Mathematics (BS)

The mathematics curriculum at Notre Dame includes six course sequences or areas of concentration within the College of Science. These programs are designed to accommodate the academic and professional interests of all mathematics majors. Brief descriptions are given below, and more detailed descriptions of these programs are available on request from the Department of Mathematics.

College Requirements

All must take the following:

¹

A student who takes two semesters of organic chemistry or two semesters of general biology is only required to take PHYS 30210 Physics I (or PHYS 10095) and Physics for Life Sciences II (PHYS 10096). 

Mathematics Core Courses

All other mathematics programs (except the computing program) require the following mathematics core courses:

Mathematics Career Program

This program is designed to give students a general background in mathematics. In addition to the basic sequence of courses listed above, 15 credit hours of mathematics electives are required, at least three of which are at the 40000 level.

Sample Curriculum Mathematics Career Program

Mathematics: Life Science Concentration

This program is designed for mathematics majors who are interested in life-science-oriented careers.

The following mathematics courses are required in addition to the basic sequence of courses listed above:

Mathematics and Computing Program

This program is designed for students who plan to pursue graduate study or industrial careers in computing science. 

Mathematics Education Program

This program is designed for students who plan a career in secondary education. The following mathematics courses are required in addition to the basic sequence listed above:

¹

One of these classes must be at the 40000 level

²

The following education courses are to be taken at Saint Mary’s College: EDUC 201, 220, 340, 345, 346, 356, 451, and 475.

Mathematics and Engineering Science Program

This program is designed for students interested in applied or industrial mathematics. In addition to the mathematics core courses, the student is required to take:

The Senior Thesis for Mathematics Majors

Students in the mathematics program have the option of writing a thesis on a subject in mathematics, or in an interdisciplinary area connected to mathematics. Such a thesis is strongly encouraged for math honors students and is intended to give the student a better sense of how mathematics is done and used, and to develop in the student the habit of learning mathematics and its applications in an independent setting. In most cases, this work would be expected to be expository, but based on advanced level readings. It should represent an effort that goes beyond what is found in an undergraduate course. It is especially desirable for a student to present a somewhat novel approach to an established subject, or to explore one of the many interesting connections that mathematics has with other disciplines.

In the second semester of the junior year and the first semester of the senior year, the student will work closely with a faculty advisor on a program of readings in preparation for the thesis. The thesis is to be crafted during the second semester of the senior year, and must be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies by April 15 of the senior year. If the thesis is approved, the citation of “Graduation with Senior Thesis” will appear on the student’s transcript.

In the second semester of the junior and senior years, the student attends the senior thesis writing seminar MATH 48900 Thesis, while in the first semester of the senior year, the student receives credit for MATH 48800 Undergraduate Research. 

Students interested in writing a senior thesis should contact the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Mathematics.

Mathematics Honors Program

This program is suited to students who are interested in graduate work in one of the mathematical sciences and to those whose career plans require a strong background in modern mathematics.

¹

Six credit hours at the 40000 level