COURSEWORK
The minimum requirements for the major outlined below allow a student great flexibility in designing a course of study to meet their own intellectual and career goals.
Fundamental courses
| Calculus 1 | Scientific Modeling and Differential Calculus | 4 units |
| Calculus 2 | Scientific Modeling and Integral Calculus | 4 units |
| MATH 210 | Discrete Mathematics | 4 units |
| MATH 212 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 units |
| MATH 214 | Linear Algebra | 4 units |
Any student who places out of a Calculus 1 or Calculus 2 class satisfies the corresponding requirement for the Math Major.
Students must receive a grade of C or above in each of MATH 210, MATH 212, and MATH 214 in order to graduate with a Mathematics major. If a student does not receive a grade of C or higher, the department chair will support a Petition for Special Consideration requesting to repeat the course. Only the most recent grade will count towards satisfying the 200-level requirement.
At least two of the required 200-level Mathematics courses (MATH 210, MATH 212 and MATH 214) must be taken at Occidental College except by approval of the chair. Exceptions must be filed by submitting a Petition for Special Consideration.
Advanced Courses
Students must have 24 units of Mathematics courses numbered 310 or above (excluding MATH 400).
Colloquium Requirement
Breadth requirement
Students must take one course from the following approved list of courses (students can petition the department to have a course not on the list count for the breadth requirement):
The Mathematics department has prepared guidelines for majors considering future study or careers in pure and applied mathematics, education, actuarial science, and computer science. These guidelines are available in the Students section on our website.