Montclair State University

About the College of Science and Mathematics

The College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) has a deeply rooted commitment to the success of our students and works diligently to keep pace with changing academic needs in a rapidly changing world. We continue to develop relevant and current programs that bridge departments, disciplines and regional and national needs. In addition to a broad offering of excellent undergraduate and graduate programs in the sciences, mathematics and computer science areas, unique programs exist within CSAM to address critical societal needs such as environmental sustainability, pharmaceutical life sciences, science and mathematics teacher education and health care. Such offerings include a combined B.S. and M.S. degree in Aquatic and Coastal Sciences and a combined M.S. in Chemistry/M.B.A. designed to educate individuals for the pharmaceutical, biotechnical, and other industries in need of employees bridging science and business. In 2004, CSAM awarded its first Ed.D. in Pedagogy with a focus in Mathematics Education. Add to these our Ph.D. program in Environmental Management, a new MS in Financial Mathematics, a Fall 2009 start for our MS in Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, a just launched program to enable displaced financial sector employees to pursue new careers as mathematics teachers and planned doctoral degrees in Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences, and the spectrum of academic programs relevant to the needs of New Jersey and the surrounding region is evident.

Corresponding with creative new programs, our students continue to represent exceptional quality with average SAT scores of 1118 and an average GPA of 3.2. Enrollment numbers have climbed by 23% in five years. Exceptional enrollments, at the graduate level, are seen in our doctorate in Environmental Management.

Our faculty and students are pursuing more and more research and publishing, in top tier journals, at unprecedented rates for our College and the University. Similarly, grants and other external funds are being awarded to our faculty members from the National Science Foundation, National Atmospheric and Space Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Sea Grant, Department of Education, the Victoria Foundation, and many other agencies including industry foundations such as Bristol-Myers Squibb and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Research opportunities for students are more abundant than ever and more students are choosing a research master's thesis route. Faculty and students share research in areas as diverse as global warming and Antarctic ice melt, exploring ways to reduce computer "phishing", environmental and territorial needs for bears, development of drug products to help control diabetes and other threatening diseases, and methods to remotely identify and differentiate earthbound structures - A veritable spectrum of research opportunities.

CSAM also continues to uphold our philosophy of a "small college" within a larger University by providing high quality and highly personalized education. Relatively small class sizes (a constant average of 26 students per class across all departments) are complemented by a growing number of faculty members with ever-improving in-class and laboratory resources to support student learning.

CSAM offers a wide choice of other programs and activities, for our students, faculty, alumni, industry, and the community. These range from the Margaret and Herman Sokol Science Lectures, CSAM Seminars, Science Professional Series, PharmFest, and a CSAM Residence Hall floor. Strong programs in pedagogy such as those found in the Bristol-Myers Squibb Science Teaching and Learning Center or research and community programs, as supported by the Passaic River Institute, and evolving programs in China or Thailand or Russia, all broaden our student's perspectives and insure a spectrum of possibilities.