Through logical and critical thinking, as well as the understanding of the structures and patterns within the discipline itself, the study of mathematics expands one’s ability to tackle complex problems and to approach them by developing a method for their solution. Our students have entered graduate and professional programs in mathematics, statistics, biometry, epidemiology, law, econometrics, engineering fields, and mathematics education, Our graduates have also found employment opportunities in a wide variety of fields after graduating from Salem, including public health, aviation consulting, accounting, financial planning, and college and university faculty positions.
The answer to this question is, “Whatever I want!” When you major in mathematics you are prepared to enter many different fields after graduation. One of our guiding philosophies is that if you couple your major (or minor) in mathematics with another major (or minor), your possibilities are endless. Some recent mathematics majors and minors at Salem have also completed undergraduate work in:
Accounting, arts management, biology, business administration, chemistry, communication, computer science, dance, economics, education, English, finance, French, German, history, interior design, international business, music, psychology, religion, sociology, Spanish, and studio art.
Our students have entered graduate and professional programs in mathematics, statistics, biometry, biology, chemistry, epidemiology, law, medicine, dentistry, economics, econometrics, accounting, religion, secondary education, educational statistics, public policy, nursing, secondary school administration, civil engineering, environmental engineering, and mathematics education. Our graduates have also found employment opportunities in a wide variety of fields after graduating from Salem, including public health, biostatistics, aviation consulting, fund raising, accounting, banking, financial planning, economics research, elementary, middle and secondary school teaching, and college and university faculty positions. We have alumnae who own their own businesses, who are well-respected artists, who have chaired boards, who are college professors, and who are award-winning high school teachers.
Opportunities for internships and summer research experiences are available locally, nationally, and internationally, and many of our students take advantage of study abroad opportunities in places such as Hungary, Japan, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Greece, and the United Kingdom.
On campus, mathematics majors and minors are active and visible participants in the Women in Science and Mathematics Program (WISMP), the Celebration of Academic Excellence, the QUEST Program, student life, and student government.
All undergraduate students entering Salem College take a Mathematics Placement Examination in order for the department to properly guide each student to the appropriate mathematics courses that satisfy Salem Signature requirements or that satisfy the requirements for her intended major. Traditional-aged students should click here for more information and Fleer Center students should click here for information and instructions. Students are encouraged to enroll in the course in which they are placed as early as possible during their Salem career so that they may benefit the most from the quantitative experience.
Academic support services are offered to students through the Office of Academic Support and through the QUEST Program for quantitative enrichment, science, and technology. The QUEST Center offers on-line resources and in-person tutoring for free to all Salem College students. The Mathematics Department also employs qualified work-study students whenever possible to provide free tutoring in many first- and second-year level courses.
Research continues to support the notion that women who take more mathematics courses in high school and in college experience a positive impact on future earnings. (See: Rose, Betz, Math Matters: The Link Between High School Curriculum, College Graduation and Earnings, 2001.) So, while you may only be required to take a single mathematics course for your major or for General Education purposes, we strongly encourage you to consider taking at least one additional course from our department in order to maximize your earnings potential, strengthen your applications for graduate or professional school, and increase opportunities for internships while a student at Salem College. Rest assured, we will help you and your advisor choose any and all mathematics courses which would be most beneficial to you based on your past mathematical experiences and your academic or career goals.
The mathematics faculty are active, engaged mathematicians who regularly participate in and present at national and international conferences and are committed to the undergraduate education of each Salem student, regardless of the student’s major. With nearly seventy years of combined teaching experience at a variety of levels, and numerous teaching awards between them, you are assured a personal, professional, and individual experience, no matter how many mathematics courses you choose to pursue.
Assistant Professor Emerita Debbie Harrell, (debbie.harrell@salem.edu) received her BS in mathematics from Wake Forest University and her MS in applied mathematics from North Carolina State University. She teaches all levels of mathematics at Salem, and has a love for the history of mathematics and the Fibonacci numbers, and is dedicated to the use of technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics. She is a two-time recipient of the Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Teacher of the Year award at Salem College and has received the HA Pfohl Award at Salem for her service and loyalty to the College and for her excellence in teaching. She loves to read, loves to travel within the United States and across the world, and has sponsored or co-sponsored numerous travel courses, including a service learning course that aided individuals impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
Professor Paula Grafton Young (paula.young@salem.edu) received her BS in mathematics from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, after which she earned the MS and the PhD in mathematics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, with a specialization in functional analysis and mathematical physics. Like her colleagues, she teaches all levels of mathematics at Salem and many of the courses that support the data science minor. She specializes in metric spaces and has interests in mathematical physics, mathematical biology, along with applications of finite difference equations and dynamical systems. She is also a two-time recipient of the ODK Teacher of the Year award and the HA Pfohl award, and served as the Salem Distinguished Professor for the 2002 - 2007 term. Her office is SCIE 106.
Associate Professor Wade Mattox (wade.mattox@salem.edu) received his BS, MS, and PhD from Virginia Tech University. His dissertation, “Homology of Group Von Neumann Algebras,” falls under the categories of group theory, group Von Neumann algebras, and homology. Professor Mattox teaches a full range of mathematics, computing, and technology courses. His commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching and professional activity are hallmarks of Salem’s mathematics faculty–he received the 2011 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year for Teaching Excellence from the Mathematics Department at Virginia Tech and was supported by an NSF grant each of his last two summers as a PhD candidate. His office is SCIE 309. He also spearheaded Salem’s minor in Data Science.
The department offers both a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree with a major in mathematics, as well as a minor in mathematics and a minor in statistics, each of which provides you with the opportunity for in-depth study and prepares you for a wide range of careers and post-graduate study. In consultation with the faculty in the department, you will choose appropriate elective courses and other on- or off-campus opportunities that complement your interests and prepare you for the goals you have set for your future. Our courses are taught in classrooms equipped with relevant technology, including computer algebra systems, object-oriented programming capability, dynamic geometry software, and state-of-the-art statistical computing environments.
Your Results
When you graduate with a major or minor in mathematics or a minor in data science, or just take additional courses in mathematics and computing, you will have the critical theoretical, quantitative, and technological skills necessary to go right into the workforce or right into graduate or professional school. You will be well-equipped to communicate mathematical concepts and ideas, to use appropriate technological tools, and to succeed in whatever goals you have set for yourself.
Through logical and critical thinking, as well as the understanding of the structures and patterns within the discipline itself, the study of mathematics expands one’s ability to tackle complex problems and to approach them by developing a method for their solution. Our students have entered graduate and professional programs in mathematics, statistics, biometry, epidemiology, law, econometrics, engineering fields, and mathematics education. Our graduates have also found employment opportunities in a wide variety of fields after graduating from Salem, including public health, aviation consulting, accounting, financial planning, and college and university faculty positions.
Students may major in mathematics within the Bachelor of Arts degree or within the Bachelor of Science degree. Others may choose to pursue a minor in mathematics to complement their major course of study in preparation for graduate or professional school.
See the section on Core Curriculum Requirements for information about the required mathematics placement process.
Secondary licensure for teaching mathematics requires courses beyond those required for the major. Refer to the section on Education.
All math majors must take at least twelve semester hours above the level of MATH 102 at Salem.
The student who seeks the bachelor of arts degree with a major in mathematics must complete the following:
Required core courses:
MATH 100. Calculus I (5 hrs) *
MATH 101. Calculus II (5 hrs) *
MATH 102. Calculus III (3 hrs)
MATH 110. Introductory Linear Algebra (4 hrs)
MATH 210. Differential Equations (4 hrs)
MATH 221. Modern Algebra (4 hrs)
MATH 321. Analysis of Real Numbers or MATH 330. Complex Variables (4 hrs)
CPSC 100. Introduction to Programming (3 hrs)
One additional MATH elective (3-5 hrs)
* For a student with a strong mathematics background, MATH 100 and 101 may be waived if proficiency standards are met through examination, and the total number of major requirements is reduced accordingly.
The student who seeks the bachelor of science degree with a major in mathematics must complete the following:
Required core courses:
MATH 100. Calculus I (5 hrs) *
MATH 101. Calculus II (5 hrs) *
MATH 102. Calculus III (3 hrs)
MATH 110. Introductory Linear Algebra (4 hrs)
MATH 210. Differential Equations (4 hrs)
MATH 221. Modern Algebra (4 hrs)
MATH 321. Analysis of Real Numbers or MATH 330. Complex Variables (4 hrs)
CPSC 100. Introduction to Programming (3 hrs)
PHYS 210. General Physics I (5 hrs)
Electives:
Select three (3) MATH electives numbered 107 and above (3-5 hrs min. each)
Select one additional course (3-5 hrs) ** in an allied discipline at the 100 level or above (ACCT, BIOL, CHEM, ECON, ENVS, FINC or PHYS). Students may petition the chair of the department if she wishes to satisfy this requirement with a course from another discipline not listed here.
* For a student with a strong mathematics background, MATH 100 and 101 may be waived if proficiency standards are met through AP or IB examination, and the total number of major requirements is reduced accordingly.
** The course in an allied discipline must be at the 100-level or above; a student may petition the chair of the department of mathematics for permission to include two courses from another allied discipline not listed here.
The minor in mathematics requires the completion of the following:
Required courses:
MATH 100. Calculus I (5 hrs)
MATH 101. Calculus II (5 hrs)
MATH 102. Calculus III or two MATH electives above MATH 102 (3-4 hrs min.), CPSC 100 may count as one
Two of the five classes must be taken at Salem.
The minor in data science requires the completion of the following:
Required courses:
CPSC 100. Introduction to Programming (3 hrs)
CPSC 101. Programming for Data Science (4 hrs)
MATH 107. Statistics with R (4 hrs)
MATH 242. Nonparametric Statistical Methods (4 hrs)
SCIE 040. Spreadsheets for Science and Mathematics (2 hrs)
At least 3 of the required courses must be completed at Salem College.
Below are internship and other off-campus opportunities completed by Salem mathematics students:
Class Year: 2004
Major: Mathematics
Graduate Studies: MS, PhD in educational research methodology
Career: Educational research scientist, NCAA
The answer to this question is, “Whatever I want!” When you major in mathematics you are prepared to enter many different fields after graduation. One of our guiding philosophies is that if you couple your major (or minor) in mathematics with another major (or minor), your possibilities are endless. Some recent mathematics majors and minors at Salem have also completed undergraduate work in:
Accounting, arts management, biology, business administration, chemistry, communication, computer science, dance, economics, education, English, finance, French, German, history, interior design, international business, music, psychology, religion, sociology, Spanish, and studio art.
Our students have entered graduate and professional programs in mathematics, statistics, biometry, biology, chemistry, epidemiology, law, medicine, dentistry, economics, econometrics, accounting, religion, secondary education, educational statistics, public policy, nursing, secondary school administration, civil engineering, environmental engineering, and mathematics education. Our graduates have also found employment opportunities in a wide variety of fields after graduating from Salem, including public health, biostatistics, aviation consulting, fund raising, accounting, banking, financial planning, economics research, elementary, middle and secondary school teaching, and college and university faculty positions. We have alumnae who own their own businesses, who are well-respected artists, who have chaired boards, who are college professors, and who are award-winning high school teachers.
Opportunities for internships and summer research experiences are available locally, nationally, and internationally, and many of our students take advantage of study abroad opportunities in places such as Hungary, Japan, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Greece, and the United Kingdom.
On campus, mathematics majors and minors are active and visible participants in the Women in Science and Mathematics Program (WISMP), the Celebration of Academic Excellence, the QUEST Program, student life, and student government.
All undergraduate students entering Salem College take a Mathematics Placement Examination in order for the department to properly guide each student to the appropriate mathematics courses that satisfy Salem Signature requirements or that satisfy the requirements for her intended major. Traditional-aged students should click here for more information and Fleer Center students should click here for information and instructions. Students are encouraged to enroll in the course in which they are placed as early as possible during their Salem career so that they may benefit the most from the quantitative experience.
Academic support services are offered to students through the Office of Academic Support and through the QUEST Program for quantitative enrichment, science, and technology. The QUEST Center offers on-line resources and in-person tutoring for free to all Salem College students. The Mathematics Department also employs qualified work-study students whenever possible to provide free tutoring in many first- and second-year level courses.
Research continues to support the notion that women who take more mathematics courses in high school and in college experience a positive impact on future earnings. (See: Rose, Betz, Math Matters: The Link Between High School Curriculum, College Graduation and Earnings, 2001.) So, while you may only be required to take a single mathematics course for your major or for General Education purposes, we strongly encourage you to consider taking at least one additional course from our department in order to maximize your earnings potential, strengthen your applications for graduate or professional school, and increase opportunities for internships while a student at Salem College. Rest assured, we will help you and your advisor choose any and all mathematics courses which would be most beneficial to you based on your past mathematical experiences and your academic or career goals.
The mathematics faculty are active, engaged mathematicians who regularly participate in and present at national and international conferences and are committed to the undergraduate education of each Salem student, regardless of the student’s major. With nearly seventy years of combined teaching experience at a variety of levels, and numerous teaching awards between them, you are assured a personal, professional, and individual experience, no matter how many mathematics courses you choose to pursue.
Assistant Professor Emerita Debbie Harrell, (debbie.harrell@salem.edu) received her BS in mathematics from Wake Forest University and her MS in applied mathematics from North Carolina State University. She teaches all levels of mathematics at Salem, and has a love for the history of mathematics and the Fibonacci numbers, and is dedicated to the use of technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics. She is a two-time recipient of the Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Teacher of the Year award at Salem College and has received the HA Pfohl Award at Salem for her service and loyalty to the College and for her excellence in teaching. She loves to read, loves to travel within the United States and across the world, and has sponsored or co-sponsored numerous travel courses, including a service learning course that aided individuals impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
Professor Paula Grafton Young (paula.young@salem.edu) received her BS in mathematics from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, after which she earned the MS and the PhD in mathematics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, with a specialization in functional analysis and mathematical physics. Like her colleagues, she teaches all levels of mathematics at Salem and many of the courses that support the data science minor. She specializes in metric spaces and has interests in mathematical physics, mathematical biology, along with applications of finite difference equations and dynamical systems. She is also a two-time recipient of the ODK Teacher of the Year award and the HA Pfohl award, and served as the Salem Distinguished Professor for the 2002 - 2007 term. Her office is SCIE 106.
Associate Professor Wade Mattox (wade.mattox@salem.edu) received his BS, MS, and PhD from Virginia Tech University. His dissertation, “Homology of Group Von Neumann Algebras,” falls under the categories of group theory, group Von Neumann algebras, and homology. Professor Mattox teaches a full range of mathematics, computing, and technology courses. His commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching and professional activity are hallmarks of Salem’s mathematics faculty–he received the 2011 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year for Teaching Excellence from the Mathematics Department at Virginia Tech and was supported by an NSF grant each of his last two summers as a PhD candidate. His office is SCIE 309. He also spearheaded Salem’s minor in Data Science.
The department offers both a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree with a major in mathematics, as well as a minor in mathematics and a minor in statistics, each of which provides you with the opportunity for in-depth study and prepares you for a wide range of careers and post-graduate study. In consultation with the faculty in the department, you will choose appropriate elective courses and other on- or off-campus opportunities that complement your interests and prepare you for the goals you have set for your future. Our courses are taught in classrooms equipped with relevant technology, including computer algebra systems, object-oriented programming capability, dynamic geometry software, and state-of-the-art statistical computing environments.
Your Results
When you graduate with a major or minor in mathematics or a minor in data science, or just take additional courses in mathematics and computing, you will have the critical theoretical, quantitative, and technological skills necessary to go right into the workforce or right into graduate or professional school. You will be well-equipped to communicate mathematical concepts and ideas, to use appropriate technological tools, and to succeed in whatever goals you have set for yourself.
Through logical and critical thinking, as well as the understanding of the structures and patterns within the discipline itself, the study of mathematics expands one’s ability to tackle complex problems and to approach them by developing a method for their solution. Our students have entered graduate and professional programs in mathematics, statistics, biometry, epidemiology, law, econometrics, engineering fields, and mathematics education. Our graduates have also found employment opportunities in a wide variety of fields after graduating from Salem, including public health, aviation consulting, accounting, financial planning, and college and university faculty positions.
Students may major in mathematics within the Bachelor of Arts degree or within the Bachelor of Science degree. Others may choose to pursue a minor in mathematics to complement their major course of study in preparation for graduate or professional school.
See the section on Core Curriculum Requirements for information about the required mathematics placement process.
Secondary licensure for teaching mathematics requires courses beyond those required for the major. Refer to the section on Education.
All math majors must take at least twelve semester hours above the level of MATH 102 at Salem.
The student who seeks the bachelor of arts degree with a major in mathematics must complete the following:
Required core courses:
MATH 100. Calculus I (5 hrs) *
MATH 101. Calculus II (5 hrs) *
MATH 102. Calculus III (3 hrs)
MATH 110. Introductory Linear Algebra (4 hrs)
MATH 210. Differential Equations (4 hrs)
MATH 221. Modern Algebra (4 hrs)
MATH 321. Analysis of Real Numbers or MATH 330. Complex Variables (4 hrs)
CPSC 100. Introduction to Programming (3 hrs)
One additional MATH elective (3-5 hrs)
* For a student with a strong mathematics background, MATH 100 and 101 may be waived if proficiency standards are met through examination, and the total number of major requirements is reduced accordingly.
The student who seeks the bachelor of science degree with a major in mathematics must complete the following:
Required core courses:
MATH 100. Calculus I (5 hrs) *
MATH 101. Calculus II (5 hrs) *
MATH 102. Calculus III (3 hrs)
MATH 110. Introductory Linear Algebra (4 hrs)
MATH 210. Differential Equations (4 hrs)
MATH 221. Modern Algebra (4 hrs)
MATH 321. Analysis of Real Numbers or MATH 330. Complex Variables (4 hrs)
CPSC 100. Introduction to Programming (3 hrs)
PHYS 210. General Physics I (5 hrs)
Electives:
Select three (3) MATH electives numbered 107 and above (3-5 hrs min. each)
Select one additional course (3-5 hrs) ** in an allied discipline at the 100 level or above (ACCT, BIOL, CHEM, ECON, ENVS, FINC or PHYS). Students may petition the chair of the department if she wishes to satisfy this requirement with a course from another discipline not listed here.
* For a student with a strong mathematics background, MATH 100 and 101 may be waived if proficiency standards are met through AP or IB examination, and the total number of major requirements is reduced accordingly.
** The course in an allied discipline must be at the 100-level or above; a student may petition the chair of the department of mathematics for permission to include two courses from another allied discipline not listed here.
The minor in mathematics requires the completion of the following:
Required courses:
MATH 100. Calculus I (5 hrs)
MATH 101. Calculus II (5 hrs)
MATH 102. Calculus III or two MATH electives above MATH 102 (3-4 hrs min.), CPSC 100 may count as one
Two of the five classes must be taken at Salem.
The minor in data science requires the completion of the following:
Required courses:
CPSC 100. Introduction to Programming (3 hrs)
CPSC 101. Programming for Data Science (4 hrs)
MATH 107. Statistics with R (4 hrs)
MATH 242. Nonparametric Statistical Methods (4 hrs)
SCIE 040. Spreadsheets for Science and Mathematics (2 hrs)
At least 3 of the required courses must be completed at Salem College.
Class Year: 2004
Major: Mathematics
Graduate Studies: MS, PhD in educational research methodology
Career: Educational research scientist, NCAA
Below are internship and other off-campus opportunities completed by Salem mathematics students:
See our Academic Catalog for all of our course offerings.