Mathematics & Physics

The DEI vision for Kansas Wesleyan is to promote a diverse culture of equity, inclusion, integrity, and collaboration that deepens understanding and embraces intercultural and global experiences for students, faculty and staff.

Mathematics and Physics Department
The department of Math and Physics believes that talent is distributed uniformly across different groups of people, regardless of genetics, socio-economic background and geographic location. Since every student is worthy of respect and should have access to a quality educational experience, the department has a commitment to:

1. Fostering a sense of belonging among all students, whether in the department, the university  and the larger discipline.

2. Helping students view themselves as members of the mathematical and scientific community with valuable skills and perspectives.

3. Providing support for students with emotional, cultural, financial or other concerns that could inhibit their success.

4. Creating environments of inclusion and dignity for all students.

5. Giving all students experiences demonstrating how physics and mathematics can be powerful forces for finding truth, growing future citizens, providing useful career skills and serving as a source of pleasurable intellectual challenge.

Updated September 2023

Mathematics gives you powerful tools for communication, comprehension and change. Physics teaches the fundamental laws of the natural world, develops your passion for knowledge and innovation, and helps you to discover how to apply what you are learning.

The Engineering Dual Degree Program allows students to earn a liberal arts degree from Kansas Wesleyan University and an engineering degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Mathematics graduates end up in a variety of careers, becoming project managers, customer account managers, actuaries and math teachers. Others go on to graduate programs as diverse as chemical engineering, business administration, computer science and mathematics. Mathematics is about logical analysis, deduction and calculation within patterns and structures.

With a mathematics degree, you should be able to turn your hand to finance, statistics, engineering, computers, teaching or accountancy with a success not possible to other graduates.

Physics graduates have skills that are in high demand in diverse sectors. These include skills relating to numeracy, problem-solving, data analysis and the communication of complex ideas, as well as a wider understanding of how the world works, on a scientific and human level. This highly transferable and valued skillset also means physics graduates earn more!

Core Requirements

All mathematics majors are required to complete the following courses:

• COMP 238 Advanced Python Programming
• MATH 145 Calculus I
• MATH 209 Introduction to Probability
• MATH 210 Elementary Statistics
• MATH 225 Linear Algebra
• MATH 245 Calculus II
• MATH 323 Mathematical Statistics
• MATH 496 Mathematics Capstone
• PHYS 165 Introduction to Data Scienc

Core Requirements – 18-19 credit hours

The student must complete all of the following:

• 16 credit hours of Mathematics, in course levels 140 and above
• One course in Computer Science

Core Requirements

The student must take all of the following course:

• CHEM 123 General Chemistry I
• CHEM 124 General Chemistry II
• MATH 145 Calculus I
• MATH 245 Calculus II
• MATH 246 Calculus III
• MATH 310 Elementary Differential Equations
• PHYS 165 Data Science
• PHYS 221 General Physics I
• PHYS 222 General Physics II
• PHYS 227 Modern Physics
• PHYS 250 Physics Seminar
• PHYS 265 Scientific Programming
• PHYS 321 Classical Mechanics
• PHYS 340 Advanced Physics Laboratory I
• PHYS 440 Advanced Physics Laboratory II
• PHYS 486 Physics Capstone I
• PHYS 496 Physics Capstone Project

Traditional Physics Concentration Requirements:

The Traditional Physics Concentration is a comprehensive study of physics. It is ideal for students who want an in-depth understanding of the field of physics and students who are planning to attend physics graduate programs. In addition to the core courses, student must take all of the following course:

• PHYS 260 Circuit Analysis & Electronics
• PHYS 325 Thermodynamics
• PHYS 335 Electromagnetic Theory
• PHYS 425 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
• Select two of the following recommended courses or other upper division physics courses (courses must be at a 300 or 400 level).
• PHYS 323 Optics
• PHYS 485 Special Topics

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