Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Thomas E. Eskew, Chair
424 Andy Holt Humanities Building
731-881-7360
fax 731-881-1407

Faculty

John P. Bush, Chris K. Caldwell, Jennifer Cearfoss, John Cochran, Tamara Daniel, Jason DeVito, James D. Elder, E. Steve Elliott, Thomas E. Eskew, Dana Gatewood, Pamela Guerrero, Susan Hamilton, Louis W. Kolitsch, Stephanie M. Kolitsch, Curtis J. Kunkel, Desireé A. McCullough, Amanda Niedzialomski, Robert Niedzialomski, David L. Ray, John J. Schommer, Justin R. Sims, Brian C. Wagner

Mission

The mission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics is to provide a high-quality program that enables students throughout the university to examine and appreciate the principal concepts of mathematics and statistics and to utilize them effectively in applications. The program incorporates modeling, real-world data, classical and contemporary methods and modern technology. The department offers majors and minors that are designed to prepare students for graduate study or for entering a profession. The curriculum also provides service courses to programs in all colleges. The department maintains a vital program of research and makes outreach courses available to the citizens of the region.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of his/her degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a major in mathematics, the graduate will be able to:

apply mathematical concepts and principles to perform numerical and symbolic computations.
use technology appropriately to investigate and solve (mathematical and statistical) problems.
write clear and precise proofs.
communicate effectively in both written and oral form.
demonstrate the ability to read and learn mathematics and/or statistics independently.

Secondary Mathematics Majors in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Students in the College of Education, Health, and Behavioral Sciences who are secondary mathematics majors with the intent of teaching in secondary schools are required by the College of Education, Health, and Behavioral Sciences to complete the following courses: MATH 210 , MATH 251 , MATH 252 , MATH 310 , MATH 314 , MATH 320 , MATH 410 , MATH 420 , MATH 451 , MATH 471 and six additional hours of upper-division mathematics or statistics courses. Students should consult the College of Education, Health, and Behavioral Sciences pages in the catalog for all other course requirements.

Admission Requirements

Mathematics placement recommendations for entering students will be based on their mathematics placement examination results, their mathematics ACT score and their high school record. All students are encouraged to take the placement exam before enrolling in their first mathematics course.

Students who have a deficiency in algebra or geometry must remove the deficiency by taking the appropriate mathematics course(s), one per deficiency.

Students, particularly in science, who need more than one year of mathematics should plan to take MATH 251 -MATH 252 . If a student has not completed high school trigonometry, he/she should take MATH 170 or MATH 185 before enrolling in MATH 251 .

Facilities

As the first state university in Tennessee to allow Internet access to all students and faculty from residence halls, apartments and offices, UT Martin’s computer facilities rank among some of the best in the Southeast if not the nation. Numerous student labs provide access to a variety of personal computers (Windows and MacOS). Some of the labs are open 24 hours. All computers in the university labs provide for Internet access. Student computer labs adjacent to the Paul Meek Library are open 24 hours, 7 days a week and include Maple and Minitab software for mathematics and statistics students.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics operates a people-oriented mathematics lab. Tutorial assistance is provided for students in freshman and sophomore-level mathematics courses. Several self-paced courses are offered through the lab. Students in mathematics-intensive majors are employed as tutors in the mathematics lab.

Scholarships and Awards

The Arthur L. and Nelle L. Sparks Mathematics Scholarships are awarded to students majoring in mathematics who have demonstrated successful academic performance. Selection is made by the UT Martin Scholarship Committee. The Louise Knifley Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior mathematics major with appropriate mathematics courses and grade point average. The faculty selects the recipient. In addition to the Knifley scholarship, the Mathematics Award is given to the outstanding senior in mathematics as selected by the faculty.

Student Organizations

The department supports a student mathematics organization that provides opportunities for extra-curricular mathematical activities and interaction with the faculty in an informal setting. The department encourages student membership in a national organization of mathematicians and/or statisticians such as the Mathematics Association of America (MAA) or the American Statistical Association (ASA). The department also encourages student research, student presentations and student attendance at regional mathematics conferences.