The mathematics program at Montclair State University was named the third best college for women in STEM in the entire country! You can read about the rankings in this Washington Monthly article.
Who to Contact
For questions about the math program, email Dr. Ashwin Vaidya at vaidyaa@montclair.edu.
For questions about credit transfer from another institution or class permits, email Dr. Mark Korlie at korliem@montclair.edu
For questions about the math placement test, email Ms. Eugenia Providence at providencee@montclair.edu
We understand the urgency of your needs and will try to respond to you at the earliest possible.
Mathematics Department Mission
The Department of Mathematics is committed to supporting all learners form a deeper appreciation for the power, role, relevance and beauty of mathematics within a dynamic, collaborative and personalized environment. Our undergraduate and graduate programs encourage students to think critically and creatively as they pursue purposeful questions from multiple perspectives. We embrace and advance connections among the sciences, arts, humanities and business through mathematics. Students are supported as they become more informed citizens, prepared for graduate studies, teaching and a variety of careers that meet their aspirations and the needs of an ever-changing society. In fact, the mathematics program at Montclair State University was named the third best college for women in STEM in the entire country! You can read about the rankings in this Washington Monthly article.
Student Information
Creating a mathematician’s mentality through an array of courses, a department advisor helping you stay on track as you progress, and the Mathematics Support Center when you need some extra help.
To live in a mathematically-driven world and not understand mathematics is like walking through an art museum with your eyes closed. Learning and appreciating mathematics can help us appreciate things that we might not otherwise notice about the world.
Studying mathematics helps us think analytically and have better reasoning abilities. Analytical thinking refers to the ability to think critically about the world around us. Reasoning is our ability to think logically about a situation. Analytical and reasoning skills are important because they help us solve problems and look for solutions.
Such problem-solving is more applicable to our lives than one might think. Studying mathematics is not just about solving textbook tasks; it is about sharpening one’s skills to frame problems that exist in real life, identifying the knowns and unknowns, refining one’s strategies, and making progress toward a solution. It is through this process that we can begin to make sense about the world in which we live.
Research
Faculty in the Mathematics Department are involved in a broad range of research in the areas of pure mathematics and math education. Research opportunities are available for graduates and undergraduates.
Career opportunities are unlimited and rewarding for mathematics majors. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2018 and 2028, the job market for mathematicians is expected to grow by an impressive 30 percent! Students that earn math degrees secure some of the highest-paying jobs. The same bureau reports that in 2018 the median annual wage for mathematicians was $101,900.
Careers in mathematics are diverse. Thanks to the growing importance placed on technology, big data, and STEM education, mathematicians and math educators are in demand across all kinds of industries. Study math or math education and you’ll have access to career opportunities you may have never even imagined, such as:
In front of the “snow pyramid,” our name for Denes’ art
Success in Mathematics
Famous People that Majored in Math
Steve Balmer – Former CEO of Microsoft and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Steve Ballmer was once a serious math nerd. In 1977, he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics. He reportedly received a perfect score of 800 in the mathematical section of the SATs.
Sergey Brin – Sergey Brin is the co-founder of Google and the president of its parent company, Alphabet. Brin double majored in mathematics and computer science at the University of Maryland at College Park. The name “Google” is inspired by the mathematical term “googol,” which means ten raised to the power of a hundred.
Reed Hastings – The Netflix CEO studied mathematics at Bowdoin College. After graduating, he joined the Peace Corps and taught high school mathematics in Swaziland.
Katherine Johnson – Recently portrayed on the big screen, Katherine Johnson was the main character of the critically-acclaimed film Hidden Figures. Her contributions in NASA were critical to the United States’ success in putting astronaut John Glenn into orbit in 1962. During her 35-year career, she held a reputation for being a master of complex manual calculations. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015.
Mae Carol Jemison – As a mathematician and astronaut, Mae Carol Jemison became the first African American woman to visit space when she went into orbit aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992. She is involved in several initiatives such as “Science Matters” which aims to encourage young children to understand and pursue careers in STEM.
“MEET a Mathematician!” is a collection of video interviews with mathematicians from all over the world. The mission of this service is to introduce students from underrepresented groups to role models in the mathematics field. Visit the Meet a Mathematician website to access the video series of interviews.
