Mathematics – Applied Mathematics

Home Mathematics – Applied Mathematics

Applied mathematics focuses on theory and the application of mathematics to other disciplines such as science and engineering. It can be used to analyze problems in any complex system, including healthcare, business, marketing, sports and entertainment. This concentration incorporates mathematics and statistics, computer programming, science and a cognitive discipline of choice.

Whether it’s using statistics to understand a societal problem or writing algorithms for a computer program, math gives you powerful tools for communication, comprehension and change.

As a Mathematics major, you will study math as part of KWU’s liberal arts curriculum and learn how numbers inform everything from business and public policy to health care and the environment. You will also take classes and work on projects that will expose you to theoretical and applied mathematics as well as computer science. Mathematics majors at KWU have the opportunity to study in small classes, which ensures your questions get answered. You also get the individualized mentoring necessary to make good decisions regarding your career options.

Complete an undergraduate research project that culminates in a paper and presentation as part of your Mathematics Research class.
Get involved in the Math and Physics Club where you will acquire leadership skills and develop your network.
Participate in mathematics competitions against other students from around the world.

Mathematics graduates end up in a variety of careers, becoming project managers, customer account managers, actuaries and math teachers. Others go on to graduate programs as diverse as chemical engineering, business administration, computer science and mathematics.

Required Courses for the Applied Mathematics Concentration:

MATH 243 Discrete Math
MATH 246 Calculus III
MATH 251 Elementary Differential Equation
MATH 322 Numerical Analysis I
MATH 335 Linear Programming
MATH 427 Applied Mathematics and Modeling
PHYS 265 Scientific Programming

Students must take fifteen hours of elective courses from a single listed Department/Program. At least three courses must be at the 300/400-level. See math advisor for lists of suggested courses.

Select one course from the programming electives below:

COMP 132 Visual Basic Programming
COMP 215 Spatial Data Visualization with GIS
COMP 236 Programming Language I
MATH 216 Statistical Software
MATH 315 Applied Data Science with Python
MATH 485 Mathematics Special Topics

Mathematics Program Information

Mission Statement

The mission of the Kansas Wesleyan University Mathematics program is to teach and learn mathematics in a collaborative, rigorous, and lively community; to encourage students to study the relationship between mathematics and nature; to encourage the use of mathematics in solving and evaluating physical problem; to prepare students for future work in their chosen discipline; and to provide the tools and skills needed by members of the community to contribute to society by applying logical reasoning to the issues of life.

Program Goals

Students who complete the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics should:

Be familiar with the most common and widely applicable Big Ideas of Mathematics.
Be able to communicate math ideas clearly, and in a technically correct and suitable fashion, both in formal writing and in speech.
Be able to read and understand mathematical proofs and arguments, and be able to write clean, valid proofs.
Be able to perform valid mathematical experiments, and form well-stated and suitable conjectures and conclusions.
Be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to modeling real world phenomena.