Mathematics
An 18-credit minor through the calculus pipeline — College Algebra to Calculus II — with your choice of two upper-division electives from linear algebra to differential equations to advanced calculus.
About the Minor
ACU’s Mathematics Minor walks students through the calculus pipeline — College Algebra (MAT 112), Pre-Calculus (MAT 120), Calculus I (MAT 230), and Calculus II (MAT 231) — and then lets you choose two upper-division electives from a focused list: Elementary Differential Equations (MAT 232), Modern Geometry (MAT 310), Calculus III (MAT 331), Calculus IV (MAT 332), or Linear Algebra (MAT 342).
The minor is built for students whose post-graduation paths require real mathematical preparation. Future engineers transferring after ACU. Future secondary math teachers (often paired with Education degrees). Pre-actuarial students. Pre-data-science students. Computer science minors and majors. Christian apologetics-bound students who want to engage philosophical arguments grounded in mathematics. And any major where serious quantitative skill opens doors.
Pairs especially naturally with Secondary Education (Math concentration), Biology, Business Administration, and any STEM-adjacent pathway after ACU.
What You'll Learn
Work Through the Calculus Pipeline
Move from College Algebra through Pre-Calculus, Calculus I, and Calculus II — the foundation any STEM career assumes.
Apply Differential Equations
Optional: solve elementary differential equations — the math engineering and physics depend on.
Engage Linear Algebra
Optional: build the working command of linear algebra that machine learning, computer graphics, and quantitative work all assume.
Study Higher Calculus
Optional: continue into multivariable and advanced calculus (Calc III/IV) for engineering, physics, or graduate work.
Develop Mathematical Reasoning
Build the kind of careful, precise thinking that mathematical training distinctively cultivates — useful beyond mathematics itself.
Mathematics Through a Biblical Worldview
A Biblical Worldview treats mathematics as careful, honest engagement with structures God built into reality — meaning the discipline of mathematical work has weight far beyond technical applications.
Order and Pattern in Creation
The reliability of mathematics — that equations balance, patterns hold, and proofs either work or they don't — reflects a created order rather than chaos. Mathematical work is one of the clearest ways to notice the consistency woven into reality.
Lets you see math as discovery of real structure, not just rules to follow.Honesty and Precision
Mathematics rewards intellectual honesty — a proof either holds or it doesn't, and shortcuts get exposed. That discipline mirrors a deeper call to integrity in scholarship and in everyday work.
Cultivates habits of careful, honest thinking that translate beyond mathematics.Mathematics as Service
Mathematical training serves nearly every other field — sciences, engineering, business, technology, education, and the social sciences all depend on it. A Biblical Worldview treats that supporting role as honorable work, not as a lesser path."
Anchors your math work in the conviction that the discipline matters because of what it enables.Where This Minor Takes You
Mathematics opens doors across STEM, education, finance, and any field where quantitative reasoning is part of the work.
Pre-Engineering and STEM Graduate Programs
Build the foundation engineering programs and graduate STEM admissions assume.
Secondary Math Teacher
Pair the minor with ACU's BS Secondary Education (Math concentration) to teach algebra through calculus in middle and high school.
Pre-Actuarial and Quantitative Finance
Add the mathematical depth actuarial exams and quantitative-finance roles require.
Data Science Preparation
Build linear algebra and calculus foundations for data science, machine learning, and analytics graduate work.
Christian School Math Teacher
Teach math in Christian middle and high schools where the calculus pipeline and proof-based thinking matter.
STEM-Adjacent Roles With Quantitative Demands
Bring real math preparation into engineering-adjacent, scientific-computing, biotech, and operations-research roles.
Why Students Choose This Minor
The Mathematics Minor at ACU is the calculus-pipeline option — built for students whose post-graduation paths require real quantitative preparation.
Through Calculus II in the Core
The required core ends at Calc II — already past where many liberal arts math minors stop.
Five Real Elective Options
Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Modern Geometry, Calc III, Calc IV — pick the two that match where you're heading.
Linear Algebra Available
MAT 342 Linear Algebra opens up data science, machine learning, computer graphics, and quantitative finance prep.
Pre-Engineering Strong
Calculus pipeline + differential equations + linear algebra is the standard pre-engineering math foundation.
Same Faculty as the Secondary Ed Math Concentration
Mathematics Minor students work with the same professors as ACU's secondary math education students.
Getting Started
The Mathematics Minor has a strict prerequisite chain — starting MAT 112 early and confirming math placement is essential.
Talk With Your Academic Advisor
Map the 18 credits into your degree plan and confirm your math placement at admission.
Take MAT 112 Freshman Year
MAT 112 College Algebra unlocks Pre-Calculus, which unlocks Calculus I — the chain takes time.
View MAT 112 →Move Through Pre-Calc and Calc I and II
MAT 120 Pre-Calculus, MAT 230 Calculus I, and MAT 231 Calculus II form the required core sequence. Plan one per semester.
Choose Your Two Upper-Division Electives
Pick the two electives that match your direction — Linear Algebra (MAT 342) + Differential Equations (MAT 232) for engineering; Calc III + IV for graduate STEM; Modern Geometry (MAT 310) for math teaching.
Explore More Options
Ready to Build Real Math?
The Mathematics Minor moves you through the calculus pipeline and into the upper-division work STEM and math-teaching careers actually require. Apply or reach out today.
