Mathematics Home Page

Department Chair: Dr. Doug Riley

Mission Statement:
Our mission is to serve all students at all levels of ability, experience and interest. We foster creative, critical thinking and active problem solving. We seek ways for our students to come to know the beauty and usefulness of mathematics and to appreciate connections to the sciences and arts. Furthermore, we seek to assist our majors in the development of their talents as they prepare for careers involving mathematics.

Welcome to the Department of Mathematics. The Department's enthusiastic faculty and well-equipped facilities offer an environment that promotes the growth of students with diverse interests and goals. We offer several courses which, as part of the college's Explorations curriculum, help students in honing their skills in quantitative and logical reasoning, and in learning to apply those skills in their other coursework and future endeavors. But the department also features a rich set of offerings for intermediate and advanced work in these important disciplines. Students will find research, teaching, and internship opportunities, as well as solid preparation for graduate and professional schools and a wide range of exciting careers.

Upon completion of the mathematics major, students will be able to

write a valid proof of a mathematical statement,
write a lucid summary of a scholarly article in mathematics or closely related field,
present a coherent explanation of his or her mathematical work in a public setting to a group of peers.

The department is housed in the Olin building, where students have access to two computer labs, and all classrooms are outfitted with at least one computer and projector. The building also boasts two recently created computer classrooms where each student has access to both traditional desk space and a new flat-panel PC. The rooms have been thoughtfully laid out in a U-shaped configuration in order to facilitate the kinds of interaction that are so important to effective teaching and learning—between teacher and student, between theory and application, and among peers. When help is needed, students may find it within easy reach in the offices of a talented and welcoming faculty or in the new Quantitative Reasoning Center in Olin 103.

For more information, including a course listing, please visit the most recent issue of the Birmingham-Southern College Catalog.

To contact the BSC Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, please write or email:

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science
Birmingham-Southern College
900 Arkadelphia Road / Box 549032
Birmingham, Alabama 35254-9021
bmullins@bsc.edu