Math For Quantitative Reasoning (MFQR) Program
The purpose of this page is for addressing the concerns of students who are taking Mathematics, Computer Science or Digital Forensics courses for their majors or graduate studies.
- The Department does not over-tally particular course sections as long as there are seats available in other sections of the same course.
- Most required courses are typically offered in the fall, winter, spring, and summer.
- Advisors do not waive prerequisites for courses. Such waivers often prevent upper level students about to graduate from registering for the course they need.
- Students should expect to have to come to the campus in order to fulfill a majority of their course requirements.
- Attendance is required in all in-person courses. Skipping classes is discouraged as it seriously impacts learning for all students.
FAQS
Q: Do I have to take MAT 105 before I can take MAT 108?
A: No. Students in non-STEM majors can register for MAT 108. Students in STEM majors should not take MAT 108; they will need MAT 141 Pre-Calculus, MAT 151 Calculus, and often additional math. Please note that the Economics major, though not STEM, strongly encourages MAT 141 and MAT 151 if students intend to work in the Economics field professionally.
Q: If I need STA 250 for my non-STEM major, do I have to take MAT 105 and MAT 141?
A: No. MAT 108 is sufficient if your major does not require preparation for calculus.
Q: What is the difference between STA 250 for graduate students only and regular STA 250?
A: The 8-week STA 250 course is designed for graduate students that need to get at least a B to continue on to graduate level courses. While it is NOT possible for an undergraduate student to take the graduate section of the course, there are some things you need to be aware of. The course is a bit more intense than a regular STA 250 course that lasts a whole semester. In the 8-week course, we go through one topic per week and complete one assignment/assessment (sometimes one of each for certain topics). This lasts for the first seven weeks, leaving the last week to review for the final. One more aspect to the course that is different from the version of STA 250 that undergraduates take: it is taught using large data sets that are analyzed using statistics software - specifically, SPSS software. You do not have to purchase this software, it can be used via the CUNY Cloud, but you would use it each week of the eight-week session. If you decide you can handle the intensity of this class then a (math faculty) advisor can add you to the online course after meeting all prerequisites.
Q: If I'm in a non-STEM major but I want to take MAT 141, instead of taking MAT 108, can I just register for MAT 141?
A: No, unless you already have credit for MAT 105. First take the MAT 141 Self-Assessment of Readiness test below. If you still want to discuss taking MAT 141, contact one of the Math faculty advisors listed below who will determine if it's appropriate for you to register for MAT 141.
Q: Is MAT 141 (Pre-Calculus) offered online?
A: No. We never offered MAT 141 online other than during the pandemic.
Q: I took a college-level math course in high school associated with a college/university. Would that count as a math credit for college algebra?
A: If the credits transferred over as MAT 105 then you can take MAT 141. Otherwise, if your major does not require calculus, you can take MAT 108 whether or not you have MAT 105 credit.
Q: If I'm in a non-STEM major and want to take MAT 105 instead of MAT 108, can I just register for MAT 105?
A: You don't need any special permission to register for MAT 105, so yes you can just register for it. However, be aware that if you're in a major that requires STA 250, you will need to take MAT 108 or MAT 141 to be able to register for STA 250. You could simply take MAT 108 as the foundation for STA 250, but if you want to take MAT 105, you'll need the additional math course (either MAT 108 or MAT 141) as a prerequisite for STA 250.
Q: I'm a transfer student coming in to John Jay as a Computer Science and Information Security major. What math course do I start with?
A: That can depend on whether you are transferring in certain math courses. If you are coming in with no math credit or with generic math credit (MAT 1, MAT 2, etc.) or with MAT 106 or MAT 108 or STA 250, then you will start with MAT 105 (College Algebra), which prepares you for MAT 141 (Pre-Calculus). If you do not have credit for MAT 105 but for some reason feel that you're ready for MAT 141, you can take the MAT 141 Self-Assessment of Readiness test below. If you still want to discuss taking MAT 141 after taking that test, contact one of the math faculty advisors listed below who will determine if it's appropriate for you to register for MAT 141. Please note that if you have posted transfer credit for MAT 105, you can simply register for MAT 141, and if you have posted transfer credit for MAT 141, you can register for MAT 151 (Calculus I).
Q: I'm a STEM major and I took MAT 151 (Calculus I) a couple of semesters ago. I feel that I need a refresher of that course before I take MAT 152 (Calculus II). What resources does the Computer Science and Applied Mathematics major offer beyond tutoring to give me support before or while I'm taking MAT 152?
A: Typically, not taking a break from math as you move through the course sequences is important because success is more likely when concepts from previous courses are still fresh in your mind. Please reach out to a math faculty advisor for any tips about ways to review material from a previous course in preparation for moving forward, suggestions about resources via MSRC or math help site, or even sites on the internet that are helpful for review.
Q: What can I do to increase my chances of doing well in my math courses?
A: Answer may vary. Attending office hours, recitations, tutoring, or workshops at the start of a semester to ensure ongoing academic support and enrichment. Visit the MSRC in 1.94NB and the math help site. Don't be afraid to ask questions so small confusions don't snowball into big ones.
Math Advisement Guide
This guide is for students who intend to take MAT 105, MAT 106, MAT 108, MAT 141, MAT 150, or MAT 151.
Note: Students who plan to take any of the following courses, the self-assessments provides some of the skills they are expected to know before entering the course listed below. However, these self-assessments does not replace a course. The student will still require permission from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.
MAT 105 College Algebra (3 credits)
This course is intended to prepare students for MAT 141 (Pre-Calculus) and may be of particular interest to students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) careers. It further develops the algebra from high school mathematics. Students who plan to take MAT 105, some of the skills they are expected to know before entering the class are listed below. If this material is unfamiliar to students, then they should consider taking the algebra workshops at the start of the semester. For help with the workshops, please visit the MSRC page.
MAT 105 Self-Assessment of Readiness: Part 1, Part 2
MAT 105 Departmental Assessment: Memo
MAT 106 Liberal Arts Mathematics (3 credits)
This modern survey course is intended to prepare students for a quick dive in topics including thinking critically, approaches to problem solving, numbers in the real world, managing money, statistical reasoning, probability, mathematics and politics, and more. This course may be of particular interest to students interested to sharpen their algebra skills on a variety of different mathematical topics and their applications.
MAT 108 Social Science Mathematics (3 credits)
This course is intended to prepare students for STA 250 (Principles and Methods of Statistics) and may be of particular interest to students interested in the social sciences careers. MAT 108 ties a variety of interconnected statistical topics together with applications to the social sciences and other fields.
MAT 141 Pre-Calculus (3 credits)
This course may be of particular interest to students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) careers. Students who plan to take MAT 141 will be expected to have a strong foundation in intermediate algebra, some knowledge of functions, and graphing. Below are some concepts the instructor will expect students to be familiar with before entering the class. If this material is unfamiliar to students, then they should be taking MAT 105 before taking MAT 141.
MAT 141 Self-Assessment of Readiness: Part 1, Part 2
MAT 150 Introduction to Data Analysis (3 credits)
An alternative modern survey course to MAT 106 for non-STEM and non-STA 250 bound students who get placed in MAT 141 should be advised to take such course that embodies a sampling of some of the newest fields in contemporary mathematics and computing science e.g. machine learning, cryptography, database management, coding fundamentals, quantum computing, etc. For any questions, please contact aestrada@jjay.cuny.edu or hujohnson@jjay.cuny.edu.
MAT 151 Calculus I (3-4 credits)
This course may be of particular interest to students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) careers. Students who plan to take MAT 151/241 will be expected to have a strong foundation in pre-calculus. Below are some concepts the instructor will expect students to be familiar with before entering the class. If this material is unfamiliar to students, then they should be taking MAT 141 before taking MAT 151/241.
MAT 151 Self-Assessment of Readiness
Additional Note: The Self-Assessment of Readiness will help reinforce the prerequisite algebra skills needed for such courses. Students are advised to self-assess their completed work.
For free additional practice, see Student Self Study at MyOpenMath.
MFQR Faculty Advisors
Mathematical Quantitative Reasoning Courses (MAT 105, MAT 106, MAT 108, STA 250)
Alvin Estrada (director), 6.65.16 NB, 212.237.1434, aestrada@jjay.cuny.edu
Genesis Alberto (on sabbatical leave), 6.65.15 NB, 646.781.5512, galberto@jjay.cuny.edu
Mohamed Ben Zid (MAT 105), 6.63.02 NB, 212.484.1181, mbenzid@jjay.cuny.edu
Raisa Castillo (MAT 108), 6.65.29 NB, 212.393.6316, rcastillo@jjay.cuny.edu
Mohammad Islam (STA 250), 6.65.28 NB, 646.557.4667, mislam@jjay.cuny.edu
Jose Olivo (STA 250), 6.65.14 NB, 212.237.8924, jolivo@jjay.cuny.edu
Todd Stambaugh (MAT 105), 6.65.27 NB, TBD, tstambaugh@jjay.cuny.edu