Majors & Minors

Math

From creating a mathematical model of the optimal free throw in basketball to effectively timing cancer treatments, you’ll learn to creatively apply theory across the curriculum.

Contact

John Ross

John Ross

Genevieve & Thatcher Atkin Professor of Mathematics; Chair

Location

Fondren-Jones 304
John Ross

John Ross

Genevieve & Thatcher Atkin Professor of Mathematics; Chair

Fulfilling Southwestern’s commitment to interdisciplinary learning, the Math Department empowers you to discover new ways of seeing and engaging with the world around you, from predicting national healthcare expenditures and determining the best position for viewing a painting to analyzing traffic accidents and visitations to a national park. With the guidance of faculty mentors and the ability to complement your studies with interdisciplinary minors such as data science and design thinking, you will have the flexibility to tailor your elective courses to suit your career goals.

As a math major or minor at Southwestern, you will be empowered to make a positive difference in the world. You will hone your critical and creative thinking through such courses as Graph Theory and Real Analysis. And you will have multiple opportunities to combine your interests in math with your passion for the arts or community service. Our recent students have

  • Used hyperbolic geometry to crochet models of Texas coral reefs
  • Analyzed the structure of the Choose Your Own Adventure series using graph theory
  • Composed a musical performance modeling how the HIV virus proliferates through the body

Collaborating one on one with our award-winning faculty on innovative research is just one advantage of the SU experience. As mentors and advisors, our professors will also encourage your engagement with the broader mathematics community: many of our current students and alumni have showcased peer-reviewed presentations and posters at regional, national, and international conferences; earned awards; and coauthored journal publications. You will also get to participate in exciting national competitions, such as the Mathematical Association of America’s Putnam Competition, the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP) Mathematical Contest in Modeling, and the Binance Dexathon. Our alumni have gone on to premier graduate programs as well as fulfilling careers in a range of fields, from finance and programming to education and data analysis.



AFTER SOUTHWESTERN

Featured Alumni Stories

Photo Credit: NASA/Mark Sowa.

Southwestern University Alumna Kayla Comeaux ’11 is at the Center of NASA’s Mission to the Moon

Mathematics alumna Kayla Comeaux ’11 served as the Lead Flight Activity Officer for NASA’s Artemis II mission, a critical operation in the administration’s quest to return humans to the Moon.

Read Full Story
Mike May ’20

With Energy to Spare

Recent physics graduate Mike May ’20 demonstrates how taking risks by learning outside your major is crucial to becoming a leader in innovation.

Read Full Story
Ben and Michael Patterson ’17

“The Best of Both Worlds”

For student–athletes Ben Patterson ’17 and Michael Patterson ’17, the Southwestern Experience included a foray into entrepreneurship.

Read Full Story

EXPLORE SOUTHWESTERN

Math News

Southwestern University Researchers Aim to Revolutionize At-Home Disease Detection

Led by Assistant Professor of Physics August Kohls, a group of students are working to design and construct a low-cost device for quick and reliable disease detection at home.

READ FULL STORY

Mathematics and Art Collide in Professor Fumiko Futamura’s Upcoming Math Playground Project

2026 Southwestern University Teaching Award recipient and Professor of Mathematics Fumiko Futamura is part of a team that recently earned a $150,000 grant to build a math-themed playground in Austin.

READ FULL STORY
CS Capstone students at CCSC 2026.

CS Capstone students help the SU community through projects

READ FULL STORY