MATH-131: Mathematics for the Modern World

School
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Division
Mathematics
Department
Mathematics
Academic Level
Undergraduate
Course Subject
Mathematics
Course Number
131
Course Title
Mathematics for the Modern World
Credit Hours
4.00
Instructor Contact Hours Per Semester
62.00 (for 15-week classes)
Student Contact Hours Per Semester
62.00 (for 15-week classes)
Grading Method
A-E
Pre-requisites
(MATH-010 OR MATH-031 with a grade of S, MATH-100 or MATH-101 with a B- grade or better, MATH-103 with a C grade or better, a satisfactory score on the Math placement test, OR eligible to take gateway MATH courses at HFC) AND Eligible to take ENG courses at HFC
Catalog Course Description

For students pursuing a liberal arts curriculum or a program without a specified mathematics requirement. Topics include linear and exponential growth; statistics; personal finance; and geometry, including scale and symmetry. Emphasizes techniques of problem-solving and application of modern mathematics to understanding quantitative information in the everyday world.

Goals, Topics, and Objectives

Goal Statement
  1. To generate an appreciation of the quantitative tools that help to present and explain issues arising in the media and students' daily lives.
  2. To heighten communication skills, both written and oral, of mathematical ideas so that students can express quantitative evidence in support of an argument or purpose of a work.
  3. To increase the ability to explain information presented in mathematical forms such as equations, graphs, diagrams, tables, and paragraphs and to convert relevant information between the forms.
  4. To strengthen the ability to make judgments and draw appropriate conclusions based on the quantitative analysis of data, while recognizing the limits of this analysis.
  5. To enhance mathematical competence in performing appropriate calculations and communicating results in the specific areas of modeling, personal finance, basic statistics, and geometry.
Core Course Topics
  1. Number Sense
    1. Solve problems involving rates and dimensional analysis
    2. Write numbers in scientific notation
    3. Solve application problems involving percentages
  2. Financial Literacy
    1. Solve application problems involving interest, annuities, and loans
    2. Solve problems involving tax
  3. Probability
    1. Count the possible outcomes for events
    2. Calculate probabilities
    3. Find expected values
    4. Distinguish between independent and dependent events
  4. Statistics
    1. Find descriptive statistics
    2. Display data
    3. Analyze statistical studies and sampling methods
    4. Solve problems involving the normal distribution
  5. Geometry
    1. Solve problems involving perimeter, area, surface area, and volume.
    2. Solve problems involving similar figures
    3. Solve problems involving right triangles
  6. Voting Methods
    1. Determine the results of a vote using voting rules
    2. Determine how to allocate resources or goods using a given apportionment

Assessment and Requirements

Assessment of Academic Achievement
  • All students will be required to complete a comprehensive final examination that assesses the learning of all course objectives. This exam must be weighted in a manner so that this exam score is worth a minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of the final course grade.
  • Additional assessment of student achievement may include assignments, quizzes, and exams.
  • Application problems must not only be included on chapter exams but also on the final exam.
General Course Requirements and Recommendations
  • A scientific calculator is required of each student.
  • Application problems must be covered in all mathematics courses. Every section of any course outline that includes application problems must be covered.

Outcomes

General Education Categories
  • Mathematics
MTA Categories
  • Category 3: Mathematics (Quantitative Literacy Track)
Satisfies Wellness Requirement
No
Satisfies Honors Requirements
No

Credit for Prior College-Level Learning

Options for Credit for Prior College-Level Learning
Other Exam
Other Exam Details

50, CLEP College Mathematics exam, taken at any certified Testing Center, such as HFC’s Workforce & Professional Development’s Testing Center (313) 317-6600.

Other Details

A student may receive credit for Math-131 by earning a minimum score of 50 on the CLEP College Mathematics exam.

Effective Term
Summer 2025