Back to Mathematics Haverford Mathematics Department Frequently Asked Questions |
I took an Advanced Placement/IB exam; how does it affect my math placement/credit?
Is there a math requirement at Haverford?
Where is the Math Department at Haverford?
What kind of calculator do I need?
What is the Math Question Center?
What are the new calculus courses?
How is studying math at Haverford different than studying math in High School?
What do math majors do after they graduate?
I think I might want to major in math, but I’m not sure. Who can I talk to?
Can I get my own copy of Mathematica?
How do I get a job as a homework grader or tutor?
Can I major in math if I start by taking Calculus I?
Are there study abroad programs available for math majors?
I took an Advanced Placement/IB exam; how does it affect my math placement/credit?
PLACEMENT in math courses is separate from the granting of college CREDIT. For the purposes of PLACEMENT, Haverford has its own math placement test, available on the Web. Your results on this placement test, together with your scores on AP exams, previous math courses taken, and your answers to questions such as "do you intend to be a math major?" are all used to give you a recommendation of the appropriate starting course at Haverford. This recommendation is a starting point for a conversation that you can have with members of the math department to find the course that best fits your needs.
As far as Haverford course
CREDIT, the Registrar of the College will award you a half-course credit for a score of 4
on any AP test, and one full-course credit for a score of 5.
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Is there a math requirement at Haverford?
No. There is a QUANTITATIVE requirement, which states
that every student must take at least one course with a serious quantitative component,
but this needn’t be a math course. There is also a NATURAL SCIENCE distribution
requirement, which states that every student must take at least three courses in the
Natural Science Division. Again, these courses needn’t be math courses.
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Where is the Math Department at Haverford?
The department’s new headquarters are on the 2nd
floor of Hilles Hall. For a directory of individual faculty and staff members, click here. For directions to the Math Department, click here.
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What kind of calculator do I need?
There are no math courses that require any particular
calculator. Many courses in the math department are taught without much use of calculators
or computers. All students are encouraged to learn to use the computer program
Mathematica, which is available for use all over campus and may be downloaded to
students’ computers in their dormitory rooms. Click here for more information about
Mathematica.
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What is the Math Question Center?
The Math Question Center (MQC) is an area in the
basement of Hilles Hall that is staffed 5 nights each week (Sunday-Thursday) by a
combination of faculty and student helpers. It is open to all students taking math
courses, and is a great place to meet a study group. It’s a place to get help if you
need it on homework or other class matters, to get assistance with Mathematica, or simply
to meet and work with classmates on homework. To see some pictures of the MQC in action, click here.
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Yes. The Deans’ office pays for student tutors
for students who are having difficulty and would like extra help. There is a limited
supply of qualified tutors. BEFORE requesting a tutor, be sure that you’ve scheduled
meetings for help with your professor and also visited the Math Question Center. If
you’d like to find out about getting a tutor, you’ll need to contact Jeff Tecosky-Feldman.
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How is studying math at Haverford different than studying math in High School?
Many students find that math at college is
significantly different than in high school. In particular, there is a lot less emphasis
on memorizing facts or imitating worked out examples in the textbook. Haverford Math
professors expect students to learn and understand CONCEPTS and apply them to new and
different problems on homework and exams. Most students find that they need to pace
themselves to work on the weekly homework assignment all week long, and not just the night
before it is due. Similarly, "cramming" for exams doesn’t work very well
for most students. Expect to spend 6-10 hours per week outside of class on your math
course.
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What do math majors do after they graduate?
Just about everything! Some go to graduate school in
mathematics, computer science, operations research, economics, etc. Some go on to Law or
Medical Schools. Some go into business, consulting, actuarial science. Teaching is a
popular interest of many of our majors. To see a list of careers chosen by recent majors, click here.
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I think I might want to major in math, but I’m not sure. Who can I talk to?
Any member of the math department will be happy to
talk with you about options for majoring or minoring in math. Feel free to contact the
chair of the department (Jeff Tecosky-Feldman)
to set up a meeting.
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Mathematica is a computer program that can do all of
the algebraic calculations learned in high school and college-level mathematics, and can
additionally sketch curves of complicated functions. Mathematica is installed on all of
the computers in the public clusters on campus. For more information on this
powerful program, click here.
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Can I get my own copy of Mathematica?
The College has a license for 10 simultaneous dorm room users of Mathematica. Students with a networked PC or Mac in their dorm room may download a "keyserved" copy of Mathematica to their computer. This is a full version of the program that checks the network when it is started up to see if more than 10 students are currently using the program in their dorms (which rarely happens). To find out more information on downloading a keyserved copy of Mathematica, click here.
If you want to purchase your own copy of Mathematica,
contact Julie Summerfield in the bookstore to find out about student prices.
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What are the new calculus courses?
Prior to 2002-2003, there were two full-course
versions of Calculus II, called Math 114 and Math 120. Starting in 2002-2003, Math 120 is
no longer offered, and Calculus II has been split into several half courses. The first
half-course is called Math 114 and covers Integral Calculus. Math 115 is a half-course
that covers sequences and series (Math 113+114 is equivalent to AB calculus;Math
113+114+115 is equivalent to BC calculus). Math 116 is a half-course devoted to
probability applications and can follow 114 or 115. Math 117 is a half-course covering
some multivariable calculus and can follow 114, 115 or 116. To learn more about these
courses and how they fit together, click here.
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How do I get a job as a homework grader or tutor?
The math department employs students, majors and
nonmajors in all classes, to grade homework, tutor other students and staff the Math
Question Center. If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Jeff Tecosky-Feldman.
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Can I major in math if I start by taking Calculus I?
Yes. Students have successfully majored in math who
began their studies in Calculus I at Haverford.
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Are there study abroad programs available for math majors?
Yes. Math majors have studied at Oxford and the
London School of Economics, the University of Melbourne in Australia and at Budapest
Semesters in Math (in English), to name a few. Click here to learn more about
study abroad.
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