New Degree Responds to Businesses' Need for Mathematicians

BUFFALO, N.Y., May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to a pressing need for mathematicians and scientists with management skills, Buffalo State College is offering New York State's first and so far only professional science master's (P.S.M.) degree program in applied mathematics and computation.

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P.S.M. programs are springing up across the country in response to a need for employees with advanced training in science or mathematics and training in management skills. The new program at Buffalo State, a master of science in professional applied and computational mathematics (PACM), is accepting applicants for fall 2010.

"We have worked very closely with area businesses to make our program valuable to them," said Joaquin Carbonara, associate professor of mathematics and interim director of PACM. "Applied mathematics can help organizations gain the maximum benefit from data."

The 30-credit-hour program includes 9 credit hours of courses in analytical mathematical modeling; 9 credit hours in statistical data analysis; and 9 credit hours in business communication, project management, and operations management. A 3-credit-hour master's project will include an internship involving data collection, analysis, and synthesis into an analytical mathematical model.

"The goal of applied mathematics and the PACM is to train people to use math to solve problems in a multidisciplinary setting, to be effective communicators, and to work well within a team," said Carbonara. "Applied math is flexible, and its practitioners will use any tool available to help organizations make data-driven decisions."

For example, the amount of available raw data has shot through the roof as computers have gained in power and speed. However, such data is not information. That's where graduates from the PACM program come in. They will know how to mine accurate and relevant information from raw data to enable organizations to make fact-based decisions.

"Even long-range strategic plans can benefit," said Carbonara. "Planning five to 10 years in the future doesn't have to rely on 'guesstimates.' Applied mathematicians can provide useful information about trends based on multiple factors."

Carbonara also noted that applied and computational mathematics have broad uses across all the sciences, and can act as a bridge to connect disciplines.

Several competitive fellowships, each for $15,000, are available, thanks to a grant of almost $700,000 from the National Science Foundation and funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

SOURCE Buffalo State College