sirlaxalot

Any potential math majors? i know its not the most popular major.
If you know anything about the program like:
number of students in the major,
whether its difficult or not,
would i be able to minor in say economics,
I am taking AP CALC BC, finished AB with a 5, and i can place into a 200's level course as a freshman-> will it be too much to handle? and are there a lot of freshman in 200's math courses?

AngelofLogic

I don't know how many math majors there are, but at least a few hundred. Like any respectible math program, it should be challenging but not overly difficult. You will definitely be able to minor in econ, especially if you do a BS in math as you can sub 2 classes for your econ ones. If you got a 5 on BC, then I'd recommend you take Multivariable Calculus. It's standard and a required course for the major.

bluebayou

According to IPEDS, there were 41 math grads last year.

Note that AB is only half of a calc course in college. Most high schools teach it over one year, whereas in college, you will blow through that same material in ~12 weeks.

worried_mom

There are currently 250 undergraduates at BC that have declared a math major.

"Difficult or not" is highly subjective. No, it is not easy, but since you are considering a math major, I assume that you are good at math and interested in the subject, so it would more likely be challenging than overwhelming for you.

Yes, there is plenty of flexibility to minor in economics, regardless of which route (BA or BS) you choose.

If you get a 5 on your AP Calc BC exam, you can go directly into MT202 (Multivariate Calculus). That means you can start working towards the major's requirements right away and it makes room for an extra elective, which you can use for that econ minor or a double major or just a course for "fun." Over 1/3 of the freshman math majors register for MT 202 right off the bat, so you will have plenty of company. My son -- who will graduate with a BS in math next week -- did that and did not feel it was any big deal.

sirlaxalot

is a BA more general then a BS?
im pretty confused about this.

It sounds like with a BS, courses are more specific and practical-field related, headed towards applications?

and a BA is more of a liberal study of math?

can someone point out the distinguishing factors?

I am a potential math major, but I am also interested in physics and engineering..
but since BC has no engineering.......

worried_mom

The differences between the B.A. and B.S. in math are pretty clearly stated on the Math Dept.'s website.

The B.S. route is recommended for those planning to go on to graduate level studies in math and/or are interested in scientific applications of math. The B.A. route is suggested for students interested in teaching math at the K-12 level or who want to pursue a double major or minor in a non-quantitative subject.

If you compare the B.S. and B.A. requirements directly, you'll see that the B.A. program offers more flexibility for taking electives (providing more open slots in your schedule for pursuing a double major or a minor), because the B.S. program has many more required courses.

No. of required math classes: 8 for B.S., 5 for B.A.
No. of elective math classes required: 12 credits for B.S., 18 credits for B.A.
No. of science classes required: 12 credits for B.S., none for B.A.

B.S. in Mathematics - Mathematics Department - Boston College

B.A in Mathematics - Mathematics Department - Boston College

Up until 3 years ago, BC offered only the B.A. in math. Last spring, BC awarded its first B.S. degrees in math (5), in addition to 36 B.A. degrees in math. I suspect that the proportion of B.S. degrees will be significantly higher for the Class of 2012 since it was the first class to have had 3 full years to schedule and complete all of the necessary classes.