University of Missouri Department of Mathematics	Undergraduate Studies
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Faculty members in MU’s Department of Mathematics are actively engaged in research in both theoretical and applied mathematics. With customized computer labs and a range of research interests, they equip students for careers in teaching, medicine, scientific research, business, finance and a host of other fields.

Majors gain traditional problem solving skills, a strong background in mathematical theory and knowledge of new mathematical tools that technology has given us and continues to give us.

The state of the art is continually changing. The faculty must teach students to become self-sufficient in developing new methods to apply to new types of problems.

Working side by side with students in computer labs, faculty members stress learning how to learn, how to keep up with the future of mathematics. With 43 regular faculty, members working on problems in nearly as many subsets of mathematics, the department can provide a comprehensive understanding of the field. The faculty’s research and teaching are supported by postdoctoral fellows and visiting faculty.

All mathematics courses beyond the first calculus course are taught in small sections, which allow for more individual attention. Faculty members share the University’s goal of doing everything possible to help every student succeed at MU and beyond.

Graduates of the Department of Mathematics follow a variety of paths. Many go on to graduate schools, where they have earned degrees in mathematics, physics, computer science, education, business or engineering at schools including MU, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Washington University, the University of Michigan, Purdue, Princeton, the University of Illinois and others.

Many have chosen careers in business or industry, including Jim Hoffmeister, vice president of administration for Anheuser-Busch, and Richard Miller, president and chief executive officer of Miller’s Professional Imaging, a large photographic processing company. Another one is Warren Hearnes, a former governor of Missouri. Others have pursued industrial careers in fields closely related to mathematics, such as computer science, statistics, finance or actuarial science. In fact, the department administers the first test [Course 1 of the Society of Actuaries] for certification and advancement in actuarial science.