Math majors develop many skills including the ability to formulate and solve problems, logical and critical thinking, numerical computation, and quantitative skills. These skills are crucial in many fields. Career opportunities include working as a Mathematician, Computer Scientist, Statistician, Economist, Actuary, Cryptologist, Biostatistician, and College Professor.

Degree Plan

NOTE: All students are required to complete the General Education Requirements of their campus in fulfillment of their Bachelor degree requirements. 

6 credits from the MAJOR may be applied toward General Education Requirements.

Required Mathematics (24 credits)

Major Elective Courses (15 – 18 credits)

At least five courses to be selected from the mathematics offerings (MATH designation) above the level of MATH2255,  or with the permission of the department, from the graduate offerings in mathematics; up to 6 credits from the 2000 (or higher level) offerings in computer science (CSCI designation) may be substituted for mathematics electives.

NOTE: Three credits in Internship experience may be used to fulfill Major Elective requirements in addition to the 15 credits minimum requirement.

Cognate requirements (3 credits)

  • CSCI2215 Introduction to Computer Science

6 credits from the MINOR may be applied toward General Education Requirements.

Concentrations

The department offers three concentrations within the B.A. in Mathematics: Computer Science, Actuarial Science, and Financial Mathematics.

Actuarial Science

Actuarial Science is the discipline that assesses risk in insurance, finance as well as other industries using mathematical and statistical methods. The concentration prepares students by building a strong foundation in mathematics, statistics, and other areas of relevance to insurance and consulting industries.

Students planning to major in mathematics with a concentration in actuarial science should complete all requirements for the BA degree in mathematics with the selection of the following courses as electives in the major:

  • MATH3309 Numerical Analysis: Analysis
  • MATH Elective  (at least 2255 or above) (or)
  • MATH4498 Internship 

To fulfill the general education requirements, they are required to take:

  • ECON2001 Introduction to Microeconomics
  • ECON2102 Introduction to Macroeconomics

Cognate requirements (12 credits)

  • CSCI2215 Introduction to Computer Science
  • ACCT2021 Accounting Principles I
  • FIN3250 Principles of Financial Analysis
  • FIN3310 Intermediate Financial Analysis

The above requirements will assist students in preparing for actuarial exams 1 and 2, which are jointly administered by the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society.

Independent study courses are also available to further develop the fundamental mathematical/statistical concepts applicable to insurance problems. Specifically, the student may

  • Study Mathematics of Finance to strengthen their preparation for exam 2 and/or
  • Study Life Contingencies and Loss Models to begin preparation for exam 3.

Computer Science

Students should complete all requirements for the BA degree in mathematics with the selection of the following courses:

Required CS courses

  • CSCI2215 Introduction to Computer Science I
  • CSCI2216 Introduction to Computer Science II
  • CSCI2233 Data Structures and Algorithms

Major Elective courses (15 credits)

Cognate courses (8 credits)

PHYS 2203/2201 General Physics with Calculus I and PHYS 2204/2202 General Physics with Calculus II.

Financial Mathematics

Financial Mathematics sometimes called Computational Finance or Financial Engineering is a relatively new area of mathematics that provides the necessary theory and tools for financial analysts who are also known in the financial industry as quants. Financial analysts work for financial institutions, pension funds, and insurance companies. They advise businesses and individuals on making investment decisions. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other types of investments.

Students planning to major in mathematics with a concentration in financial mathematics should complete all requirements for the BA degree in mathematics with the selection of the following courses as electives in the major:

To fulfill the general education requirements, they are required to take:

  • ECON2001 Introduction to Microeconomics
  • ECON2102 Introduction to Macroeconomics

Additional cognate requirements include:

  • CSCI2215 Introduction to Computer Science I
  • ACCT2021 Introductory Accounting Principles
  • ACCT2022 Introductory Managerial Accounting
  • FIN3250 Principles of Financial Analysis
  • FIN3310 Intermediate Financial Analysis
  • FIN4343 Securities and Investments
  • FIN4405 Analytical Methods in Finance

QUEST Options Available

  • BA in Mathematics/MAT, Elementary Ed Concentration
  • BA in Mathematics/MAT, Secondary Ed Concentration
  • BA in Mathematics/MAT, Elementary Ed, and Special Ed Concentration
  • BA in Mathematics /MAT, Preschool Special Ed Certification
  • BA in Mathematics /MAT, Secondary Ed, and ESL

Career Opportunities

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics employment of financial analysts is expected to grow 23 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. A growing range of financial products and increasing complexity of investment portfolios are expected to lead to strong employment growth. Additionally, newly emerging markets in developing regions are providing new investment opportunities, which in turn require expertise in geographic regions where those markets are located.

Contact Information
Laila Khreisat
973-443-8680
khreisat@fdu.edu

Course Descriptions

  • ACCT2021 An introduction to the concepts underlying an accounting information system. Transactions are analyzed, recorded, and summarized into a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. Additional topics include fixed asset acquisitions and disposals, patents, franchises, goodwill, bond amortization, bond premiums and discounts, common and preferred stock issuance, dividends, and treasury stock issuance and retirement.

  • ACCT2022 An introduction to the concepts of managerial accounting, including fixed/variable product cost analysis, cost-volume-profit analysis, make vs. buy and other variable cost analysis, transfer pricing, budgeting and variance analysis.

  • CSCI2215 Introduction to computer hardware and software, their interaction and trade-offs. Essentials of a computer organization and arithmetic, programming languages, assemblers, compilers and interpreters, I/O devices, operating systems, databases and files. Basic ideas in the areas of computer networks, system organization, computer theory, and security. Foundation for more advanced courses.

  • CSCI2216 Advanced C++ programming constructs and features will be covered including structured data, file operations, advanced objects and classes, exceptions, and templates.

  • CSCI2233 This course provides an introduction to data structures and algorithms, including their design, analysis and implementation. This course will introduce algorithmic analysis tools to study the behavior of algorithms associated with various data structures including lists, sorted lists, Stacks, Queues, Deques, Trees, Heaps and Priority Queues, Hash tables, Search Trees, Sorting, Selection, Graph Algorithms, and B-trees. Students will be introduced to algorithms design techniques including divide-and-conquer, greedy approach, backtracking and dynamic programming.

  • ECON2001 Problems of consumer behavior and demand, the allocation of resources of production, factor pricing and market conduct under pure competition, imperfect competition, oligopoly and monopoly.

  • ECON2102 A comprehensive introduction to macroeconomics. The concept of national income analysis, the theory of determination of income and employment, problems of fiscal and monetary policy and aspects of international economic activity.

  • FIN3250 This is an introductory Business Core course in the fundamental principles and techniques of finance. Topics include: financial management and shareholder wealth creation, understanding and analysis of financial statements, time value of money, fixed income and common equity valuation, capital budgeting, working capital management and multinational financial management.

  • FIN3310 This is an intermediate financial analysis course in risk and return relationships, valuation models, cost of capital, capital structure, capital budgeting, corporate value and value-based financial management, and financial planning and forecasting financial statements.

  • FIN4343 Basic principles underlying investment decisions. The structure and operations of the stock exchanges and over-the-counter markets, as well as the functions of securities dealers and brokers. Examination of the various types of stocks and bonds, government obligations, investment companies, financial statement analysis, forecasting techniques and portfolio management problems.

  • FIN4405 Review and extension of the principles and techniques of corporate finance; advanced topics in financial management, including case studies and spreadsheet modeling.

  • MATH1203 Slope of a straight lines, slopes of a curve, rate of change of functions, derivatives of algebraic and trigonometric functions, maxima and minima, Mean Value Theorem, indefinite and definite integrals and their applications.

  • MATH2202 Differentiation and integration of transcendental functions, methods of integration, indeterminate forms, infinite series. Taylor series. Conic sections.

  • MATH2203 Lines and planes in 3-space. Vectors, functions of several variables, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, line integrals, vector analysis.

  • MATH2255 Logic, sets, functions, algorithms. Integers, induction and recursion. Relations, posits, equivalence relations, digraphs and matrix representations. Boolean algebra, applications to logic, Boolean identities, Boolean functions, minimization of circuits. Graphs. Trees.

  • MATH3220 Vector spaces and linear transformations; systems of linear equations, bases, matrix representations of linear transforma- tions, matrix algebra, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, determin- ants, canonical forms, inner product spaces.

  • MATH3225 Groups, cyclic groups, subgroups, product and quotient groups, homomorphisms and isomorphisms. Rings, integral domains and fields.

  • MATH3231 The real number system, sequences and series, functions and continuity, differentiability, the Riemann integral, sequences and series of functions.

  • MATH3303 This course introduces students to the basic theory of probability. Both discrete and continuous probabilistic models are used to solve problems. Concepts and techniques from discrete math, such as Boolean Algebras are used in discrete cases. Differentiation and integration techniques are used in continuous cases. Students get familiar with common discrete distributions; binomial, geometric and Poisson. Continuous distributions covered include: normal, exponential, gamma and chi-squared. Students also learn how to calculate means, variances and moment generating functions.

  • MATH3307 Students will develop an understanding of the fundamental concepts of financial mathematics with emphasis on applications in calculating present and accumulated values for various streams of cash flows. Topics include: valuation of annuities, loan amortizations, bond valuation, the rate of return an investment, asset-liability matching and immunization.

  • MATH3309 Numerical solution of problems in analysis using the computer interpolation approximation, numerical integration and differentiation, solution of nonlinear equations and differential equations.

  • MATH4007 The course introduces students to mathematical models used in finance. Topics include: arbitrage, the Black-Scholes option pricing model, utility functions, optimal portfolio selection, capital assest pricing model.

  • MATH4498 Integration of classroom study with specific planned periods of supervised learning in paid and relevent employment experiences. Co-op education combines learning on the job, University course work, and career development skills. Students are encouraged to complete two complementary co-op courses.

  • MATH4999 This course is a level assessment test for evaluating the breadth of knowledge in the major requirement and major elective courses. No class time is allocated for this course. The test is administered once every semester.

  • PHYS2203 The first half of a two-semester calculus based physics course for science and engineering majors. Topics normally covered include: units and dimensions, forces and motion in one and two dimensions, vectors, momentum and center of mass, work, kinetic energy and the work-energy theorem, potential energy and the conservation of energy, rotation and moment of inertia, torque and angular momentum, gravitation, oscillations, elasticity, fluids, heat, kinetic theory of gases, thermodynamics. Co-requisite: Physics Laboratory I and Calculus I. Lecture: 3 credits, 4 hours.

  • PHYS2204 The second half of a two-semester, calculus based physics course. Topics normally covered include: waves and sound, geometrical and physical optics, electrical forces and fields, electric potential, current and resistance, circuits, capacitance, magnetic forces and fields, force on a moving charge, magnetic field of a current, electromagnetic induction, electromagnetic oscillations and waves, alternating currents, special relativity, quantization and modern physics. Prerequisite: University Physics I Corequisite: Physics Laboratory II Recommended: Calculus II. Lecture 3 credits, 4 hours.