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Math Camp | SPEA - School of Public and Environmental Affairs | Indiana University Bloomington

August 2013

Where to Begin
SPEA offers two levels of Math Camp: Math Camp and Math Camp Advanced. Our Math Camp course provides a great opportunity for those who need a brush up.  Math Camp Advanced is designed for all MSES, MPA/MSES and those MPA students that intend to incorporate some of SPEA’s demanding quantitative and/or analytical coursework in their academic designs. The Advanced course will provide an intense review of mathematical skills – from Algebra to Intermediate Calculus.

To better help you decide if you need to enroll in SPEA’s Math Camp, consider taking a quick assessment tool. This evaluation tool is a self-graded test covering many of the concepts presented in our Math Camp. To begin, you can download the evaluation tool and complete the exercises—instructions are included as part of the tool. Then, download the answer key and grade your own test. If you score well and feel confident that you know how to answer these questions, then you do not need to participate in Math Camp. If you do not score well and/or cannot figure out the answers to the problems included in the assessment tool, then SPEA’s Math Camp is for you.

NOTE: Some students may be required to attend SPEA’s Math Camp as a condition of admission. This requirement is clearly stated in your admission letter. Please contact the Masters Program Office (MPO) via email at speaapps@indiana.edu if you have a question about your admission status.

Math Camp Syllabus August 2012 | Math Camp Advanced Syllabus August 2012

Missed the math camp chat?  View the transcript here.

Calculator
A scientific calculator is strongly recommended for Math Camp. A graphing calculator is not necessary.

Math Camp instructor: Henry Wakhungu | Math Camp Advanced instructor: Ken Richards

Topics Covered 


Math Camp

Monday

Roots and exponents

Fractions

Polynomials (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing)

Percent change

Summation

 

Tuesday

Solving quadratic equations

Solving systems of equations

 

Wednesday

Functions and Graphing

Logarithmic and exponential functions

 

Thursday

Derivatives

Integration

 

Friday

Word Problems

Application problems

 

Math Camp Advanced

Monday

Factoring polynomials

Solving simultaneous equations

Distance formula and midpoint formula

Functions

Slopes

Equations of lines

Applying linear functions

Percent change

Graphing functions (preliminary)

 

Tuesday

Unit analysis

Review of exponents

Logarithms

Limits

Difference quotient

Preview of differentials

 

Wednesday

Differentiation general form

Alternative notation for differentiation

Rules of differentiation

Partial derivatives

Interpreting first, second, and third derivatives

Applications for derivatives

Graphing higher order polynomials

 

Thursday

Riemann sum

Integrals

Rules for integrals

Initial conditions

Definite integrals

Applications for integrals

 

Friday

Calculus of trigonometric functions

SPEA applications for calculus

Math Camp FAQ