Math Advisement

The purpose of this page is for addressing the concerns of students who are taking MAT courses for their majors. 

Dear Student,
Please email a math faculty advisor (see below) to address math questions and issues including, but are not limited to, the following: assistance with over-tallies, transfer math credits, and requirements for your major. Be sure to include your full name, EMPLID, and a detailed description of your request. Please do not send the same email individually to multiple math faculty advisors in the department.

If you have any questions or difficulties registering for math courses, please schedule an appointment with a math faculty advisor. A list of the department’s math faculty advisors can be found at the bottom of the page.

For help with the Applied Mathematics major, please visit the Math & CS Academic page or Applied Mathematics Major Resources.

Please note over-tallies are not possible at this time for all modalities, especially for hybrid and in-person sections. The capacity for each section is already set to the highest possible due to room capacity and then some. Keep checking for any possible open seat from time to time.

In addition, 

  1. The Department Policy is that we do not over-tally any math sections as long as there are sections open.
  2. Advisors do not give student permissions to take MAT 108 and STA 250 together. If they need to take MAT 108 and STA 250 in a single semester to graduate, the student can take MAT 108 in the fall/spring then take STA 250 in the winter/summer or vice versa. Please note that these courses are typically offered in the fall, winter, spring, and summer.
  3. Advisors do not waive prerequisites for courses. Such waivers often prevent upper level students about to graduate from registering for the course they need.
  4. Many students are asking if they can continue to take classes online. Our programs are not designed to be online programs. Students should expect to have to come to the campus in order to fulfill course requirements.
  5. The math department usually do not give credit if the course is not taken in a math or statistics department. We always preferred courses be from a math or statistics department. This is pretty much standard throughout CUNY. It is sometimes hard to evaluate statistics courses from the social sciences since their focus and the way they treat the subject is quite different from ours. Even graduate programs often require that undergraduate statistics be taken in a math or statistics department.

FAQS

Q: Do I have to take MAT 105 before I can take MAT 108?

A: No. Students in non-science majors can simply 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-science 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 possible for an undergraduate student to take it, 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 an advisor can add you to the online course.

Q: If I'm in a non-science 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: If I have already taken Algebra and Pre-Calculus in high school, will I still need to take MAT 105?

A: Yes, unless the the classes taken at your high school are college-level courses. Please note that this is only if your chosen major requires calculus. If it does not, you can just take MAT 108, no need to request permission.

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.

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact a math faculty advisor below.

Sincerely,
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

Math Advisement Guide

This guide is for students who intend to take MAT 105, MAT 106, MAT 108, MAT 141, MAT 150, or MAT 241.

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

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 151/241 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.

Math 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 (on sabbatical leave), 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

Applied Math Courses (MAT 141 and higher)
Michael Puls (major coordinator), 6.63.03 NB, 212.237.8925, mpuls@jjay.cuny.edu
Hunter Johnson (minor coordinator), 6.63.19 NB, 212.237.8846, hujohnson@jjay.cuny.edu
Leslie Chandrakantha (MAT 301, MAT 302, MAT 455) , 6.63.17 NB, 212.237.8835, lchandra@jjay.cuny.edu

The purpose of this page is for addressing the concerns of students who are taking MAT courses for majors in other departments. It is not a math major resource. For help with the applied mathematics major, please visit the Math & CS Academic page.

Last updated Summer 2024