Welcome to the Maxwell School’s Department of Public Administration. Given the importance of mathematics in our curriculum, we are providing this resource website so that all students have an ample opportunity to prepare and become reacquainted with basic mathematics principles prior to enrollment in our classes. Comfort with this material is especially important for our core policy analysis courses in economics, statistics and quantitative analysis.
Posted on this website are study guides and resources for review of basic mathematics concepts.
RESOURCES
http://www.analyzemath.com/Algebra1/Tutorials.html
http://www.intmath.com/Basic-algebra/Basic-algebra-intro.php
http://www.sosmath.com/algebra/algebra.html
http://www.wtamu.edu/academic/anns/mps/math/mathlab/beg_algebra/
http://www.intmath.com/Calculus/Calculus-intro.php
http://www.sosmath.com/calculus/calculus.html
Math Review for MPA Program
Math Skills for Introductory Economics (Geometry)
PRACTICE MATH EXAMS FOR SELF REVIEW
Algebra and Geometry Quiz
Algebra and Geometry Quiz Answers
Algebra Problems with Anwers
Algebra Review
We encourage you to review this material and self test yourself to see your level of ability. With practice and review, you should be able to complete this quiz with success prior to starting your fall courses.
It is your responsibility to come up to a minimal level of comfort with these mathematics concepts prior to your participation in fall PPA core courses.
MANDATORY MATH SCREENING EXAMS
FOR ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN PPA 721 AND 723
All students are asked to officially complete two web based exams (one on geometry and one on algebra) on the same mathematic principles covered on the self tests described above. Students should complete the exams sometime before the start of the fall semester. Your test scores will be calculated automatically.
If you score 120 or above on the geometry test, you have shown an adequate level of ability with these concepts. If you score 110 or above on the algebra test, you have shown an adequate level of ability with these concepts.
If you score below these benchmark levels, then you are expected to attend the appropriate mathematics review sessions.
****GEOMETRY REVIEW SESSION: TUESDAY, September 1, 5:00PM – 8:00PM, Room HBC KITT 100***
****ALGEBRA REVIEW SESSION: TUESDAY, September 8, 5:15 Pm – 8:00 pm, Room HBC KITT 100***
These review sessions are not mandatory, but are strongly encouraged. They are provided for your benefit to ensure a basic level of mathematics ability for completing our core courses in economics and statistics.
The goal of this review is improve your comfort level with the mathematics utilized in several of our core and elective courses, so that you might develop a greater understanding of the material. In many instances, we will be reacquainting you with math topics that you may not have used for several years.
Our goal is simply to help you improve your understanding of the course content and your performance in these courses while here.
MATH SCREENING EXAM LOG IN DIRECTIONS
When you are ready to take the tests, please open a web browser and navigate to the Syracuse University Black Board site: http://blackboard.syr.edu.
- Login with your SU Net ID and password.
- After the page loads, click on the Organizations tab at the top of the screen.
- In the organizations search box, type Mathematics Test/MPA/IR/EMPA - then hit enter.
- You should see the name of the organization with an organization id (228.org) with two arrows pointing down. Click the arrows and hit enroll.
- You will be asked for a password. The password is: mbc_maxwell. The OK button is at the bottom of the screen.
- At the left of the screen are a series of buttons. Use the Algebra Proficiency Test button when you are ready to take the algebra test and the Geometry Proficiency Test button when you are ready to take the geometry test.
- Click the link for the test and hit the begin button once you are ready to start.
Once you begin, you will have a one hour time limit for each test. Once you have started a test, you may not stop the clock. However, you may elect to take the tests at different times. You are not allowed to use any supplementary materials, such as a text book, the MPA resource materials, or the web. You may use a calculator and will likely need scratch paper and a pencil. Good luck!