A classroom scene with a close-up of a chalkboard eraser in the foreground. In the background, a group of blurry people are engaged in discussion, with a woman standing near a whiteboard. The focus is on the chalkboard eraser.

Why Study Mathematics at CSB & SJU?

Mathematics involves thinking about the world in different ways and exercising your intellect like an athlete in training. And if you’ve got math on the brain, we can challenge you with great faculty, intelligent peers and fascinating coursework.

A man in a white shirt writes equations on a transparent board, while two young adults, one in a gray hoodie and another in a gray sweater, observe attentively. The background is dark, making the written equations stand out.

Program & Curriculum

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University mathematics department offers courses to suit the needs of a variety of students, whether they are majoring in mathematics or a related field, or simply taking courses as a general liberal arts student.

  • Provides a sound, flexible theoretical base that prepares students for further study in graduate school, for a career in secondary education or as a mathematician or statistician in business or industry.
  • We regard mathematics as an essential part of a liberal arts education and each student must take at least one mathematics course to satisfy the curriculum requirement.

Our faculty strives to meet each student at the level of his or her interest and ability; in both lower- and upper-division classes, students are encouraged to see mathematics as a conceptual discipline which has been and continues to be an integral part of the broader intellectual culture.

Careers

Our graduates go on a variety of careers. Many go to work as computer programmers or software engineers, while others take other types of positions at financial or insurance companies. In fact, our graduates who become actuaries have reported that they are better prepared with their mathematics degree than their colleagues with actuarial degrees. Other alumni go to graduate school in mathematics, statistics, economics, education, engineering, law, or medicine.

A modern, dimly lit library interior with dark wooden ceiling panels, blue carpeting, and shelves filled with books. There are study desks with chairs on the left side, and a colorful painting at the far end of the room.