<p>Can any current student at UVA comment on the Math Dept and the History Dept there? My D is undecided but those are two strong interests. Thanks…</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard the math department isn’t that great. You shouldn’t get too bogged down on individual departments though, especially if your daughter is planning on going to grad school. I wanna be a math major btw.</p>
<p>i don’t think your d. can go wrong with anything from a school like UVA ! my soon-to-be graduate got her first job many months before graduation, involving statistical analysis, if that helps!</p>
<p>The math department is fine. So is the history department. You should worry more about overall academic quality and student life rather than undergraduate departmental prestige.</p>
<p>my understanding is that low level math classes - which are all taught by grad students - for the most part are fine as long as you get a TA who can speak english. i happened to have a great TA for calc 132 when i was a first year - so its hit and miss. </p>
<p>I do remember my TA saying how hard the Ph.D. program was (but i’m guessing any ph.d. program in math is going to be hard) - but i don’t know if that makes it “good” or not. I don’t really know if that helps in the math department.</p>
<p>I am a history major and can speak a lot about that department. UVa’s history department is stacked. I have yet to have a bad, let alone mediocre professor. Now, take that with a grain of salt, not all the professors are life changing lecturers. You will learn a lot though - they are all very well qualified - and they all will bend over backwards to help you if you need it/want it. Be careful, usually the outgoing ones are the ones who are more demanding of their students - double edged sword i guess. </p>
<p>I don’t actually know if there are 100 level history courses - most intro history courses are 200 level. Depending on the class, you’ll be expected to read between 100-200 pgs/week for a 200 level history course, write between 8-16 pages, and take at least 2 exams. Almost all the reading is primary source. The only textbook I had was for korean history, and i presume that was because no one (like me) knew anything about korea other than what continent it was on. These classes are generally 100-200 students and have discussion sections once a week led by either a TA or the professor himself with 20 students or so.</p>
<p>300 level history courses are more in depth and are generally 30-50 students. Most also break into discussion sections - usually between 10 and 15 people. You’ll be expected to write at least 10 pages (expect around 20+ if you arn’t given exams) for almost all 300 level history classes, and you’ll be expected to read 200+ pages/week.</p>
<p>400 level history classes are thesis classes, generally you meet 1 on 1 (although technically there is a class of about 8 students) with a professor and write a 30 page paper. All history majors must write a thesis.</p>
<p>yea what is it over half of all ppl change their major at least once or something? calc is pretty hard here apparently but after that its pretty easy.</p>
<p>im taking a 500 level math class. the professor is pretty boring, but i dont see how anyone can make black-schole-merton theorem and stochastic calculus interesting.</p>
<p>Remember why you are learning this stuff - Simply put dollar signs on your answers.</p>
<p>im taking a 500 level math class too lol. the professor has a thick accent but is still understandable and writes everything on the board so you know what hes talking about. sort of. haha. yayyy abstract algebra.</p>
<p>damn, first year taking 500 math. damn.</p>
<p>there’s another one in the class too. haha. she’s a college science scholar though.</p>
<p>wow, your a first year taking a 500 level math class?</p>
<p>did you go to TJ? What math classes did you take in high school? What classes are you taking?</p>
<p>Man I wanna take 500 level math classes my first year (even though I’m doing engineering…) but I’ll probably only be able to start around 300 (finishing up Lin Alg right now and may be able to test out of diffeq’s even though I probably shouldn’t if I can)</p>
<p>How’d you pull it?</p>
<p>Untitled, I understand your point, but I would think that if you don’t perk up at the thought of abstract math then 500-level theory classes just aren’t for you, lol. I am dying to find holes is my engineering schedule to double major in math or physics. Then again this is coming from a guy who thinks that taking real analysis freshman year would be fun… I might be in for a rude awakening</p>
<p>hmm. im in BC calc as a senior in hs right now and IB math hl 2. which level math would i end up in as a first year if i get, say a 4 on the BC exam, and a 5 or 6 on the IB exams?</p>
<p>To Jags861: THANK YOU for that extensive outline of the history dept. I so appreciate the time you took for that one. And thanks to all of you with your various takes on the math dept! For my very first experience starting a thread, this was great. I do agree the overall quality of the school, the location and the personal “fit” is what counts, but I don’t want her to get somewhere and find that the dept she is taking many classes with has a poor reputation. Next objective is to just GET IN…less than 3 weeks to go. Thanks again…</p>
<p>I went to a public high school near Philadelphia. Instead of taking the AP exam in either AB or BC calc (I took the former class junior yr and the latter sr yr) I just went to a local univ. and took Calc 2 and 3 there over the course of the summer after my junior year through the summer after my senior year, when I also took Differential Equations. If you have completed the Calc sequence (through Calc 3) you have already placed out of all 200 level math classes. Diff Eq and Lin Alg are 300 level classes.</p>
<p>The way my schedule worked out this semester, and the fact that I have a strong background in linear algebra, led me to take abstract algebra (math 552). Last semester I took 310 (calc based prob) and 354 (intro to alg). I also took AP stat in hs which helped with 310. I had originally planned to take 312 (stat) and 334 (complex) this semester but I ended up being shut out of said classes because I am a first year so all the upperclassmen registered for them before I could and no one dropped in a timely manner.</p>
<p>There are many people who either get double majors or at least a minor who are in the e-school. Math and physics are very easy to get. You could also consider switching to the college and double majoring in math and physics there…</p>
<p>A 4 on the Calc BC test will place you into Calc 3, math 231. A 3 will place you into Calc 2, math 132.</p>
<p>Edit: also, you SHOULD try to get out of diff eq, it’s pretty rough here apparently.</p>
<p>I am taking Calc 1 and 2 through a dual enrollment through University of Pittsburgh and was planning on taking either linear algebra or differential equations this summer but I just read that there are two other classes that are pre.reqs.</p>
<p>Did you run into this or were you just able to take the class?</p>
<p>i’ve found the math department disappointing so far, but the history department is for sure better than the math dept.</p>
<p>Differential equations isn’t a requirement to be a math major. Phew. When taking 310 and 312 is it better to take one right after the other or is it ok if you take 310 and then 312 after summer break?</p>
<p>im taking 312 whenever because actually you dont really learn anything in 310. or at least i learned nothing. i decided that i would have no clue as to anything going on whether i took 312 now or later so yea. i am going to take 312 this summer or next summer i think. my 310 class, i had all take home open note tests so yea. thats how that goes. now that the prof has retired it might be diff (same prof taught it for like 40 yrs).</p>
<p>no one checks prereqs. also um you only need calc 2 for both linear and diff eq…? you need to check how your classes will transfer. <a href=“http://www.web.virginia.edu/ArtsSci/credit/credit_analyzer.asp[/url]”>http://www.web.virginia.edu/ArtsSci/credit/credit_analyzer.asp</a> my calc classes transfered as 132, 231. You need to make sure your calc classes aren’t transfering as 121/2 because that is the terminal calc sequence that doesn’t allow access to higher level math classes. if your classes are transferring as that you have some problems (you don’t get credit for 121/2 and 131/2 so you will lose your credit for 121/2 by taking 131/2, but you will not be able to get into any other math classes unless you take 131/2 so you’ll have to take it). this is like step #1 whenever you take any college math class. check if it will transfer. now you know.</p>
<p>also diff eq is a req. usually it depends on your math CONCENTRATION requirements which can be found <a href=“Program: Mathematics - University of Virginia - Acalog ACMS™”>Program: Mathematics - University of Virginia - Acalog ACMS™; here. diff eq is required for all concentrations it looks like. 310/12 is not required for all concentrations and frankly dont take it if you dont have to. its not miserable but its pretty ridiculous and wont help you in the long run unless you’re going for some kind of business econ thing.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info; I really appreciate it. Calc 1 and 2 transfer as 131/2.</p>