Applied Mathematics

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The number one myth about math is that the only jobs in mathematics are for teachers. This simply is not true. In reality, jobs in mathematics are exploding, with expected growth in mathematics jobs between 2012 and 2022 double that of the overall job market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Career paths in mathematics include software development, computational biology, data science, business problem solving, risk management and more.

Rockhurst University Mathematics is committed to providing relevant and practical courses, as well as extracurricular opportunities that develop students’ lifelong commitment to learning, leadership and service. Students acquire the mathematical, computing and soft skills necessary to meet the growing demands of our community in mathematics fields and to become strong, socially responsible leaders.

The mathematics programs at Rockhurst University provide a set of courses ranging from the theoretical to the applied to meet the professional and graduate school needs of our majors and minors. We are also committed to providing relevant and practical mathematics courses to satisfy the University’s proficiency requirement and to support coursework in other disciplines.

The applied mathematics major was created to satisfy our society’s needs for quantitatively and computationally savvy people. Students gain valuable mathematical and computational skills to create solutions to real world problems.  An applied mathematics degree may be well suited for students thinking about starting a career right after graduation. It is also well suited for students wanting to continue a graduate degree in applied mathematics or a graduate degree in other disciplines like analytics, biostatistics, or cyber security, for example.

It is easy to double major as an applied mathematics major. Typical double majors are Analytics and Technology, Computer Science, Physics, Economics, and Biochemistry. See Applied Mathematics, B.S.  

Program Goals

• Students will demonstrate rigorous mathematical thinking and authentic problem solving.
• Students will communicate their mathematical understanding in a variety of settings, both orally and in writing.
• Students will use technology to support and illustrate their mathematical investigations and problem solving.
• Students will demonstrate breadth, depth and ethical understanding of the mathematical sciences and their connections with other disciplines.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Use mathematical arguments to reason.
• Solve problems in novel settings using mathematics.
• Independently read mathematics in order to engage in mathematical reasoning.
• Effectively communicate mathematical ideas in writing.
• Effectively communicate mathematical ideas orally.
• Independently use the computer as a numerical, graphical, algebraic tool to aid their mathematical reasoning.