Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Our program initiates the preparation of CSUMB students to be effective and innovative mathematics educators. As a student in the Mathematics for Teaching concentration, you will engage in a meaningful service learning experience, where you work with middle or high school students at a local school in a mathematics classroom or program. You will learn the how and the why of the mathematics that high school students take – not just the what. This includes historical context and the culture in which modern methods were developed, as well as advanced study of topics in the high school level Common Core standards. Graduates have the coursework that they need to immediately begin a California secondary subject teaching credential program for mathematics. Students can begin teaching in their own classroom in as little as one year after graduation.

Learn more about the many scholarships available for future teachers, and check out the required courses and course descriptions for the Mathematics for Teaching Concentration below.

The Pure and Applied Mathematics concentration provides students with the option to select their MATH electives freely to create their own path to a Pure or an Applied mathematics focus. 

• The Applied Mathematics emphasis focuses on the creation and study of mathematical tools broadly applicable to science, engineering or other diverse areas, and on their use in solving challenging problems in these and related fields. Therefore, the applied mathematics option is the option of choice for students that are interested in using their mathematical skills in a variety of areas, including optimization, modeling, and finance. Students might go on to work in industry or go to graduate school (for a master's degree or a Ph.D.) in applied mathematics, statistics, or other related fields. Students who choose an emphasis in Applied Mathematics will choose courses like mathematical modeling, numerical analysis, differential equations, or probability and statistics. 
• The Pure Mathematics emphasis focuses of the basic concepts and structures that are at the core of theoretical mathematics. In this emphasis, students strengthen their mathematical problem-solving skills by choosing theoretical courses like real analysis, abstract algebra, number theory, and geometry.  Emphasizing the theoretical aspect of the subject, the pure mathematics option is ideal for students wanting to go on to graduate school (for a master's degree or a Ph.D.) in mathematics or in another area of mathematical sciences. Training in pure mathematics also helps students to enter the workforce and apply their mathematical expertise and skills to solve problems in research, industry, business, or government.

You can learn more about the required courses for the Pure and Applied Mathematics concentration below:

The mathematics minor is intended for students who are interested in mathematics and want a strong mathematical foundation for studying in areas that rely heavily on analytical skills, problem solving skills, and applications of mathematics. Our minor program provides students the flexibility to complete a minor in mathematics either with second semester of Calculus or without it. Students can focus on applied mathematics by choosing courses like combinatorics, logic and computation, and graph theory, numerical analysis, differential equations and modeling. Students can focus more on pure mathematics by choosing courses like number theory, abstract algebra and real analysis. Having a math minor provides students with an advantage for many applied career paths in computer science, finance, economics, information technology, biology, medicine, and beyond.

Learn more about the required courses for the minor below.