The University of Montana Western

BROWSE PROGRAMS

Featured Profiles

Julie Bullard

professor of early childhood education

For the third time in as many years, Montana Western has a Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year. (read more) Featured Faculty

Delena Norris-Tull

professor of education

The 2010 Montana Professor of the Year is continuing a proud tradition at Montana's premier teacher education institution. (read more) Featured Faculty

Kara Einarson

equine studies major

With a post-graduation job already secured in the equine industry, Kara Einarson’s career is off to a promising start. (read more) Featured Featured Profiles

Layne Carlson

assistant professor of equine studies

University of Montana Western equine studies professor Layne Carlson brings his 30 years of professional experience as a mixed animal practitioner into the classroom. (read more) Featured Faculty

Alan Weltzien

professor of english

University of Montana Western English professor Alan Weltzien is a champion of Montana literature. (read more) Featured Faculty

Anne Kish

assistant professor, librarian

As a librarian and head instructor of the School of Outreach’s library endorsement program, Anne Kish exemplifies experiential learning. (read more) Featured Faculty

Diana Taylor

school of outreach student

Diana Taylor is pursuing an early childhood education degree to enrich her life and bolster her skills for her job at a Head Start in Butte, Mont. (read more) Featured Outreach

Rob Thomas

professor of geology

The Carnegie Foundation's 2009 U.S. Professor of the Year is taking Montana Western's experiential learning to the national stage. (read more) Featured Faculty

Sean Eudaily

associate professor of political science

Sean Eudaily challenges his students to think critically to fully understand how lessons learned in his classroom impact life outside campus. (read more) Featured Faculty

Mike Morrow

associate professor of biology

Montana Western's biology program is now competitive in the national arena thanks to nearly $2 million in grants secured by Mike Morrow. (read more) Featured Faculty

Gay Garard-Brewer

visiting assistant professor of music

As a student in Montana's rural Bitteroot Valley plays their home piano, Gay Garard-Brewer sees and hears the notes over 100 miles away. (read more) Featured Faculty

Eric Dyreson

professor of mathematics

Mathematics is more than mere numbers for Eric Dyreson; it is also a philosophy capable of transforming one's perception of the world. (read more) Featured Faculty

Rebecca Petersen

education major

Rebecca Petersen is a living testament to the proud tradition of teaching educators at the University of Montana Western. (read more) Featured Students

Cathleen Flanagan

history major, drama education minor

For Cathleen Flanagan — secondary education, history major and drama minor — life's a stage and she's in the director's chair. (read more) Featured Students

Sheynoa Mataafa

general studies

On a frigid, snowy day in Dillon, Sheynoa Mataafa, a Hawaii native, does not regret her decision to move to Montana. (read more) Featured Students

Kaitlin Ens

english major

English major Kaitlin Ens counts five published articles to her name. For Ens, it's only the beginning of a promising career. (read more) Featured Students

Mitch Jessen

secondary education major

While most students entering college struggle with the decision of what to do with their futures, Mitch Jessen always knew what he wanted. (read more) Featured Students

Amanda Kortum

biology major

Amanda Kortum, a cellular molecular biology major, is already making a name for herself in her field. (read more) Featured Students

Berett Rosenkrance

environmental sciences major

One of the most shocking moments of Berett Rosenkrance's life came upon her return as a sophomore to the Montana Western campus. (read more) Featured Students

Brandon Brown

health & human performance major

For Brandon Brown, the transition from urban western Washington to Montana Western was like playing basketball: natural. (read more) Featured Students

The study of mathematics is a window into the universe.

Mathematics students at Montana Western learn to solve difficult problems through calculated, logical thinking.

Experience One allows the time needed for students to truly focus on the endless complexity of mathematics. When students take a math course at Montana Western, they participate in the authentic, real-world practice of mathematics in ways they would not on most other campuses, even in some graduate programs.

Degrees
Courses
Careers
Faculty
Contact

Mathematics degrees available from Montana Western:

Bachelor of Science (B.A.) Mathematics Option.
This degree provides students with the educational background and research experience in either pure or applied mathematics to obtain employment in a variety of mathematics fields as well as prepare students for graduate school. Majors include:

Mathematical Biology
Mathematical Ecology
Mathematical Geology

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Secondary Education Mathematics.
This degree prepares students to teach mathematics in middle school or high school.

Sample Courses

Here are just two great examples of mathematics courses at Montana Western. For a full course selection, please see the course catalog.

M 119 Introduction to Number Theory

In this course the student will study the development and properties of number systems. This includes the study of the real numbers and algorithms that use them. It also includes the study of number sequences and number patterns.

M 329 Modern Geometry

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be familiar with deductive and inductive reasoning and with the axioms and theorems of Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries and the historical context in which they came about. The student should exhibit competence in performing geometric constructions both by hand and with the aid of computer software, in proving geometric theorems in both Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries, and in solving a variety of problems based upon the geometric properties studied.

A degree in mathematics from Montana Western will prepare students for a career as:

An actuary
An industrial engineer
A biometrician
A computer modeler
A computer programmer
A research mathematician
A cryptologist
A software designer
A data analyst
A statistical consultant
A financial engineer
A systems analyst
An operations research specialist
A mathematics teacher

Elizabeth Covington
Eric Dyreson
Debbie Seacrest
Tyler Seacrest
Michael Walker
Eric Wright

Elizabeth Covington, M.S.

Elizabeth Covington taught elementary school for 15 years before obtaining her master’s degree in mathematics. At Montana Western she teaches courses in basic algebra, trigonometry and calculus. Covington holds a bachelor’s degree in art, and her paintings are exhibited locally.

Eric Dyreson, Ph.D.

Eric Dyreson sees the biological world through the lens of mathematics. He encourages his students to gather and analyze their own data and write their own computer models. Dyreson’s classrooms embody the true spirit of Experience One. His biomathematics students have presented their original work at the Montana Academy of Sciences and performed field research in Beaverhead National Forest and Yellowstone National Park.

Debbie Seacrest, Ph.D.

Debbie Seacrest has enjoyed teaching and getting to know students at Montana Western since arriving here in 2011. She is interested in fostering improved mathematical writing skills through writing assignments as well as using projects to connect mathematics to other disciplines. Her research background includes using games as a teaching tool to let students discover mathematical ideas organically, and she strives to use these ideas in her own classroom. She is also interested in graph theory and its relationships with other areas of mathematics.

Tyler Seacrest, Ph.D.

Tyler Seacrest has taught at the University of Montana Western since 2011. He enjoys working with students at all levels. For freshman and sophomore courses, he uses hands-on activities to make mathematics more concrete, and he is interested in making mathematics research accessible to junior and senior level students. His research area is discrete mathematics, especially graph theory, a subject with a strong history of undergraduate research.

Michael Walker, M.S.

Mike Walker has been a part of the math department since 2008. He works to ensure all of his students leave his classes with a better understanding and appreciation of math. Walker feels that critical thinking and reasoning skills taught in math courses are essential and valuable to all students. He enjoys solving all kinds of problems, as well as numerical analysis and optimization.

Eric Wright, Ph.D.

Eric Wright has been teaching mathematics at Montana Western since 2005 and is interested in helping students experience math by facilitating hands-on projects. Some of the direct-contact projects Wright and his students participate in include creating computer-aided surveying techniques for caves; modeling the formation of calcite rimstone dams; and studying reactive influences upon Taylor dispersion. Wright is also intrigued by cryptology and has taught a class studying classical cryptology.

Contact

For more information about mathematics at Montana Western, contact department chair Eric Wright:
Block Hall 221
(406) 683-7274
e_wright@umwestern.edu.

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