Major Requirements
The major consists of 40 hours in thirteen courses divided into four categories: (1) core courses, (2) courses for breadth, (3) courses for depth, and (4) additional courses (to reach 40 hours). Note: Courses used for depth (3) may also be used for breadth (2).
Honors Concentration – Mathematics Major, BS
The Mathematics Department Honors Program offers highly talented students an accelerated curricular path that permits them to enroll in graduate-level mathematics courses as early as the junior year, providing excellent preparation for graduate school or competitive careers in mathematics or related areas. In mathematics, unlike many other fields, graduate students are generally supported by graduate assistantships or fellowships that pay tuition plus an annual living stipend. In recent years, 100% of math honors graduates who have applied for a math graduate assistantship have received at least one offer to a very good graduate school. Other graduates have continued to graduate school in computer science, economics, education, finance, law, medicine, and statistics.
In addition to a more rapid curriculum, the honors program offers enhanced academic advising and opportunities for students to interact with their peers through the Honors Seminar (MATH 397 and MATH 497 ), in which honors students discuss undergraduate research projects and prepare for graduate school in mathematics and related fields.
For purposes of the mathematics honors requirements, the upper-division mathematics GPA (MGPA) consists of the GPA for all courses numbered MATH 300-475, except MATH 309 and MATH 399 , and all graduate courses numbered MATH 510 or higher. If the student has completed more than 8 such courses then the MGPA is calculated using the 8 highest grades for those courses.
The mathematics honors concentration is open to students who finish at or near the top of the MATH 300 /MATH 307 class. The students are nominated by their MATH 300 /MATH 307 teachers, then they are selected by the mathematics honors committee to join the mathematics honors concentration. The mathematics honors concentration must be declared prior to the last 60 hours of undergraduate enrollment (usually this means prior to the beginning of the junior year). The 60 hours requirement may be waived for students having a large number of transfer, AP, or other credits not earned at the University of Tennessee.
To continue as a mathematics major with honors concentration the student must:
- Maintain a 3.4 or higher cumulative MGPA. (Any mathematics honors student whose cumulative MGPA drops below 3.4 in a given semester may keep the honors concentration provided the cumulative MGPA returns to 3.4 after the subsequent semester and remains above 3.4 until graduation.)
- Attend at least three mathematics-related public lectures (such as the Mathematics Junior Colloquium or a departmental seminar) during each semester.
- Make adequate progress towards completing the mathematics honors thesis at least one full semester prior to graduation.
The requirements to graduate with honors in mathematics are the same as those for the mathematics major except the total requirement is 41 hours and includes:
- For Depth (3), complete 2 pairings, one of which must be an honors sequence (MATH 447 -MATH 448 , MATH 457 -MATH 458 ), a pairing taken as honors through honors-by-contract, or a math graduate sequence.
- Graduate with an overall GPA of at least 3.25 and an MGPA of at least 3.4.
- Complete at least 2 hours of MATH 397 and 2 hours of MATH 497 .
- Complete MATH 398 every semester that you are a member of the Math Honors Program.
- Complete at least 3 hours of MATH 498 and submit a completed thesis at least 30 calendar days prior to the end of the final semester of enrollment.
- Complete a total of 24 hours of honors courses or mathematics graduate courses with approval of the department, which may include courses used to fulfill other requirements to graduate with a mathematics honors concentration.
* Meets University General Education Requirement .
