Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Welcome to the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of the Incarnate Word. One of six departments in the School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering, the department supports students whose career goals require a strong mathematical foundation with quantitative, analytical and critical thinking skills. Whether in San Antonio or around the world, there is a steady demand for graduates with these skills in business, industry, government, education and other established and emerging sectors.
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers several degree options, including a Bachelor of Science in Data Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and a Bachelor of Science in Statistics, in addition to three minors. Each mathematics degree also prepares students for career advancement as well as graduate study in mathematics, statistics, engineering or any technical field.
UIW mathematics and statistics students enjoy small class sizes with a high faculty-to-student ratio, as well as opportunities for one-on-one mentoring for students from the full-time faculty members. As students learn, the department also offers plenty of opportunities for professional growth outside the classroom, including National Science Foundation-supported mentoring, volunteer opportunities, attendance and presentation at conferences, as well as support for job-seeking and summer research opportunities. Students can also form relationships with like-minded peers through student organizations such as UIW Math Club and the service-learning organization, Cardinal Math Circle. What’s more, the Math Tutoring Lab provides direct support for students in mathematics and statistics courses.
Data Science
Beginning in Fall 2020, students have the opportunity to pursue a bachelor's degree in Data Science. This field of study integrates a strong foundation in mathematics with the study of statistics, data analysis, data science and machine learning, systems and scripting languages. Students can also further tailor their education and career preparation through the selection of program electives that include higher mathematical concepts, deep learning and business information systems. Through this new program, data science majors prepare for fast-growing career fields in anything from financial analysis to business intelligence to data strategy and much more.
Mathematics
The mathematics program emphasizes concepts, procedures and connections. All courses develop reasoning abilities along with skills in precise communication of concepts. Problem-solving is addressed throughout the degree programs. Students are provided with a solid mathematical foundation that prepares them for advanced graduate study or careers in education, businesses, industrial or other professional fields and practical skills and methods to deal with realistic problems in those fields. Mathematics majors are well-prepared for jobs requiring expertise in quantitative analysis and problem solving, and for a wide variety of graduate and professional programs.
Statistics
With their deep understanding of mathematics, probability, patterns and data analysis, statistics professionals are in high demand in a number of industries as well as government. Students of the statistics program study higher mathematics and data and can further specialize their study through electives that span a breadth of approaches to applied data analysis. This degree program also prepares students for advanced academic study in graduate school or through research.
Actuarial Science
The minor in Actuarial Science is open to students across all fields of study but particularly complements mathematics and business degree offerings. Students from other fields of study can enrich their understanding of data, financial management, markets and risk management.
Course Placement Exam
To place a student in the appropriate-level math course, incoming freshmen take an Accuplacer exam, or ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (PPL). Success in college begins with appropriate course placement. With a unique combination of adaptive assessment and personalized learning, ALEKS PPL will accurately measure your math foundation and will create a personalized learning module for you to review and refresh your math knowledge. This allows you to be placed in the right course, expediting your path to complete your degree.