is required.
2. Note: Some Music courses are one credit. A total of two credits is required.
3. For students whose first language is not English, SPE 102 will also satisfy this requirement.
4. Choose from PHY210-220; PHY 215-225; CHE 201-202; or BIO 210-220.
5. Choose two courses from anthropology, economics, geography, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology or any Ethnic Studies social sciences course.
