About the Department
Mathematics Faculty
Department of Mathematics and Data Science Website
The Department of Mathematics and Data Science offers a major in Data Science as well as minors in Mathematics and in Data Analytics. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers as data scientists, data analysts, actuaries, statisticians, software developers, teachers and various other careers. Many have also pursued graduate studies to earn advanced degrees.
Our Mission
The Department of Mathematics and Data Science at Seattle Pacific University sees mathematics as a holistic endeavor – logical, beautiful, and useful – not only for our majors, but to all students and departments we serve. Our calling is to teaching excellence: demonstrating mathematics and statistics as a language which students can utilize to understand and model the world around us. We seek to nurture and support students from a myriad of backgrounds, uplifting those from underrepresented groups. We value sharing our expertise and wisdom with the community through research, service, leadership, and individualized care for our students.
Students will develop mathematical and statistical competency, learn to communicate mathematically in both written and verbal form, and cultivate an ethos of professional, principled behavior, poised to be good stewards as they venture onward.
Program Learning Outcomes
Courses in the Department of Mathematics and Data Science are designed to support students in a wide variety of disciplines across campus, enabling them to become competent in the mathematics and statistics required for their chosen fields. Students completing individual courses will demonstrate competence in the core topics of the course and will further develop their ability to use quantitative methods for problem-solving and decision-making. They will also develop an increased appreciation for the beauty and utility of mathematics and statistics.
Learning outcomes for students completing the B.S. in Data Science include:
- Data analysis: Graduates will be able to analyze data using mathematical, statistical, and computational tools to solve real-world problems.
- Data management: Graduates will be able to acquire, clean, organize, and manage data from a variety of sources and document processes used to ensure reproducibility of analyses.
- Technological tools: Graduates will develop proficiency with relevant technological tools for analyzing and managing data, including multiple programming languages.
- Communication: Graduates will be able to effectively communicate results of data analyses in written, verbal, and graphical presentations.
- Ethical considerations: Graduates will be able to identify and evaluate social, ethical, and theological implications of data science projects.
Mathematics Placement
All SPU students are required to complete a mathematics or statistics course to fulfill the Ways of Knowing in Quantitative Reasoning requirement for the Exploratory Curriculum. Additionally, many academic majors require one or more mathematics or statistics courses. Prior to taking any mathematics or statistics course at SPU, you must demonstrate eligibility.
The purpose of established eligibility criteria is to help determine whether you are ready for college-level mathematics and to help you develop any math skills needed to successfully complete Exploratory Curriculum and academic program requirements.
SPU has divided college readiness and Exploratory Curriculum math classes into several groupings. Some departments other than the Mathematics Department may require attainment of a particular Mathematics Placement Level as a prerequisite for courses in their majors.
Eligibility to enroll in a particular course can be demonstrated through:
- A sufficiently high SAT or ACT math score
- A qualifying ALEKS Math Placement Test score
- A qualifying score on the SPU Mobius Mathematics Placement Test and/or on SPU's Calculus Placement Test (these tests were discontinued in May 2025 and replaced by ALEKS)
- Transfer of an approved college mathematics course
- Completion of a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree or its approved equivalent from Oregon or California
- Math credit awarded for AP, Cambridge International, IB, or CLEP exam
Complete details of mathematics placement policies can be found on the Placement Criteria and Levels tab.
Find more information on the Mathematics Placement page.
