Mathematics and Statistics Department

 

Mathematics is a deep and broad discipline that has been a key part of a liberal arts education for centuries.  Statistics, by comparison, is a relatively young but equally broad and powerful field. Both are at the heart of our modern scientific and technical world. Many advances that we now take for granted – from searching the internet, to predicting weather events, to testing vaccines, to building robots – are based on models and theories from mathematics and statistics.  

At Skidmore, we teach and research a wide range of subjects in pure and applied mathematics and statistics. For students who enjoy constructing rigorous proofs or modeling real-world phenomena, we offer a major in mathematics and minors in mathematics and statistics. Many of our introductory course offerings function as gateways to our majors and minors and are crucial for preparing our students to be mathematically and statistically-literate citizens in the world.  

To broaden their education and apply their quantitative skills in other contexts, most of our students complete a second major or minor in another field.  Some of our recent math majors have completed a major or minor in computer science, economics, physics, and statistics, to name only the most common ones. Some of our math majors have also completed a major in engineering through our dual-degree program with Dartmouth College.  

Our graduates have quantitative skills that are in high demand and often pursue careers in business, education, finance, and science. Recent alumni have become analysts, data scientists, engineers, financial and technological consultants, high school teachers, lab technicians and research assistants, and software developers. Some of our alumni also directly enter graduate programs in mathematics or related fields like biostatistics, economics, engineering, finance, law, and statistics.  

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Skidmore College is committed to creating and fostering a welcoming and inclusive learning environment that does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, first language, religious and spiritual tradition, age, ability, and socioeconomic status.