STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
Whether your dream is to program on-board
software for a NASA satellite, develop a website that impacts
countless others, guide our financial futures as an insurance
professional or an actuary, or teach budding mathematicians how to
solve the problems of tomorrow, the Mathematics and Computer Science
Department at Northern Michigan University can help you realize your
full potential .
At NMU, we mix fundamental theory with hands-on
learning experiences, so you will have the opportunity to put your
ideas and education to work through various projects and internship
opportunities. We encourage our students to make full use of the
equipment in our facilities and to get hands-on experience in
robotics, cluster computing, system administration, and
undergraduate research.
Our faculty is dedicated to providing you with
an excellent and exciting education and helping you find your place
in the world.
Government, private
industry, education, health, and environmental fields all require
employees with sophisticated computer and mathematical skills to
help solve tomorrow’s problems today. At Northern, you will gain
the knowledge and experience to enter the workforce on the leading
edge, or ahead of the technology curve.
At Northern, we know that your education is only as progressive as
the faculty who instruct you. That’s why professors in the
Mathematics and Computer Science Department remain active in their
professional areas. Many serve on professional boards and
committees and make presentations at regional, state, national, and
international conferences.
While many universities place primary emphasis
on faculty grant writing, publishing or graduate student
supervision, at NMU faculty members are focused on teaching and are
always available to help with your projects, independent studies,
lecture reviews, presentations, and advising. They care as much
about your education as you do.
Each classroom is
a hands-on, interactive learning environment. You will learn the
tools of the trade, with technology embedded into the curriculum.
Students are exposed to graphing calculators, Maple, Minitab,
Geometer’s Sketchpad, Java, PHP, C++, Perl, Python, robotics, and TI
InterActive. You will also have access to specialized
undergraduate labs housed within the Mathematics and Computer
Science Department.
Specialized Laboratories
- Breve
cluster evolution simulator
- CAT
cluster supercomputer lab
-
Computer Science lab
-
Northern Evolution and Robotics Lab
We are also proud to have a close, ongoing
relationship with Intel Corporation. We house an
Intel lab
right on campus where at any given time several NMU students are
getting real-world experience by working for Intel. Many of these
students go on to get longer term internships at one of several
Intel campuses across the United States.
Many of our students have accompanied faculty
members to professional and academic conferences in the U.S. and
abroad. Not only does this give students the opportunity to see the
next generation of mathematics and computer science applications and
to network with some of the greatest minds in these fields, it also
gives them the opportunity to showcase their work. Some events that
our students often participate in include:
- ACM Regional Programming Contest
- Argonne National Laboratories Undergraduate Research Symposium
- Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference
- Intel CCF SDK Programming Competition
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conferences
- NMU Invitational Programming Contest
College may mean being on your own, but at Northern you never need
to feel alone. You will have an advisor who is a faculty member in
your major to help plan which courses to take each semester or guide
you in finding the specialization that is right for you.
Uncertain about an assignment or stuck on a
problem? Our professors welcome your questions. We also offer
peer tutoring, a
writing center,
and Academic and the Career
Advising Center to ensure your academic success.
It’s also easy to connect with family and
friends, old and new, with the ThinkPad notebook computer you will
have at NMU, loaded with software, on our totally wired and
wireless campus and community. Plus, there’s on-campus support for
any computer questions or calamities.
We believe that your time at NMU should be more
than just classes, labs, and homework, so tap into one of our
student organizations to make new friends, from study groups, or
just hang out.
- Actuarial and Risk Management Club (Beta Eta
Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma)
-
Computer Science Club (Student Chapter of the A.C.M.)
- Elementary Education Mathematics Club
-
Mathematics Club
In today’s tough job market, graduates need to
stand out from the pack. Your biggest problem may be just how to
fit all the stuff you do at NMU on a one page resume. Students help
conduct the Upper Peninsula High School Math Challenge, compete in
the Association for Computing Machinery Invitational Programming
Contest and build and race Lego robotics with school children in
summer enrichment courses, to name a few activities.
You will also have outstanding opportunities to
get first-hand experience in the worlds of high tech and industry.
Students in the Mathematics and Computer Science
Department have landed
internships at such places as:
- Allstate Insurance
- Amazon
- Apple iTunes
- IBM
- Intel
- International Paper
- Mead Paper
- NASA
- Pioneer Surgical Technology
- Resource Data, Inc.
- Web media and design companies
Our pre-service mathematics teachers also get
great training from our highly respected
School of Education
and amazing experience (and often jobs) as student teachers.
With so many experiential opportunities,
excellent programs and faculty dedicated to your education, it
should be no surprise that our graduates go on to land their dream
job or continue on to graduate school.
Each year, our students get accepted into
master’s and doctoral programs at leading universities around the
world. And our teachers get to work right away in fulfilling jobs
in many areas of the country.
Our success stories include graduates working
as a video game programmer, health care software designer, network
analyst, computer programmer, university professor, math and science
center director, insurance company actuary, chief technology
officer, dean of online education, IT and telecom company vice
president, and technology
company CEO.
High tech, high touch and high quality are the
guiding principles at Northern Michigan University, where the number
one priority is you. We don’t just say that, we work to prove it
every day to each of our 9,400 students. That sounds like a lot,
but you will discover that while we’re large enough to offer more
than 180 degree programs, hundreds of courses and dozens of
top-notch learning facilities, we’re also small (and friendly)
enough to make you feel like you’ve found a second home and family. |