Quantitative Reasoning

Achieve meaning and explain reality

This category may potentially encompass any discipline that uses quantitative methods or formal logic, with an emphasis on courses that demonstrate how such methods can be used to explain reality and achieve meaning. Because these courses address both quantitative reasoning and critical thinking, they should locate mathematical skills and reasoning in a context of explaining or solving complex problems.

Quantitative Reasoning Course Listing

ECON 1031 Introduction to Business Economics

3 hrs. A survey of how markets and the economy as a whole function, with emphasis on decision making by businesses and economic literacy. Topics include markets for goods, services, and inputs; costs of production; and the measurements and determinants of national income, unemployment, and inflation.

No credit for students who have credit or are concurrently enrolled in ECON 1041 (920:053) or ECON 1051 (920:054).
May not be used for credit on Economics major or minor.

ECON 1041 Principles of Macroeconomics

3 hrs. Introduction to the economizing problem and economic institutions. National income determination, monetary and fiscal policy, and global economic issues.

FIN 1040 Financial Skills for Smart Living

3 hrs. This course will prepare students for their own personal financial well-being in life. The course will cover the main topics of personal finance at a broad level including setting goals, budgeting, saving, investing, insurance, credit, loans, making home and automobile purchases, retirement planning, and estate planning.

MATH 1100 Mathematics in Decision Making

3 hrs. Survey of mathematical ideas of particular use in analyzing information and forming and analyzing hypotheses. Topics include logical statements, probability, statistics, graphs, interest and matrices.

MATH 1160 Calling Hogwash: Mathematics for Critical Thinking

3 hrs. This course will discuss how mathematics, statistics, and "mathematics" are used to persuade people, and to spread hogwash with a veneer of scientific credibility. Example topics include uses and abuses of data visualization, choices in measures of center and spread, selective use of percentages, truncating axes, the relationship between correlation and causation, forms of bias, and abuses of Big Data. There will be discussions, videos, readings, and examples from current traditional and social media. There will be at least one project where students will apply these techniques to attempt to persuade their classmates of something important to them.

MATH 1204 Mathematical Reasoning

3 hrs. Mathematics as problem solving, communication, connections, and reasoning. Includes whole numbers, rational number concepts, operations, and connections to algebraic thinking

MATH 1420 Calculus I

4 hrs. The derivatives and integrals of elementary functions and their applications.

Required ALEKS score >65% or equivalent
Equivalence can be demonstrated by successful completion of MATH 1140 Pre-calculus, or MATH 1110 Analysis for Business Students and MATH 1130 Trigonometry or MATH 1120 Mathematics for Biological Sciences and MATH 1130 Trigonometry or equivalent.

PHIL 1030 Elementary Logic

3 hrs. Critical thinking, using both formal and informal methods, including proof techniques and recognizing logical fallacies. Enhances reading, writing, and thinking in any area of study, and in preparing for grad-school exams (e.g., LSAT, GMAT, and GRE).

STAT 1772 Introduction to Statistical Methods

3 hrs. Descriptive statistics including correlation and curve fitting. Intuitive treatment of probability and inferential statistics including estimation and hypothesis testing.

Required ALEKS score >45%
Students with credit in STAT 3770 Statistical Methods should not enroll in STAT 1772 Introduction to Statistical Methods.