Xavier University Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

A Few Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Where's the Math Lab?
A: It's in Hinkle Hall room 126 (on the first floor, toward the physics building). It has purple tables and its own webpage.

Q: How do I know which Calculus course to take?
A: All first-year XU students take a placement test. If you were placed into MATH 170, you should certainly take it (unless you get AP Credit for Calculus AB, in which case you should take MATH 171). If you were placed into MATH 150 but might want to be a mathematics major or minor, chat with a mathematics faculty member and consider taking a non-calculus course your first semester (such as MATH 114 Women in Mathematics or MATH 154 Milestones in Mathematics).

Q: What can I do with a degree in Mathematics?
A: Just about anything! Check out our Careers page, which has lots and lots of info.

Q: What can I do with a degree in Computer Science?
A: Check out the Computer Science pages and consult with one of the CS faculty (Dr. Lewandowski, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Goldweber).

Q: Is there a Math Club? How about a CS Club?
A: You betcha! The Math Club has its own webpage here, and the CS Club has its page here.

Q: Where do the math majors hang out? Where do the CS majors hang out?
A: Math majors hang out at the math club; many of them work in the Math Tutoring Lab, and many of them study for classes together. The CS majors hang out in the CS lab, which is in the basement of Logan Hall and generally rocks.

Q: Have any famous people graduated from the department?
A: Yes, actually! Chuck Geschke co-founded Adobe; you can see evidence of his XU-ness in Adobe's official bio. And Diane Dewbrey, senior vice president of central operations for Fifth-Third Bank, was named one of the Cincinnati Enquirer's 10 women of the year for 2004.

Q: What do XU Math and CS grads actually do?
A: Some CS grads can be found through this page. As for math grads, here's a quote from the 2002 Academic Program Review---" In the last five years, approximately 23% of our majors have gone on to post-graduate study, in fields as diverse as education, medicine, biophysics, computer science, physics, biomathematics, statistics, and mathematics; approximately 26% of our students have obtained secondary licensure, many of them teaching in Cincinnati area schools; the remaining 51% of our students have begun careers in fields including actuarial science, marketing research, programming, computing, software consulting, executive development, and the military." We have one recent graduate working as a research analyst for Western-Southern Life Insurance.