The Undergraduate Majors Committee has worked this past year to improve and update the curriculum for mathematics majors. All of the freshman and sophomore level mathematics courses now have sections designed specifically for math majors (MA 161M, 162M, 261M, and 351M). These courses will be taught by specially selected faculty in small class environments to promote "bonding" between faculty and students.
Two new courses (MA 108 and MA 366) will become part of the math major curriculum. MA 108, a one-hour orientation class, will introduce freshmen to mathematics and inform them how they can best prepare for the job market. Outside speakers will be invited to class to discuss their careers and talk about what one can do with a mathematics degree. In addition, talks about mathematical subjects, such as fractals and data compression, are also planned.
MA 366 is a new course on differential equations which replaces MA 262 in the major sequence. One of the features of 366 is a one-hour computer lab, in which students will get hands on experience modeling real-world problems.
A major thrust of the Undergraduate Committee has been to focus on what our students do when they leave Purdue. In addition to the Career Nights and the MA 108 class, Professor Penney has built a series of pages on the World Wide Web that contain numerous links to career information. The page has already become an important resource for anyone who is either considering a career or looking for a job in mathematics. You can check it out at
http://www.math.purdue.edu/~rcp/Careers.html
The Undergraduate Majors Committee is also planning to make a major effort to expand the Co-op and Internship programs. Please drop us a line if you know of any companies that would be willing to consider a bright math student for such a position!