Mathematics and Statistics

College of Arts & Sciences

  • Elementary Statistics

    CAS MA 113

    Basic concepts of estimation and tests of hypotheses, ideas from probability; one-, two-, and multiple-sample problems. Applications are in the social sciences, and students will be able to understand the basics of using a sample to predict uncertainty. CAS MA 113 may not be taken for credit by any student who has completed any CAS MA course numbered 300 or higher. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, CAS MA 115, or CAS MA 213. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 1 seven-week course (May 16-June 30)

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

    For information about technology requirements for online courses at Boston University, see bu.edu/online/online-learning/technology. The Distance Education office can be reached at 617-358-1960 for additional information.

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  • Statistics I

    CAS MA 115

    Numerical and graphical summaries of univariate and bivariate data. Basic probability, random variables, binomial distribution, normal distribution. One-sample statistical inference for normal means and binomial probabilities. Primarily for students in the social sciences with limited mathematics preparation. CAS MA 115 may not be taken for credit by any student who has completed any CAS MA course numbered 300 or higher. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, CAS MA 115, or CAS MA 213. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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  • Statistics II

    CAS MA 116

    Prereq: (CAS MA 115) or equivalent. Introduces basic statistical modeling techniques. One- or two- sample inference for unknown means, proportions and variances, categorical data analysis, introduction to design of experiments and analysis of variance, analysis of simple and multiple linear regression models, non-parametric methods. CAS MA 116 may not be taken for credit by any student who has completed any CAS MA course numbered 300 or higher. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 116, CAS MA 214, or CAS MA 614. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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  • Calculus for the Life and Social Sciences I

    CAS MA 121

    Differentiation and integration of functions of one variable. Same topics as CAS MA 123, but with less emphasis on mathematical generality and more on applications. Especially suitable for students concentrating in the biological and social sciences. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

    Summer 2 seven-week course (July 5-August 22)

    For information about technology requirements for online courses at Boston University, see bu.edu/online/online-learning/technology. The Distance Education office can be reached at 617-358-1960 for additional information.

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  • Calculus for the Life and Social Sciences II

    CAS MA 122

    Prereq: (CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123). Continuation of CAS MA 121. Review of univariate calculus, calculus of the elementary transcendental functions, elementary differential equations, elementary multivariate calculus. Applications to exponential growth, optimization, equilibrium, and dynamic modeling problems. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 122, CAS MA 124, or CAS MA 129. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 6-August 15)

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  • Calculus I

    CAS MA 123

    Limits; derivatives; differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions. Applications to maxima, minima, and convexity of functions. The definite integral; the fundamental theorem of integral calculus. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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  • Calculus II

    CAS MA 124

    Prereq: (CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123). Logarithmic, exponential, and trigonometric functions. Sequences and series; Taylor's series with the remainder. Methods of integration. Calculus I and II together constitute an introduction to calculus of a function of a single real variable. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 122, CAS MA 124, or CAS MA 129. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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  • Basic Statistics and Probability

    CAS MA 213

    Prereq: good background in high school algebra. Elementary treatment of probability densities, means, variances, correlation, independence, the central limit theorem, confidence intervals, and p-values. Students learn to answer questions such as how can a pollster use a sample to predict the uncertainty of an election? Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, CAS MA 115, or CAS MA 213. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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  • Applied Statistics

    CAS MA 214

    Prereq: (CAS MA 213) or consent of instructor. Inference about proportions, goodness of fit, student's t-distribution, tests for normality; two-sample comparisons, regression and correlation, tests for linearity and outliers, residual analysis, contingency tables, analysis of variance. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 116, CAS MA 214, or CAS MA 614. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 6-August 15)

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  • Multivariate Calculus

    CAS MA 225

    Prereq: (CAS MA 124 or CAS MA 129). Vectors, lines, planes. Multiple integration, cylindrical and spherical coordinates. Partial derivatives, directional derivatives, scalar and vector fields, the gradient, potentials, approximation, multivariate minimization, Stokes's and related theorems. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS MA 230. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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  • Differential Equations

    CAS MA 226

    Prereq: (CAS MA 225 or CAS MA 230). First-order linear and separable equations. Second-order equations and first-order systems. Linear equations and linearization. Numerical and qualitative analysis. Laplace transforms. Applications and modeling of real phenomena throughout. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS MA 231. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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  • Linear Algebra

    CAS MA 242

    Matrix algebra, solution of linear systems, determinants, Gaussian elimination, fundamental theory, row-echelon form. Vector spaces, bases, norms. Computer methods. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, canonical decomposition. Applications. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS MA 442 or ENG EK 103. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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  • Discrete Mathematics

    CAS MA 293

    Propositional logic, set theory. Elementary probability theory. Number theory. Combinatorics with applications. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Critical Thinking. 4 cr. Tuition: $3100

    Summer 2 (July 5-August 15)

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