You may remember sitting in high school listening to your teacher ramble on about geometric formulas and how solving for ‘X’ can help you determine the value of ‘Y.’
You were convinced you’d never need this kind of math in the “real world.”
And now, here you are, staring down the math requirement of a bachelor’s degree like it’s a Rubik’s Cube, ready to walk away from it all.
Math can be a difficult subject to tackle. It can be frustrating. But, although math may not be for everyone, it doesn’t have to be the reason you can’t finish your degree. In fact, there are plenty of programs that require just a little math.It is important to mention, however, that degree requirements at every institution may differ from the ones listed here. Many degree programs based in liberal arts tend to require much less math than those in science, technology, engineering and business. Luckily, one of the best parts of college is having the freedom to choose the degree program and courses that most closely aligns with your interests and career path. Now, where, what and how you learn is up to you.
Often, but not always, the degree programs that have the least amount of math-related requirements are those with more of a liberal arts-based curriculum. At Thomas Edison State University, bachelor’s degree programs in English, International Studies, Liberal Studies and even Foreign Language have only one math requirement. Here’s what you can expect to learn in these programs:
The Bachelor of Arts in English program connects literature and advanced writing using the principles of composition, rhetorical grammar, critical thinking, argumentation, and research methods and documentation skills.
The Bachelor of Arts in International Studies program explores social, political, cultural and economic disciplines to critically analyze and evaluate globalization processes at local, national and international levels.
The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies program is designed to combine course work in two or more disciplines within the liberal arts to create a multidisciplinary degree. Those concentrations currently include Communications, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, General Management, Health and Wellness, Healthcare Management (coming soon), Human Resources Management, Humanities, Labor Studies, Natural Sciences/Mathematics, Psychology and Social Sciences.
The Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts* program examines the historical connection between theater and culture while exploring the different types of techniques and skills inherent in theater production.
The Bachelor of Arts in Music* program analyzes the crucial concepts of music theory, including harmony, rhythm and thematic development.
The Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Language program focuses on the linguistic skills necessary to understand people and their culture, including translation and interpretation. You are required to select a specific language in which to develop a greater depth of knowledge. Languages currently offered include Spanish, French, German and Italian. These courses are taught in that specific foreign language.
It is rare to find any bachelor’s degree program that doesn’t have at least one math-related requirement. That said, there are math courses that can make the requirement feel more manageable. These general education courses are meant to be building blocks throughout your academic career and help you become more comfortable working with numerical data to create and clearly communicate an argument supported by quantitative evidence.
At Thomas Edison State University, at least one quantitative literacy requirement is needed to satisfy all undergraduate degree programs. But before you register for that one course, check your academic evaluation and consult an academic advisor to confirm if a math course you took at a prior institution was accepted as equivalent transfer credit. If so, you may have already fulfilled the quantitative literacy requirement!
If you still need to fulfill that one math requirement, the University offers one course intended for non-math majors: Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics (MAT-105). This course takes a broad-based look at the discipline and teaches basic math concepts that emphasize competency and real-life application over complexity. This class is aimed at students, like you, who are enrolled in non-math area of study programs, looking to satisfy that one last general education requirement to complete your degree.
Many math courses have prerequisites tied to them as well, so be sure to read the course description before registering.
It is recommended that you plan and have your courses approved by your academic advisor before registering to ensure that the course selections you make will satisfy the requirements of your degree program appropriately.
*Students complete these degree programs by taking both Thomas Edison State University courses and other credit-earning courses at institutions other than Thomas Edison State University.