Mathematics

View Programs and Courses

Faculty

Professor: Brian J. Travers, Chairperson

Professors: Julie Belock, Christopher Boucher, Reva Kasman, Maura Murray, Arthur J. Rosenthal

Associate Professors: Katherine Crow, L. Pedro Poitevin, Christopher Yakes

Faculty Emeriti

Professors: Said AbuZahra, Joyce Anderson-Cryan, Yuk Keung Cheung, Martha L. Hunt, Robert Kalechofsky, Thomas J. Kryouz, Woon Chung Lam, Robert Mooney, Jamal Shahin

Programs Offered

Mathematics, BS-MEd Secondary Education

Bachelor of Science - Mathematics

Minors

Mathematics

The Mathematics Program

Mathematics is the language of science, providing a framework for analyzing the world by abstracting from our observations that which is essential to the question at hand. An understanding of mathematics gives its owner a powerful approach to solving problems through organization, simplification, and abstraction. This approach often leads to solutions and techniques of great beauty, independent of their application, and it is the aim of the Mathematics Department to furnish its majors and general studies students with some of this understanding and an appreciation of this beauty.

In today’s job market, individuals with highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills are in great demand and so there are a number of career options open to students who choose to major in mathematics. These include careers in secondary education, actuarial mathematics, operations research, and information technology. Students who intend to teach secondary mathematics must major in mathematics and are encouraged to minor in secondary education.

Mathematics, Teacher Education Minor, Combined B.S. & M.Ed

The Mathematics department also offers an integrated bachelor’s/master’s degree program in Mathematics with an application process occurring in the second year. Students seeking initial licensure to teach in the public schools must apply to the combined program and complete an approved minor in Teacher Education. Students will apply to the licensure program in the spring of their second year and will begin the licensure program in their third year. Students who successfully complete the undergraduate portion will continue to a fifth year and will graduate with a Master of Education with eligibility for initial licensure at the conclusion of the fifth year of study, assuming all academic and licensure standards are met.

Admissions requirements to the licensure program include, but are not limited to:

A passing score on the Communication and Literacy portions of the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL);
3.0 minimum GPA in prior college course work;
Demonstrated work with children;
Interview;
Recommendation form from EDC115 Exploring Education instructor (if class was taken at SSU);
In-person writing sample from a prompt.

Exceptions may be made to the above-referenced requirements at the discretion of the admissions committee. Retention in the program is based on satisfactory academic progress (maintenance of a 3.0 GPA) and the passing of specific MTEL tests required for licensure in the chosen field. Students who do not meet these retention guidelines must exit the program and complete a degree without licensure.

The Mathematics Minor

For additional information, see Mathematics Minor

Special Programs and Resources

Honors

The awarding of departmental honors to a Mathematics major signifies that the student has both a superior knowledge of the subject and has completed a substantial creative achievement outside of the normal pattern of Mathematics courses. To receive honors, Mathematics majors must have a GPA of at least 3.5 in their Mathematics courses and complete an honors project supervised by a Mathematics faculty member and approved by a departmental honors committee. Interested students should consult with the Department Chairperson.

Lathrop Award

The Thomas G. Lathrop Award is a monetary award presented annually since 1980 in memory of Professor Thomas G. Lathrop. The award is presented to students who have demonstrated excellence in Mathematics or Computer Science at Salem State. Students are selected based on recommendations by faculty in the Mathematics and Computer Science departments and on their overall achievements in Mathematics and Computer Science courses. The funding of the award is provided entirely by contributions from the Lathrop family and from members of the Salem State community and is independent of university funds.

Claffey Award

The Jane Claffey Service Award is an honor presented annually since 2018 in memory of Jane Claffey, who served as the Math Lab supervisor from 1984-2017. The award is presented to students who demonstrate the same dedication to student success that Jane exemplified during her tenure with Salem State. Students are selected based on recommendations by faculty members in the Mathematics department and on their overall contributions in the areas that benefit student success, including tutoring in the Math Lab and/or the Center for Academic Excellence, supplemental instruction, and participation in Math Society.

The Math Lab

The Math Lab is located in Room 306 in the Sullivan Building (ext. 6348). For additional information see
https://www.salemstate.edu/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-and-sciences/mathematics/math-lab.

Math Society

The Math Society is a student organization open to any Salem State University student interested in mathematics. The Society sponsors a variety of events in cooperation with the Mathematics Department. Students interested in joining are encouraged to contact any member of the Mathematics Department.

The Basic College Mathematics Competency Requirement

To receive a degree from Salem State University, a student must demonstrate competency in basic college mathematics. The Registrar’s Office is responsible for certifying that this requirement has been satisfied by all students before graduation. The basic college mathematics requirement can be satisfied by doing any of the following:

Achieving a score of 530 or above on the current SAT mathematics examination or 500 or above on the pre-2016 SAT Mathematics examination.
Achieving a high school GPA of 2.7 or above within the past three years upon matriculation to Salem State University.
Achieving a score of 262 or higher on the Next Generation Accuplacer QAS test or a score of 72 on the Accuplacer College-Level Mathematics test.
Achieving a score in the 50th percentile or above on the CLEP College Algebra-Trigonometry exam.
Successfully completing MAT090 (No Degree Credit) or any higher number mathematics course.