The Role of Mathematics in a Business Degree

By Marvic Francalanza

Why is ‘Mathematics’ given so much importance across the globe? A plausible answer is that mathematics is very important for many day-to-day functions and a requirement for many jobs and careers. As much as this is true, I feel that the answer to the question goes beyond this.

I was recently reading a blog by Mike Lefkowitz who is a member of MIND Research Institute. He looked at the etymology of the word ‘mathematics’ and found out that in Ancient Greek its literal definition is ‘learning’ and in Hebrew, its root is ‘thinking’. I think that this makes so much sense since possibly the greatest power of mathematics is that it “gives us the critical ability to learn and think logically” (Lefkowitz, 2018). In the case of Business Mathematics, other than building on a range of mathematical concepts and techniques that are essential to use and present business data effectively, students also need to develop the analytical skills that help them make informed business decisions. Mathematics is thus a powerful tool to have at our disposal!

Unfortunately, as much as it is widely acknowledged that mathematics is important, it is also true that many students fear mathematics. This can have very negative consequences including hindering a person from furthering his or her studies. At STC Higher Education we acknowledge that mathematical anxiety is not something that students come up with to cover up their poor performance in mathematics. It is real! In view of this, we give priority to helping you understand concepts, communicate mathematics clearly and apply skills to alternative situations. We also appreciate that you might need more time or a change in teaching strategy to process mathematical ideas effectively.

Our aim is to give you a boost in confidence in mathematics and to help you encounter a success!

Reference:

Lefkowitz, M. (2018) Why is Math so important?  Available at: https://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/why-is-math-so-important [Accessed: 21 March 2022]