Courses
QUAN 001 Intro to Quantitative Reasoning (Qsem)
1.0-credit. Offered Fall only. This course can be used to fulfill the Quantitative Readiness (QR) requirement at Bryn Mawr. It is designed to prepare students to succeed in entry level quantitative courses in the Social Sciences and Sciences. The course addresses a variety of basic topics in Mathematics and Statistics with an emphasis on applications. Topics include: computation, basic probability, central tendency, tables & graphs, basic algebra, magnitude & scale, and the interpretation of word problems. Qsem is taught in a collaborative, small seminar format.
Qsem FAQ's:
*Who takes Qsem? Creative, talented, and highly motivated students! Many students in Qsem have good basic skills, but have difficulty working with abstraction in math. Many students are pre-med, or are interested in studying economics, psychology, or sociology. Some Qsem folks are future humanities majors who have had a long-standing dread of anything quantitative. We work to diminish that dread and build on their strengths! Approximately 20% of all first-year and transfer students take Qsem each year.
*Do students who have already taken calculus need Qsem? Yes, many do! The majority of Qsem students last year had successfully completed at least 1 semester of high school calculus. Quantitative reasoning and calculus are very different disciplines.
*Why is there a Qsem course? The Bryn Mawr curriculum is rigorous. In 2010 the faculty concluded that promising students were entering Bryn Mawr with such a tentative set of quantitative skills that they were not able to complete quantitative courses with satisfaction, or to flourish in their chosen majors. The faculty established the QR requirement and Qsem to help students succeed in any discipline.
*What is the goal of Qsem? The goal of Qsem is to refine one's critical reasoning skills, and to strengthen one's ability to accurately solve complex, novel problems. These skills are crucial to success in social science and science courses across the Bryn Mawr curriculum.
QUAN 100 Intro to Quantitative & Computational Methods
0.5-credit. Half-semester (7 week) course. Introduction to Python programming.
Open to all students during the first half of Fall semester.
Enrollment during the second half of Fall semester is possible in concert with CHEM 103, MATH 101, PHYS 121, CMSC 110, and Econ 105 only.
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MATH 100 Introduction to Calculus
Cross-listed as: QUAN 111 Modeling Change with Functions
1.0-credit. This course covers functions that provide useful models for studying motion and change: linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric. Practice with these concepts and skills will prepare students for success in calculus, where they will use functions to model real-world phenomena, such as falling objects and growing populations. This course fulfills the QM requirement.
Prerequisite: QR Readiness required
MATH 101L Calculus I Lab
0.5-credit. Offered Fall and Spring. This lab course will reinforce the concepts and skills that are needed to be successful in Calculus I. Co-requisite: MATH B101 Calculus I
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QUAN 121 Topics in Quantitative Analysis
1.0-credit. In this course students will assess the scope of quantitative problems in disparate disciplines, and use mathematical calculations (linear, exponential or log functions), and/or computing algorithms to solve them. Former topics: Research in a Quantitative World, Python Computing and Art, Python Computing and Sound (Language or Music).This course fulfills the QM requirement.
Prerequisites: QR Readiness required; permission of the instructor required