Honors Program
The
Mathematics Department offers an extensive honors program, spanning
all four years of the undergraduate experience. The courses at the
freshman and sophomore level are offered in cooperation with the
University Honors Program; they can be applied toward earning a
University Honors Citation. Lower level course offerings include
Honors Seminars offered by the Honors College, enhanced H-versions of
the standard mathematics sequence MATH 140-141-240-241-246, as well as
the special honors sequences, Math 340-341 (Math 350-351 in previous
years; but this is a very different course, see below). Visit Testudo
for the current class schedules, and visit our Undergraduate Courses for
syllabi and other course information.
At the junior-senior level, the department offers a
program leading
to a degree with Honors (or High Honors) in Mathematics. Participation
in the upper level program is independent of participation in
the lower level program; however, many students who complete the
requirements for a University Honors Citation also enter a
Departmental Honors Program. Successful completion of the
Departmental Honors Program in Mathematics results in a citation on
the transcript for Honors in Mathematics; it need not imply that the
student majored in Mathematics.
For more information, contact
- Honors Director: Professor Larry Washington, Contact by email: lcw@math.umd.edu.
- Mathematics Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising, Ida Chan,
Office: Math 1115, Phone: 405-7582.
Email: ugadvisor@math.umd.edu.
Freshman and Sophomore Honors Courses in Mathematics
The Mathematics Department offers honors courses at various levels of
sophistication.
Our goal is to allow every honors student (who is interested in
mathematics)
to find a course that provides challenging stimulation at a level that
is appropriate for his or her background.
H-versions of Standard Mathematics Courses
The mathematics
department offers H-versions of the standard introductory mathematics
sequence for honors credit. These courses are: Math 140H, Math 141H,
Math 241H, Math 246H, and Math 240H. The H-versions should be
accessible to most honors students in the university. H-classes are
open to students who have taken earlier H-classes, or are in the
University Honors Program, or have the instructor's permission.
The basic subject matter of these courses is constrained, because each
course is a prerequisite for other mathematics courses. However,
instructors have considerable freedom to enrich the courses. In
general, enrichment means that the instructor will present more
realistic applications in greater detail, or will discuss connections
with other branches of mathematics or the sciences.
The freshman calculus courses (Math 140H and Math 141H)
are
designed for the general honors students with solid background in high
school mathematics. The sophomore mathematics courses (Math
241H, and Math 246H) are designed primarily for honors students who
intend to major in engineering or the sciences. (Naturally, students
in other disciplines with an interest in mathematics are still
welcome.) These latter courses are often taken by honors students who
enter the university with two semesters of advanced placement credit
for calculus.
The Honors Analysis Sequence
The primary introductory sequence of
mathematics courses for freshman who have a special talent amd
advanced background in mathematics consists of the honors analysis
sequence Math 340 and Math 341 (in Fall 2001 these two courses will
replace the old sequence of Math 350-351). These courses will cover
the standard material of Multi-valued Calculus, Linear Algebra and
Ordinary Differential Equations at a more advanced level. The
department continually strives to identify and recruit talented
freshmen into these courses. Any student with an interest in these
courses should contact the Honors Committee of the Department of
Mathematics.
Freshman Honors Seminars
There are freshman honors courses in mathematics offered through the
University Honors Program which are designed to expose the general
audience to modern interesting ideas in Mathematics. Seminars that
have been offered recently or are being contemplated include:
Symmetry; Chaos; Cryptography; Knots; Philosophy of Mathematics. For
more information see the University
Honors Program
page.
The Departmental Honors Program in Mathematics
The upper level
Departmental Honors Program in Mathematics is open to any student who
meets the admissions requirements detailed below. Students who enter
the Departmental Honors Program are not required to complete the lower
level program leading to a University Honors Citation, nor must they
major in mathematics. The department envisions a program populated by
about fifteen of the top mathematics students, together with some
outstanding students from engineering, physics, and related
disciplines. Good students, regardless of their majors, can benefit
from a closer association with faculty. They can also benefit from
belonging to a group committed to similar intellectual pursuits. The
analytic and critical skills that students learn in this program will
be useful whether they continue in academics or take positions in
government or industry.
Admission
In order to be admitted to the Departmental Honors
Program in Mathematics, a student is expected to have completed either
Math 410 or Math 351 with a grade of B or better (Math 351 will not be
offered after the academic year 2001-2002). In addition, the student
must
have an overall GPA of at least 3.0. A student who is interested in
the Departmental Honors Program in Mathematics should contact the
people noted above, usually in the sophomore or junior year. A
student who is interested in the program should meet with a member of
the Honors Committee to work out a realistic plan for meeting the
requirements detailed below.
Good Standing
In order to remain a member in good standing of the Departmental Honors
Program in Mathematics, a student must maintain a GPA of 3.3 in his or
her upper-division mathematics courses. In accordance with University
Honors
Program requirements, the student must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.
Finally, the student must continue to make progress toward completing
the
program requirements.
Program Requirements
The Departmental Honors Program in Mathematics requires a minimum of 12
credit hours of honors coursework. The program is available in a thesis
option and a non-thesis option. The options have a common requirement
for
breadth in the study in mathematics. All honors students are expected
to
take advanced undergraduate courses in at least two different areas of
mathematics. In these courses, students will study the fundamental
ideas
of modern mathematics. In addition, each option has a depth
requirement.
The options differ primarily in the method used to ensure that the
student
has achieved a deep understanding of one area of mathematics.
Honors Mathematics Courses
Any course in the following list may
be applied toward the requirements of the Honors Program in
Mathematics: MATH 403, MATH 404, MATH 405, MATH 414, MATH 432, MATH
436, MATH 446, AMSC 472, STAT 410 or STAT 420. From time to time, the
department may offer H-versions of other upper level courses for
honors credit. Finally, any graduate course (600-level or above) in
Mathematics (MATH), Applied Mathematics (AMSC), or Statistics (STAT)
may be substituted for courses on this list.
The Thesis Option
The breadth requirement for the thesis option of the Honors Program in
Mathematics will be satisfied by taking two courses from among those
listed
above. The depth requirement will be satisfied by six credit-hours of
MATH
498 (Selected Topics in Mathematics). The first three credits of MATH
498
must be used for a reading course during which the student develops a
thesis
topic. This requirement may be modified, at the discretion of the
Honors
Committee, for a student who can demonstrate equivalent independent
study
(such as participation in a Research Experience for Undergraduates).
The
second three credits of MATH 498 must be used to write an honors
thesis.
In order to receive the citation for Honors in Mathematics, the student
must make a successful oral defense of the thesis.
The Non-Thesis Option
With the approval of the Honors Committee, honors students may choose
not
to write a thesis. The oral defense of the thesis is replaced by a
two-hour
written comprehensive examination. Students choosing the non-thesis
option
satisfy the breadth requirement by taking two courses from those listed
above. The depth requirement will be satisfied by taking two additional
courses. One of the additional courses must be a graduate course
(600-level
or above). The other course must be
- a reading course (three credit-hours of MATH 498), or
- a course listed above.
Comments and suggestions should be sent to lcw@math.
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