Mathematics

Mission Statement

The mission of the Mathematics Department at San Jose State University is to offer undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees in Mathematics that prepare students to pursue continuing graduate study, to work in industry, and to teach in secondary schools or community colleges. We strive to teach our students to communicate mathematical ideas effectively and to use basic computational skills, mathematical models and technology to solve practical problems. The Mathematics Department offers a variety of courses that serve students in other departments, notably engineering, science, and business, to help them use mathematics and quantitative analysis effectively in their chosen field. The Mathematics Department strives to teach well, maintain high standards for student performance, and keep its curriculum up to date. The Department also takes pride in a faculty that is active in scholarship and research, which includes the encouragement and supervision of student research in Center for Applied Mathematics, Computation and Statistics (CAMCOS) projects and graduate student theses.

Outcomes - BA Mathematics & BA Mathematics - Preparation for Teaching

Goal 1 The Ability to Use and Construct Logical Arguments
The ability to reason logically to conclusions, including the ability to use precise definitions and to use various forms of logical argument.

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to give direct proofs
   
2. Ability to give proofs by contradiction
   
3. Ability to give proofs by mathematical induction
   
4. Ability to apply definitions to give proofs
   
5. Ability to give proofs and disproofs involving quantified statements

Goal 2 The Ability to Communicate Mathematics Effectively
The ability to read mathematics with understanding and to communicate mathematical ideas with clarity and coherence.

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to state a problem accurately, articulate assumptions, and describe a method of solution
   
2. Ability to conduct independent investigation of mathematical concepts at the undergraduate level
   
3. Ability to give written reports and oral presentations that include mathematical context which is mathematically accurate, yet accessible to classmates

Goal 3 The Ability to Perform Standard Mathematical Computations

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

Goal 4 The Ability to Use Technology to Solve Mathematical Problems

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to write programs to solve mathematical problems
   
2. Ability to use a mathematical programming environment such as MATLAB or Maple
   
3. Ability to interpret numerical results 4. Ability to understand that there are limits to numerical accuracy

Outcomes - BS Applied and Computational Mathematics

Goal 1 The Ability to Communicate Mathematics Effectively
The ability to read mathematics with understanding and to communicate mathematical ideas with clarity and coherence.

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to state a problem accurately, articulate assumptions, and describe a method of solution
   
2. Ability to conduct independent investigation of mathematical concepts at the undergraduate level
   
3. Ability to give written reports and oral presentations that include mathematical context which is mathematically accurate, yet accessible to classmates

Goal 2 The Ability to Perform Standard Mathematical Computations

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to evaluate limits
   
2. Ability to calculate derivatives and integrals
   
3. Ability to determine regions of convergence 4. Ability to apply properties of algebraic and transcendental functions

Goal 3 The Ability to Use Technology to Solve Mathematical Problems

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to write programs to solve mathematical problems
   
2. Ability to use a mathematical programming environment such as MATLAB or Maple
   
3. Ability to interpret numerical results
   
4. Ability to understand that there are limits to numerical accuracy

Goal 4 The Ability to Use Mathematical Models to Solve Practical Problems

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to extract relevant information from a practical problem and give a mathematical formulation of the problem
   
2. Ability to use numerical results to validate (or modify) a model and to understand the limitation of a model
   
3. Ability to clearly describe models, including an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of models and their relationship to the underlying problem

Outcomes - MS Mathematics and MA Mathematics and MA Mathematics, Concentration in Mathematics Education

Goal 1 The Ability to Read, Understand, and Explicate Journal Articles in Mathematics Related to the Student's Area of Specialty

Goal 2 The Ability to Communicate Mathematics Effectively

1. Ability to explain mathematics orally
   
2. Ability to write clear mathematical explanations

Assessment Schedule:   undergraduate and graduate programs

Assessment reports:  spring 2007 (doc)      fall 2007 (doc)

this page last updated 2/18/08

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Undergraduate Studies
Located in ADM 159
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0030
408.924.2447
fax: 408.924.2444

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San José State University - Home of the Spartans
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192 - 408.924.1000