Student Organizations
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics runs a Math Club for undergraduate students which meets weekly during the Fall and Spring semesters and where the students participate in activities ranging from solving fun and challenging problems to playing games.
There is a student chapter of the Mathematical Association of America, which is open to all students.
Student Computing Facilities
All mathematics majors are eligible for a computer account on the University server. This gives the student access to e-mail and the Internet. Furthermore, the department maintains a computer lab and computer classroom, each with 25 to 35 networked Pentium PCs. The lab can also be used as a fully functional electronic classroom.
Student Competitions
There are two major competitions in which our students participate. The first is the annual William Lowell Putnam Competition. This is open to any student without a college degree. A student may only take the Putnam exam four times. Students should alert the Undergraduate Coordinator no later than October 1 if they are interested in taking the Putnam examination.
The second competition is the Louisiana-Mississippi Section of the Mathematical Association of America's (MAA) undergraduate competition. This typically involves a road trip to the MAA regional conference in the Spring. Mississippi State has won this competition six times since 1990. Membership on the team is by invitation only.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Several departmental faculty members are available to serve as faculty mentors for undergraduate students who have an interest in mathematical research. The research projects are selected based upon the student's area of interest and the level of mathematical maturity of the student. Those students who complete a noteworthy research project are often provided both the opportunity and the necessary financial support to present their results at the Mathematical Association of America regional conference and publish their results in the conference proceedings.
Cooperative Education Opportunities
Many of our students take advantage of the Cooperative Education Program at Mississippi State. This involves taking alternate semesters off and working for a private company or government organization. Recently students have "co-oped'' with such companies as the various baby Bells, power companies, IBM, and even the National Security Agency. Please contact the Director of Cooperative Education for more detailed information concerning the Cooperative Education or Program.