Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science
Important Note: This is the archived version of the 2013–2015 Undergraduate Catalog. The information on these pages was archived on August 6, 2013 and will not be updated as requirement and/or program changes are approved. Please see www.uic.edu/ucat for the most up-to-date requirements.
IntroductionBS with a Major in Mathematics
- Degree Requirements—BS with a Major in Mathematics
- Recommended Plan of Study—BS with a Major in Mathematics
Minor in Mathematics
BS in the Teaching of Mathematics
- Degree Requirements—BS in the Teaching of Mathematics
- Recommended Plan of Study—BS in the Teaching of Mathematics
BS in Mathematics and Computer Science
- Degree Requirements—BS in Mathematics and Computer Science
- Recommended Plan of Study—BS in Mathematics and Computer Science
- Elective Course Suggestions for MCS Majors
Minor in Mathematics and Computer Science
Distinction
322 Science and Engineering Offices (SEO)
(312) 996–3041
http://www.math.uic.edu
Administration: Head, Lawrence Ein
Director of Undergraduate Studies, David Nicholls, dus@math.uic.edu
Academic Advisors: Florencio Diaz and Mary F. Hemby
Mathematics is the language of the sciences and of all fields where patterns and systematic processes need to be analyzed. The study of the various mathematical sciences involves learning ideas and techniques essential for the natural and social sciences and is increasingly important in all areas of a technological society.
Occupational fields open to students who have completed one of the curricula in the department include mathematical analysis in industry or government, teaching, research, actuarial (insurance) work, computer programming and other statistical work, and mathematical aspects of business and finance.
The Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Science with a Major in Mathematics, the Bachelor of Science in the Teaching of Mathematics, and the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science. A Minor in Mathematics and a Minor in Mathematics and Computer Science are also offered. Each major is assigned a department advisor who approves the student’s choice of courses.
A transfer student majoring in one of these programs must successfully complete at least half of the mathematics courses in residence at UIC. For the BS with a Major in Mathematics, at least 12 semester hours must be at the advanced level; for the BS in Mathematics and Computer Science, 14 semester hours must be upper division. No transfer course below calculus may be counted toward the BS with a Major in Mathematics, the BS in the Teaching of Mathematics, the BS in Mathematics and Computer Science, or the BS in Statistics and Operations Research. Only grades of A, B, or C in calculus and above from other colleges and universities will be accepted for transfer credit.
Students must have concurrent registration in MATH 180—Calculus I, or equivalent standing, as a requirement for declaration of a major in any departmental program.
Honors sections of some courses in mathematics are offered throughout the year. For details consult the Schedule of Classes. Admission to honors sections is not restricted to mathematics majors, but consent of the department is required.
BS with a Major in Mathematics
Degree Requirements—BS with a
Major in Mathematics
To earn a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.
| BS with a Major in Mathematics Degree Requirements | Hours |
| Major Requirements | 41 |
| General Education and Electives to reach Minimum Total Hours | 79 |
| Minimum Total Hours—BS with a Major in Mathematics | 120 |
General Education
See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements.
Major Requirements
| Courses | Hours |
| MATH 180—Calculus Iab | 5 |
| MATH 181—Calculus IIa | 5 |
| MATH 210—Calculus IIIa | 3 |
| MATH 215—Introduction to Advanced Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 300—Writing for Mathematicsc | 1 |
| MATH 313—Analysis I | 3 |
| MATH 320—Linear Algebra I | 3 |
| MATH 330—Abstract Algebra I | 3 |
| Electives chosen from mathematics, statistics, and mathematical computer science courses numbered 200 or higher, with the exception of MATH 310. At least six hours must be at the 400-level, excluding MATH 496, MCS 496, and STAT 496. | 15 |
| Total Hours—Major Requirements | 41 |
NOTE: Students planning advanced study in Mathematics should choose their electives from among the following:
| MATH 414—Analysis II | 3 |
| MATH 417—Complex Analysis with Applications | 3 |
| MATH 430—Formal Logic I | 3 |
| MATH 431—Abstract Algebra II | 3 |
| MATH 435—Foundations of Number Theory | 3 |
| MATH 442—Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces | 3 |
| MATH 445—Introduction to Topology I | 3 |
| MATH 446—Introduction to Topology II | 3 |
a This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.
b MATH 180 also fulfills the LAS Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
c MATH 300 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
Recommended Plan of Study—
BS with a Major in Mathematics
Students who do not place into MATH 180 should expect to take summer session courses and possibly take longer than four years to graduate. Students who have taken AP exams in calculus or computer science need to see a departmental advisor for correct placement.
To view a recommended plan of study for the BS with a major in Mathematics, please visit the LAS website http://www.las.uic.edu/students/prospective-undergraduate/degree-programs/four-year-model-plans.
Students from other disciplines who want to minor in Mathematics must complete 21 semester hours distributed as follows:
| Required Courses—Mathematics Minor | Hours |
| MATH 180—Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 181—Calculus II | 5 |
| MATH 210—Calculus III | 3 |
| MATH, MCS, or STAT electives at the 200-, 300-, or 400-level (with one in the MATH rubric ) | 8 |
| Total Hours—Mathematics Minor | 21 |
BS in the Teaching of Mathematics
Degree Requirements—BS in the Teaching of Mathematics
To earn a Bachelor of Science in the Teaching of Mathematics degree from UIC, students must complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.
| BS in the Teaching of Mathematics Degree Requirements | Hours |
| Major Requirements | 35 |
| Additional Requirements for Teacher Licensure | 34 |
| General Education and Electives to reach Minimum Total Hours | 51 |
| Minimum Total Hours—BS in the Teaching of Mathematics | 120 |
General Education
See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for a list of courses to meet this requirement.
Major Requirements
| Courses | Hours |
| MATH 180—Calculus Iab | 5 |
| MATH 181—Calculus IIa | 5 |
| MATH 210—Calculus IIIa | 3 |
| MATH 215—Introduction to Advanced Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 300—Writing for Mathematicsc | 1 |
| MTHT 411—Advanced Euclidean Geometry | 3 |
| MTHT 430—Mathematical Analysis for Teachers I | 3 |
| One of the following courses: | 3 |
| MATH 310—Applied Linear Algebra (3) | |
| MATH 320—Linear Algebra I (3) | |
| One of the following courses: | 3 |
| MATH 330—Abstract Algebra I (3) | |
| MTHT 435—Abstract Algebra (3) | |
| One of the following courses: | 3 |
| MTHT 420—Methods of Structured Programming I (3) |
|
| STAT 381—Applied Statistical Methods I (3) | |
| One additional elective course in MATH, MTHT, or STAT (Recommended: MATH 417, 425, 430, or 435) | 3 |
| Total Hours—Major Requirements | 35 |
a This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.
b MATH 180 fulfills the LAS Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
c MATH 300 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
Additional Requirements for Teacher Licensure
| Courses | Hours |
| ED 200—Education Policy Foundations | 3 |
| ED 210—The Educative Process | 3 |
| ED 330—Curriculum, Instruction, and Evaluation in the Secondary School | 4 |
| CI 414—Middle and High School Literacy | 3 |
| SPED 410—Survey of Characteristics of Learners with Disabilities | 3 |
| MTHT 400—Methods of Teaching Secondary Mathematics I | 3 |
| MTHT 401—Methods of Teaching Secondary Mathematics II | 3 |
| MTHT 438—Educational Practice with Seminar I | 6 |
| MTHT 439—Educational Practice with Seminar II | 6 |
| Total Hours—Additional Requirements for Teacher Licensure | 34 |
Students in the Teacher Education in Mathematics curriculum must have a GPA of at least 2.50/4.00 in all mathematics courses (MATH, MCS, MTHT, or STAT) beginning with all calculus (excluding MTHT 400 and 401) to be recommended for student teaching (MTHT 438 and 439). The candidate must also maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50/4.00 and a minimum GPA of 3.00/4.00 in education courses.
The teaching license is not automatically awarded upon successful completion of licensure and degree requirements. Before the license is issued, the candidate must file an application for the Illinois teaching license with the Council on Teacher Education. The candidate must also pass a series of examinations required by the Illinois State Board of Education. The Basic Skills Test must be passed prior to applying for candidacy with the Council on Teacher Education. The Content Area Test must be passed before the candidate is allowed to student teach. The Assessment of Professional Teaching must be passed prior to licensure. For information on application procedures, contact the Council on Teacher Education located in 3015 EPASW. See Council on Teacher Education and Secondary Education Program in the College of Education section of the catalog. For detailed information concerning degree and state teacher licensure requirements, see the Program Guide for Teacher Education in Mathematics, available from the secondary education coordinator of the Office of Mathematics and Computer Education.
Recommended Plan of Study—
BS in the Teaching of Mathematics
To view a recommended plan of study for the Bachelor of Science in the Teaching of Mathematics, please visit the LAS website at http://www.las.uic.edu/students/prospective-undergraduate/degree-programs/four-year-model-plans.
BS in Mathematics and Computer Science
The BS in Mathematics and Computer Science curriculum is designed for students who seek careers in computer science and/or computer related fields requiring a strong mathematical background. The program is flexible and provides the students with a well-rounded education. Students who successfully complete the program are awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science.
Degree Requirements—BS in Mathematics and Computer Science
To earn a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science degree from UIC, students must complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.
| BS in Mathematics and Computer Science Degree Requirements | Hours |
| Requirements for the Curriculum | 120 |
| Minimum Total Hours—BS in Mathematics and Computer Science | 120 |
Requirements for the Curriculum
The Requirements for the Curriculum include courses necessary to complete the General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline requirements described in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section.
| Courses | Hours |
| ENG 160— Academic Writing I: Writing for Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| ENGL 161—Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| Foreign language (the equivalent of two years of a single language at the college level) | 0–16 |
| Exploring World Cultures coursea | 3 |
| Understanding the Creative Arts coursea | 3 |
| Understanding the Individual and Society coursea | 3 |
| Understanding the Past coursea | 3 |
| Understanding U.S. Society coursea | 3 |
| Analyzing the Natural World 2 laboratory coursesab | 8–10 |
| MATH 180—Calculus Icd | 5 |
| MATH 181—Calculus IIc | 5 |
| MATH 210—Calculus IIIc | 3 |
| MATH 215—Introduction to Advanced Mathematics | 3 |
| MCS 260—Introduction to Computer Sciencec | 4 |
| MCS 275—Programming Tools and File Management | 4 |
| MATH 300—Writing for Mathematicse | 1 |
| One of the following courses: | 3 |
| MATH 310—Applied Linear Algebra (3) | |
| MATH 320—Linear Algebra I (3) | |
| One of the following courses: | 3–4 |
| MCS 320—Introduction to Symbolic Computation (3) | |
| MCS 360—Introduction to Data Structures (4) | |
| Four electives chosen from mathematics, statistics, and mathematical computer science courses related to computer science numbered 200 or higher. At least six hours must be at the 400-level excluding MATH 496, MSC 496, and STAT 496. | 12 |
| Electives to complete degree requirement of 120 hours | 29–48 |
| Total Hours—Requirements for the Curriculum | 120 |
a Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses in this category.
b Students are encouraged to choose a natural sciences sequence of PHYS 141 and 142; CHEM 112 and 114; CHEM 116 and 118; or BIOS 100 and 101. Any of these sequences would fulfill the LAS General Education requirement of two laboratory courses within the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.
c This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.
d MATH 180 also fulfills the LAS Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
e MATH 300 fulfills the LAS Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.
Recommended Plan of Study—BS in Mathematics and Computer Science
A recommended basic sequence of courses is listed below. Students who do not place into MATH 180 should expect to take summer session courses and possibly take longer than four years to graduate. Students who have taken AP exams in calculus or computer science need to see a departmental advisor for correct placement.
Freshman Year
| Fall Semester | Hours |
| MATH 180—Calculus I | 5 |
| Foreign language | 4 |
| ENGL 160—Academic Writing I: Writing for Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| General Education Core course | 3–4 |
| Total Hours | 15–16 |
| Spring Semester | Hours |
| MATH 181—Calculus II | 5 |
| MCS 260—Introduction to Computer Science | 4 |
| Foreign language | 4 |
| ENGL 161—Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| Total Hours | 16 |
Sophomore Year
| Fall Semester | Hours |
| MATH 210—Calculus III | 3 |
| MATH 215—Introduction to Advanced Mathematics | 3 |
| Foreign language | 4 |
| Analyzing Natural World course | 4–5 |
| Total Hours | 14–15 |
| Spring Semester | Hours |
| MATH 310—Applied Linear Algebra OR MATH 320—Linear Algebra I |
3 |
| MCS 275—Programming Tools and File Management | 4 |
| Analyzing Natural World course | 4–5 |
| Foreign language | 4 |
| Total Hours | 15–16 |
Junior Year
| Fall Semester | Hours |
| MCS 320—Introduction to Symbolic Computation OR MCS 360—Introduction to Data Structures |
3–4 |
| MATH 300—Writing for Mathematics | 1 |
| Analyzing Natural World course | 4–5 |
| General Education Core course | 3 |
| General Education Core course | 3–4 |
| Total Hours | 14–17 |
| Spring Semester | Hours |
| Electives | 6 |
| MATH, MCS, or STAT elective | 3 |
| General Education Core course | 3 |
| General Education Core course | 3–4 |
| Total Hours | 15–16 |
Senior Year
| Fall Semester | Hours |
| MATH, MCS, or STAT elective | 3 |
| MATH, MCS, or STAT elective | 3 |
| Electives | 11 |
| Total Hours | 17 |
| Spring Semester | Hours |
| MATH or MCS elective from list | 3 |
| Electives | 14 |
| Total Hours | 17 |
Elective Course Suggestions for MCS Majors
A minor is strongly recommended in: physics, chemistry, biology, economics, or from the College of Engineering, except computer science.
It is strongly recommended that at least 3 of the MATH or MCS electives be chosen from one of the following clusters:
Discrete Mathematical Computer Science
| Courses | Hours |
| MCS 361—Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| MCS 421—Combinatorics | 3 |
| MCS 423—Graph Theory | 3 |
| MCS 425—Codes and Cryptography | 3 |
| MCS 441—Theory of Computation I | 3 |
| MATH 430—Formal Logic I | 3 |
| MATH 435—Foundations of Number Theory | 3 |
| MATH 436—Number Theory for Applications | 3 |
Algorithms and Programming
| Courses | Hours |
| MCS 360—Introduction to Data Structures | 4 |
| MCS 401—Computer Algorithms I | 3 |
| MCS 415—Programming Language Design | 3 |
| MCS 451—Object-Oriented Programming C++ | 3 |
| MCS 481—Computational Geometry | 3 |
Computational Methods
| Courses | Hours |
| MATH 220—Introduction to Differential Equations | 3 |
| MATH 480—Applied Differential Equations | 3 |
| MATH 481—Applied Partial Differential Equations | 3 |
| MCS 320—Introduction to Symbolic Computation | 3 |
| MCS 471—Numerical Analysis | 3 |
| MCS 472—Introduction to Industrial Math and Computation | 3 |
Statistical Computation
| Courses | Hours |
| STAT 381—Applied Statistical Methods I | 3 |
| STAT 401—Introduction to Probability | 3 |
| STAT 481—Applied Statistical Methods II | 3 |
| STAT 486—Statistical Consulting | 3 |
| STAT 471—Linear and Nonlinear Programming | 3 |
Actuarial Science
| Courses | Hours |
| STAT 381—Applied Statistical Methods I | 3 |
| STAT 401—Introduction to Probability | 3 |
| STAT 481—Applied Statistical Methods II | 3 |
| STAT 461—Applied Probability Models I OR STAT 411—Statistical Theory |
3 |
| STAT 475—Mathematics and Statistics for Actuarial Sciences I | 3 |
| Strongly recommended: | |
| ECON 120—Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 121—Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 220—Microeconomics: Theory and Applications | 3 |
| ECON 221—Macroeconomics in the World Economy: Theory and Applications | 3 |
| And two electives: | |
| ECON 300—Econometrics | 3 |
| ECON 450—Business Forecasting Using Time Series Methods | 3 |
Minor in Mathematics and Computer Science
Students from other disciplines who want to minor in mathematics and computer science must complete 21 semester hours distributed as follows:
| Required Courses—Mathematics and Computer Science Minor | Hours |
| MATH 180—Calculus I | 5 |
| MATH 181—Calculus II | 5 |
| MCS 260—Introduction to Computer Science | 4 |
| MCS 275—Programming Tools and File Management | 4 |
| One MCS course at the 300- or 400-level | 3 |
| Total Hours—Mathematics and Computer Science Minor | 21 |
For consideration, the student must have a minimum of a 3.50/4.00 GPA in upper-division courses in the department. The department may award High and Highest Distinction in recognition of outstanding academic achievement.
