Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

The department provides mathematics, computer science, and engineering instruction to the LSUA community. It strives for excellence in teaching, scholarly activities, and service to the university and public. The department offers both on-campus and online baccalaureate degrees in mathematics and computer science and teaches various courses that support other degree programs. The department is committed to providing a positive work environment.

The Mathematics and Computer Science Department will be recognized for its excellence in instruction, scholarship, and service.

MATH CLUB:  The LSUA Math club is open to all students enrolled at LSUA, not just to math majors. The club aims to bring students interested in math to learn from each other, faculty, and professionals in math-related fields and promote mathematical activities at LSUA.

For more information, visit Mathematics and Computer Science department in Mulder Hall or contact the club’s faculty advisor Dr. Guoyi Ke at gke@lsua.edu. 
 
ROBOTICS CLUB: The LSUA Robotics club is a professional organization for students interested in learning about and working with robots. It is open to all students enrolled at LSUA.

For more information, visit Mathematics and Computer Science department in Mulder Hall or contact the club’s faculty advisor Dr. Tanya Lueder at tlueder@lsua.edu. 

Math and CS Support Center:  The Math and CS support center assists all LSUA students enrolled in any math and computer science courses. We provide free on-campus and online tutoring: 

On-Campus Tutoring
Location: Mulder 218 (Campus Map)
Hours: To view Math and CS tutoring hours for the current semester, click here.

Want to be a math tutor? Send an email to Dr. Prakash Ghimire at pghimire@lsua.edu.

Online Tutoring
Are you 100% online student or can’t make it to Campus? No problem, as an LSUA enrolled student, you will receive ten free hours of online tutoring each semester through Thinking storm. To learn more about the online tutoring, click here.

LSUA Student Success Center: LSUA Center for Students Success supports LSUA students in various sectors such as Advising, Student Development, Career Planning and Placement, etc. For more details, click here.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science encourages undergraduates to get involved in research. Undergraduate research provides various opportunities to students, such as working independently, collaborating with faculty members and other students, seeking enrollment in a research program within their field, etc. The MACS department has many faculty in mathematics, computer science, and cybersecurity who are active in their research and would love to work with students. Click here to learn more about our faculty and how to contact them. 

Q. What is the Math Major Field Test (MFT)?

A. The Math MFT is an ETS (Educational Testing Service) standardized two-hour computer-based assessment test of undergraduate mathematics. It is a multiple-choice exam consisting of 50 questions and is administered in a proctored environment.

Q. Do I need to take the MFT to graduate? Is there a minimum score I need to make on the test? What are these results used for?

A. All math majors are required to take this test during the semester they graduate. There is no required minimum score, but we ask everyone to take the exam seriously and do their best. Your percentile will be high if you correctly answer only 60% of the test items. We use test results for assessment purposes. Math majors from all over the nation take it, so it helps us measure how well we are doing in our math program.

Q. Can I find study materials or sample test questions somewhere?

A.  You can find the test description and sample test questions on the ETS website.

The test description on the ETS website shows that the exam covers a wide range of mathematics content.  There are no specific study materials for the test. A significant portion of the test is from Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Abstract Algebra, etc. We recommend reviewing the materials from these courses before taking the exam. The test is a little challenging, so the best approach is to make educated guesses if you're unsure about some questions and move on. This way, you can get through the exam without leaving problems unanswered.

Q. Where can I take the test? How can I register for the Major Field Test?

A. Students may take the test at the LSUA Testing Center or using a remote proctor. Online students can take the test remotely through ProctorU.  Students should request an application form from the Mathematics and Computer Science Department and return the completed application to the department and the LSUA Testing Center. You can find the registration information on the LSUA testing center website.

Q. What can I use on the Major Field Test?

A. Nothing. A calculator function is available for some, but not all, of the questions on the test. It is built into the test itself, so no outside calculators are allowed. Students will be provided with scratch paper and pencils, which will be collected after testing. The paper will be shredded after the exam.

Q. What if I have any questions about the MFT?

If your question is related to MFT, please contact either the LSUA testing center at testingcenter@lsua.edu or the chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science department Prakash Ghimire at pghimire@lsua.edu

Q. What is the CS Major Field Test (MFT)?

A. The MFT is an ETS (Educational Testing Service) standardized two-hour computer-based assessment test of undergraduate computer science. It is a multiple-choice exam consisting of 66 questions and is administered in a proctored environment.

Q. Do I need to take the MFT to graduate? Is there a minimum score I need to make on the test? What are these results used for?

A. All CS majors are required to take this test during the semester they graduate. There is no required minimum score, but we ask everyone to take the exam seriously and do their best. Your percentile will be high if you correctly answer only 60% of the test items. We use test results for assessment purposes. CS majors from all over the nation take it, so it helps us measure how well we are doing in our CS program.

Q. Can I find study materials or sample test questions somewhere?

A. You can find the test description and sample test questions on the ETS website here: https://www.ets.org/mft/about/test-content.html#accordion-635e2f095b-item-94920fc127

The test description on the ETS website shows that the exam covers a wide range of computer science content. There are no specific study materials for the test. A significant portion of the test is from Discrete Structures, Programming, Algorithms and Complexity, Systems, etc. We recommend reviewing the materials from these courses before taking the exam. The test is a little challenging, so the best approach is to make educated guesses if you're unsure about some questions and move on. This way, you can get through the exam without leaving problems unanswered.

Q. Where can I take the test? How can I register for the Major Field Test?

A. Students may take the test at the LSUA Testing Center or using a remote proctor. Online students can take the test remotely through ProctorU. Students should request an application form from the Mathematics and Computer Science Department and return the completed application to the department and the LSUA Testing Center.

You can find the registration information on the LSUA testing center website here: https://www.lsua.edu/academics/registrar/graduate-survey-and-exit-exam

Q. What can I use on the Major Field Test?

A. Nothing. A calculator function is available for some, but not all, of the questions on the test. It is built into the test itself, so no outside calculators are allowed. Students will be provided with scratch paper and pencils, which will be collected after testing. The paper will be shredded after the exam.

Q. What if I have any questions about the MFT?

A. If your question is related to MFT, please contact either the LSUA testing center at testingcenter@lsua.edu or the chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science department Prakash Ghimire at pghimire@lsua.edu

For Math Students:

There are numerous links that are useful for those students who are interested in mathematics and computer science. Some of them are listed below:

• Click here to learn about the opportunities provided by the American Mathematical Society for Undergraduates and high school students.
• Mathematical Association of America’s opportunities for undergraduate students: Click  here to view the opportunities.
• Khan Academy: Click here to access the Khan Academy’s resources. To find the topic you are looking for, use Search for a topic at the top of the screen, or Jump to the topic that want on their home page.
•  Some Undergraduate Math Journals:
  • Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal
  • SIAM Undergraduate Research Online (SIURO) 
  • Mathematics Exchange
  • Missouri Journal of Mathematical Sciences
  • Involve: A Journal of Mathematics

For Computer Science Students:

• Graduate school program guide: Click here to learn about the computer science graduate school programs.
  • Click here to see a list of some of the top master’s in computer science program.
• Undergraduate computer science journals
  • Intersect: The Stanford Journal of Science, Technology, and Society
  • American Journal of Undergraduate Research
  • Journal of Young Investigators
  • Biomedical engineering society