Mathematics

Jack Calcut, Professor of Mathematics, Chair
Robert Bosch, James F. Clark Professor of Mathematics and Professor of Computer Science
Susan Colley, Andrew and Pauline Delaney Professor of Mathematics
Colin Dawson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Matt Evans, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Nathan Gray, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Benjamin Linowitz, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Christoph Marx, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Meredith Shea, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics
James Walsh, Professor of Mathematics
Elizabeth Wilmer, Professor of Mathematics
Jeffrey Witmer, Professor of Mathematics
Kevin Woods, Professor of Mathematics

Visit the department webpage for up-to-date information on department faculty, visiting lecturers, and special events.

Initial Placement and Course Sequence Suggestions

Mathematics is both a technical and a cultural field of study. The Mathematics Department’s curriculum has several objectives: (1) to introduce students to a central area of human thought; (2) to prepare students for graduate study in pure or applied mathematics, or in related fields, including statistics and operations research; (3) to support students studying fields that use mathematics, such as the physical, biological, social, and information sciences; and (4) to provide liberal arts students with an introduction to the kinds of mathematical and quantitative thinking important in the contemporary world.

Students with any questions about course selection are strongly urged to consult the department chair or any member of the Mathematics Department.

See information about Research, Internships, Study Away, and Experiential Learning (RISE).

Advanced Placement

Students who have taken a College Board Advanced Placement Program Calculus AB or Calculus BC examination, or an International Baccalaureate (IB) Mathematics AA or AI Higher Level (HL) examination, will receive credit as follows:

Students scoring 4 or 5 on the BC Advanced Placement examination, or a 6 or 7 on the IB Mathematics AA HL, receive credit for two full academic courses, equivalent to MATH 133 and MATH 134 .
Students scoring 3 on the BC Advanced Placement examination with an AB subscore of 4 or 5 receive credit for one full academic course, equivalent to MATH 133 .
Students scoring 4 or 5 on the AB Advanced Placement examination, a 5 on the IB Mathematics AA HL, or a 6 or 7 on the IB Mathematics AI HL, receive credit for one full academic course, equivalent to MATH 133 .
IB Mathematics HL examination scores from prior to 2021 receive the same credit as IB Mathematics AA HL above.

The department discourages students from repeating courses for which they could have received credit for work prior to Oberlin. Students who repeat coursework will have to relinquish AP or IB credit.

Students who have taken calculus or more advanced mathematics for credit at another college or university should consult with the Office of the Registrar and the department chair about transfer of credit and appropriate course placement.

Students who have studied advanced mathematics under any other circumstances should also consult with the department chair about course placement.

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Majors and Minors

Initial Placement and Course Sequence Suggestions

Students considering a major in computer science should work towards taking MATH 220 .
Students considering a major in physics should work towards taking MATH 231 .
Students considering a major in mathematics should work towards taking both MATH 220 and MATH 231 (in either order) followed by MATH 232 .

Any Mathematics Department professor is happy to talk to you about your options. If potentially majoring in a social or biological science, you may find a statistics class more directly relevant to your major (e.g. STAT 113 , STAT 114 , or STAT 205 ).

View more information about appropriate starting points and other mathematics resources for students.

Courses

Mathematics

Statistics