Mathematical Sciences

Message from Department

Studying mathematical sciences aboard allows students to encounter the deep history of mathematics more fully while at the same time observing exciting new applications and discoveries. Experiencing teaching and learning in the mathematical sciences from another cultural perspective will bring new insights and intuition. While abroad you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in new languages, literary traditions, cultures, and landscapes. As you surround yourself with new perspectives you can use your experiences to strengthen your problem-solving skills. Your time abroad will leave you a more self-confident, independent learner with a better understanding of our globalized world.

Planning

Planning your Program:

The best time for a Mathematics major to go abroad will be a combination of their concentration, credits they have transferred in, whether they have a dual major or a minor, whether they plan on taking any summer classes, and obviously their personal situation. Listed below are some suggested time frames for each concentration. Students looking to go abroad during a different period are encouraged to work closely with their Mathematics advisor and the Education Abroad Office.

For all concentrations short-term study abroad, opportunities are normally fairly easy to fit into a student’s degree plan. Students are able to start participating on short-term programs (winter break, spring break, and summer) as early as their first year. Students participating on short-term faculty-led programs often fulfill General Education, Major Free Electives, Major Concentration courses, Language requirements, or 2nd Major/Minor requirements. Students participating on partner summer programs may be able to fulfill Mathematics requirements in addition to the above options. Some students will also engage in research or complete an international internship.

Actuarial Science

The best time for a student to complete a semester program is during the 1st semester of the Junior year or 1st semester of the Senior year. Students looking to go abroad these semesters will need to look for programs that offer Financial Mathematics, Intro to Finance, Survey of Investments, and Principles of Risk Management and Insurance.

BS Mathematics

The best time for a student to complete a semester program is the 2nd semester of Junior year or 1st semester of Senior year. Students may also study abroad earlier but will need to work closely with the department to find programs that offer the MAT and STT courses that they need.

Business/Computational/General/Life Sciences/Physical Sciences/Statisticss

The best time for a student to complete a semester program is between the 2nd semester of their Sophomore Year through the Spring of Junior Year. Students often take Major Elective or Major Concentration requirements while abroad. Students should work closely with their advisor to plan for their semester abroad during the 2nd semester of their Junior Year or the 1st semester of the Senior year. It may also be possible to spend a semester abroad during the 2nd semester of Sophomore year or 1st semester of Junior year but students will need to find programs that offer MAT 3220, MAT 3130/3310, STAT 3850 or plan on taking some of these courses during an Appalachian summer session. MAT 3130 and STAT 3850 are normally offered during summer sessions.

BA Mathematics

The best time for a student to complete a semester program is during the 2nd semester of Junior year or 1st semester of the Senior year. The 2nd semester of Sophomore year can also be a possibility especially if students take MAT 3130 or STAT 3850 during a summer session.

Mathematics Secondary Education

Most Secondary Education students will participate in a short-term program or on the International Student Teaching program their final semester. Students with advanced placement or transfer credits may be able to study abroad for a semester during their Sophomore year.

Course Considerations:

As you look to find the right program aboard, remember that different countries partition mathematics in different ways. You will need to work closely with the office of international education and the assistant chair of mathematical sciences to make sure that you are taking the right mathematics and statistics courses abroad. Also, remember that if your host institution offers an interesting mathematics or statics course without an equivalence at Appalachian, we could consider this course as a mathematics elective at the 2000 or 3000 level depending on the subject matter. Finally, note that with the exception of the college of education’s international student teaching program, mathematics education courses with field experiences will not be able to be taken aboard. These include PSY 3010, SPE 3300, MAT 3015, MAT 4015, and CI 4085.

Students may be able to find equivalents to core major requirements abroad such as Differential Equations and Linear Algebra.

Students looking to participate in a semester or short-term program can also look to satisfy General Education requirements. It is suggested that students save 1 or 2 LSE requirements for their study abroad program. It may be possible to satisfy an ILE, Science Inquiry, or Quantitative Literacy course but this requires more advanced planning. BA Mathematics students can also participate in a summer or semester language program to satisfy their Intermediate language requirements or look to take Minor courses.

Advising:

Begin by speaking with your departmental advisor. If you do not yet have a departmental advisor, please contact Astrid Sosa (sosaa1@appstate.edu) and she will assign an advisor to you. After discussing your plans with your advisor and talking to the Office of International Education, you will want to contact the assistant chair of mathematical sciences, Katie Mawhinney (mawhinneykj@appstate.edu), to determine equivalencies and plan your course schedule abroad. As you make your plans for study abroad you will want to ask the following key questions.

Questions for your advisor:

What are my remaining degree requirements?
How many upper-division credits do I still need to complete for my degree?
How many elective credits (lower vs. upper division) do I have left to complete my major?
What remaining prerequisites must I fulfill, and how might a study abroad impact my progress?

Questions for the assistant chair of Mathematical Sciences:

Which of my remaining degree requirements could I complete abroad? Are there any that I cannot take abroad?
Can I receive academic credit for an internship abroad?
Are there any in-residence requirements I need to be aware of before I go abroad?

Programs

Mathematical Sciences majors often participate on faculty-led programs, summer partner programs, as well as semester programs. Students should work closely with their department to understand what requirements may be taken abroad. Listed below are some possible options. Students have also participated on summer language programs through the Appalachian language department or through our partner schools.

Program Type Information

Faculty-led

All faculty-led programs for fall 2021 have been suspended due to the ongoing pandemic. Please check back beginning in summer 2021 for updates about faculty-led programs for Spring Break and Summer I & II 2022.

Below are examples of previous faculty-led programs.

Secret Codes Through World War II

Program Type: Faculty-led
Available Terms: Summer
Country: United Kingdom
Standing: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Unique Features: Counts as a 2 credit math elective in program of study.

Short-term

CEA Paris STEM

Program Type: Affiliate
Available Terms: Summer
Country: France
Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Unique Feature: Course offerings have included Calculus III, Differential Equations, and Statistics. Students should look at this program the summer after their 1st or 2nd year.

ISA Glasgow

Program Type: Affiliate
Available Terms: Summer
Country: Scotland
Standing: Junior, Senior
Unique Feature: Offers students the option of taking Mathematics (Differential Equations and Linear Algebra) track or the Physics (Dynamics and Relativity, waves and sound, thermal dynamics and Geometrical & Wave optics, electromagnetism and quantum phenomena) track during the summer. Students should look at this program the summer after their 1st or 2nd year.

USAC Valencia

Program Type: Affiliate
Available Terms: Summer
Country: Spain
Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Unique Feature: Program normally offers Differential Equations and Statistics during the summer in addition to Nutrition and PE 1 credit electives. Students should look at this program the summer after their 1st or 2nd year.

Semester

University of Canberra

Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Australia
Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Examples of classes include Biostatistics, Mathematical Structures, Multivariate Statistics, Regression Modelling, Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, and Mathematical Modelling.

La Trobe University

Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Australia
Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Examples of classes include Linear Algebra, Complex Analysis, Vector Calculus, Computation and Simulation, Advanced Calculus and Curvature, Probability Models, Statistical Inference, Computation and Simulation, and Analyses of Linear Models.

Southern Cross University

Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Australia
Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Examples of classes include Multivariate Calculus and Differential Equations, Complex Analysis, Group Theory, Statistical Analysis, and Topology.

ISEP The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Program Type: ISEP Exchange
Available Terms: Fall, Spring
Country: Hong Kong
Standing: Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Past course offerings have included Linear Algebra I & II, Advanced Calculus I & II, Mathematical Analysis I & II, Introduction to Topology, Numerical Analysis, Fourier Analysis, Real Analysis, Financial Mathematics, Partial Differential Equations, Optimization Theory, and Stochastic Processes.

Bishop Heber College

Program Type: Partial Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall
Country: India
Standing: Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY
Unique Feature: Best suited for students looking to take some upper level electives. Course offerings include Sequences and Series, Differential Equations and Laplace Transforms, Modern Algebra, Real Analysis, Mechanics, Numerical Methods, Complex Analysis, Discrete Mathematics, Vector Calculus, Mathematical Modeling, and Operations Research.

Kristu Jayanti

Program Type: Full Exchange
Available Terms: Fall, Spring
Country: India
Standing: Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Best suited for students looking to take some upper level electives.

Madras Christian College

Program Type: Full Exchange
Available Terms: Fall, Spring
Country: India
Standing: Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY
Unique Feature: Best suited for students looking to take some upper level electives. Course offerings include Differential Equations and Laplace Transforms, Algebraic Structures, Multivariate Calculus and Theory of Numbers, Linear Algebra, Advanced Calculus, Real Analysis, Mathematical Statistics, Complex Analysis, and Mechanics.

USAC Cork

Program Type: Affiliate
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Ireland
Standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Course offerings include Linear Algebra, Introduction to Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Algebraic Methods and Applications, Multivariate Calculus with Financial Applications, Dynamical Systems, Algebraic Techniques and Applications, Ordinary Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems, Introduction to Biostatistics, Introduction to Regression Analysis, Stochastic Modelling, Probability and Mathematical Statistics, Data Analysis, Financial Mathematics, and more.

Universidad de las Americas Puebla

Program Type: Full Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Mexico
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Language: Spanish language courses offered. Students with advanced language ability are able to take courses taught in Spanish.
Concentration: MAT, BUS, LIFE, PHY
Unique Feature: Course offerings in English have included Mathematical Analysis II, Calculus I, Regression Analysis, and Ordinary Differential Equations.

ISEP Al Akhawayn

Program Type: ISEP Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Morocco
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Language: Arabic courses offered.
Concentration: ACT, BUS, COMP, MAT
Unique Feature: Course offerings include Calculus I & II, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory, Differential Equations, Probability and Statistics for Engineers, and Special Topics in Mathematics.

Radboud University

Program Type: Basic Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Spring
Country: Netherlands
Standing: Junior, Senior
Concentration: MAT, PHY
Unique Feature: Course offerings include Complex Analysis, Electronics, Introduction Theory General Relativity, and Statistical Mechanics.

ISEP Massey and USAC Massey

Program Type: ISEP Exchange, ISEP Direct, Affiliate
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: New Zealand
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature:

Adam Mickiewicz University

Program Type: Partial Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Poland
Standing: Junior, Senior
Concentration: MAT, COMP, LIFE, PHY
Unique Feature: Past course offerings have included Probabilistic Method, Intro to Algebraic Geometry, Functional Analysis, Applied Multivariate Analysis, Discrete Mathematics I & II, Topology, Introduction to Probability Theory, Numerical Methods, and Distributions Fourier Transform and PDE.

University of Johannesburg

Program Type: Full Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: South Africa
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: MAT, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Students should have course flexibility on this program. Course offerings include Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Multivariable and Vector Calculus, Complex Analysis, Probability Theory, Statistical Inference, Stochastic Processes, and Linear Models.

University of the Free State

Program Type: Full Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: South Africa
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, MAT, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Students should have course flexibility on this program. Past course offerings have included Actuarial Financial Management, Actuarial Statistical Methods, Financial Mathematics, Investment Science, Multivariate Analysis, Differential Equations, Numerical Analysis, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Topology, Set Theory, Cryptography, Partial Differential Equations, and more.

USAC Valencia

Program Type: Affiliate
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Spain
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Language: Spanish courses offered.
Concentration: MAT, PHY
Unique Feature: Course offerings have included Calculus II and III, Differential Equations, along with Statistics and Physics and Chemistry coursework.

Bilkent

Program Type: Full Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: Turkey
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration:
Unique Feature:

ISEP Sharjah

Program Type: ISEP Exchange, ISEP Direct
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: United Arab Emirates
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: ACT, BUS, MAT, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Offers Calculus II and III, Differential Equations, Discrete Mathematics, Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra, Quantitative Business Analysis, Intro to Statistical Analysis, Intro to Mathematical Programming, Theory of Risk, Intro to Probability, Advanced Financial Modelling, Mathematics of Finance, and more.

Keele University

Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: United Kingdom
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: BUS, MAT, LIFE, PHY
Unique Feature: Course offerings include Differential Equations, Probability, Complex Variable and Vector Calculus, Abstract Calculus, Analysis I & II, Partial Differential Equations, Group Theory, Linear Statistical Models, Codes and Cryptography, and more.

Kingston University

Program Type: Fee Paying
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: United Kingdom
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: BUS, MAT, LIFE, PHY
Unique Feature: Past course offerings have included Intro to Probability and Statistics, Probability Distributions and Statistical Modelling, Operational Research, Mathematical and Numerical Methods, Mathematical Models and Computation.

University of Lincoln

Program Type: Basic Exchange, Fee Paying
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: United Kingdom
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: MAT, PHY
Unique Feature: Course offerings include Coding Theory, Differential Equations, Industrial and Financial Mathematics, Scientific Computing, Fluid Dynamics, Group Theory, Methods of Mathematical Physics, Numerical Methods, and more.

Swansea University

Program Type: Basic Exchange
Available Terms: Academic Year, Spring
Country: United Kingdom
Standing: 2nd semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: BUS, MAT, LIFE, PHY
Unique Feature: Course offerings include Numerical Methods, Game Theory, Statistical Analysis, Numerical Analysis, Groups and Rings, and more.

USAC Reading

Program Type: Affiliate
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: United Kingdom
Standing: 2nd Semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: MAT, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Offers courses such as Analytic Number Theory, Complex Analysis II, Cryptography and Error Correcting Codes, Calculus of Variations, Dynamical Systems, Fluid Mechanics, Mathematical Biology, Measure Theory and Integration, Statistical Mechanics and Applications, Integral Equations, Linear Models, Modelling Structural Data, and Multivariate Data Analysis.

USAC St Andrews

Program Type: Affiliate
Available Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Country: United Kingdom
Standing: 2nd Semester Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Concentration: MAT, LIFE, PHY, STAT
Unique Feature: Offers courses in Pure and Applied Mathematics, Statistics in Practice, Linear Mathematics, Multivariate Calculus, Abstract Algebra, Vector Calculus, Statistical Inference, Complex Analysis, Mathematical Statistics, and more.

Research

ISA Universidad del Norte

Program Type: Affiliate
Available Terms: Summer
Country: Colombia
Standing: Junior, Senior
Language Requirement: High Beginner Spanish
Unique Feature: Offers students the option of completing a 4 credit summer research project. Past projects have focussed on Biostatistics, Discrete Mathematics, Continuum Mechanics, Discrete Optimization, and more.

ISA Euroscholars

Available Terms: Fall, Spring
Country: Europe
Standing: Junior, Senior
Highlights: EuroScholars is a unique research abroad programme designed for advanced and talented undergraduate students from US and Canadian institutions looking for an international research experience. In this programme, students have the opportunity to undertake one course in the classroom and then work under the direct supervision of professors and other academic staff on a specific academic research project chosen by both the student and the faculty.

Internships

Additional information about international internships can be found on the OIED website.

Office of International Programs