Departmental Honors in Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics provides the opportunity for its majors to graduate with departmental honors. The program is administered by the departmental Undergraduate Committee. A student wishing to pursue this program should contact the committee early -- at least by the end of the junior year in order to insure admission into the program.

The requirements for obtaining departmental honors are:

1. A minimum 3.5 GPA in all mathematics courses taken at BGSU and a minimum 3.5 overall GPA in all courses taken at BGSU.
2. A minimum of 39 credit hours in mathematics courses.
3. A planned program of at least 6 hours in the area of concentration of the thesis. This plan must be approved by the Undergraduate Committee prior to taking any MATH 4950H component.
4. A thesis earning 3 credit hours is to be written during the last two semesters in residence. A thesis proposal must be submitted to a thesis committee (consisting of two faculty members selected by the student) and must be approved by this committee and by the Undergraduate Committee prior to embarking on the thesis. The completed thesis must be approved by both of these groups. In order to assure recognition as an honors graduate, the completed thesis should be given to the committees four weeks prior to the intended graduation date.

Some sample planned programs:

• Arts and Sciences major. Thesis in algebra.

  Program: MATH 4030, MATH 4040, and one of MATH 4320, MATH 4010, or MATH 4700 (3)(algebra). Thesis: MATH 4700 (2) plus MATH 4950H (1).

• Arts and Sciences major. Thesis in analysis.

  Program: MATH 4650 and two of MATH 4610, MATH 3370, MATH 4370, MATH 4390, MATH 4510, MATH 4700 (3)(analysis). Thesis: MATH 4700 (2) plus MATH 4950H (1).

• Arts and Sciences or Education major. Thesis in statistics.

  Program: MATH 4410 and two of MATH 4420, MATH 4450, MATH 4470. Thesis: MATH 4700 (2) plus MATH 4950H (1).

• Education major. Thesis on implications of advancements in mathematics for secondary education.

  Program: Two courses in the thesis area (e.g., MATH 4020 and MATH 4700 (3)(geometry), if discussing implications for high school geometry). Thesis: MATH 4700 (2) plus MATH 4950H (1).

Upon successful completion of all of the above requirements, the student's transcripts shall read Honors in Mathematics.