Student Opportunities
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Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics | College of Science and Mathematics |
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Student Opportunities
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The Department prepares
majors for industry, teaching, or for
seeking an advanced degree in graduate studies. In addition
to coursework, students can engage in a variety of activities
outside the classroom to further their learning and education.
The student
handbook for mathematics and statistics majors contains a
plethora of information for majors. More opportunities are outlined
below.
Help outside the classroom In addition to office hours offered by course instructors, students can visit the Science and Math Learning Center during open hours for help in most lower-level mathematics courses. If desired, students can also hire a mathematics tutor for individual help. A list of mathematics tutors can be picked up from the math department office directly outside Roop 308. REU Program JMU has been chosen for a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site in mathematics. All qualified undergraduates are encouraged to apply for this eight-week program, in which students will work in groups of two under the supervision of their faculty mentor. More information and how to apply. NSF UBM Program JMU was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to establish undergraduate research teams involving mathematics/statistics students along with biology students. These research teams will work together with faculty mentors from both mathematics and biology on long-term research activities that includes an eight-week summer research program. Applications are due March 21, 2008. More information and how to apply. Competitions The Department offers a Problem of the Week during the fall and spring semesters. All students regardless of their major are welcome to participate in the Problem of the Week. The COMAP Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) is an annual international contest for high school students and college undergraduates. There are two problems, Problem A (continuous) and Problem B (discrete), and teams of three students have from 8pm Thursday night until 8pm the following Monday to work on the problem of their choice. Typically, around 800 teams representing 250 institutions from eleven countries submit solution papers. JMU has had teams entering the competition since 1990. In that time, we have had four Honorable Mention and four Meritorious awards. Our best ever result was achieved in 2001 when JMU was the only institution to have two teams each do a different problem and both be awarded Meritorious. If you are interested in participating in COMAP, please contact Professor Caroline Lubert. Undergraduate ResearchIn addition to the REU program, there are many opportunities for undergraduate research both over the summer and throughout the academic year. Graduate schools, employers, and educational organizations like to see undergradiate research experience on resumes. Such an opportunity is a unique and enlightening experience, independent of your future career path. Interested students should speak to a Mathematics/Statistics faculty member about undergraduate research opportunities. Graduate School, Internships, and Career Information The JMU Career and Academic Planning office has information on employers, internships, job planning, resumes, interviewing, and more. The following links contain career and graduate school information from various mathematical and statistical professional organizations:
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