What should be a plan by semester for taking courses to succeed in the math major? There is relevant objective information elsewhere on our Math Majors webpage. Our remarks are a mix of facts and strategy, based on experience, for successfully navigating through the math major requirements and opportunities.
Generalities: There is a great range in our majors. Some aim for grad school, some for secondary education, some for a job after a bachelor's degree. Some are very strong in mathematics, others do not have such great natural talent. Some have no outside commitments; others work 20 hours a week. Many are double majors. There is no path through the major which is best for all students.
As you change and grow during the college years, your aims and circumstances and self-assessment will probably change. It's unlikely they will be the same at the end of your Maryland years as at the beginning. Nevertheless, it is valuable to make some plan for how you might go through the math major. If you think you have a goal and work on a plan to achieve it, then you will achieve it, or discover you want or need to change goals. If you have no plan, you might not confront the reality of your current goal until your options for change become limited.
Math 410: Math 410 is the watershed course for most math majors. There you do serious proofs which give you a true mathematician's understanding and open the door to further work. If you get through Math 410-411 in the junior year (preferably Fall), then you are over the hump in the math major, and in good shape for all the rest. If at all feasible, plan your program to give a good chance of success in Math 410 not later than the end of your junior year.
Math 410 is very challenging, and you should take it with sufficient preparation.
Effective Fall 2013, Math 310 will be a major requirement. It will also be a prerequisite for Math 410. One may be exempted from MATH310 if:
Math 410 is our "gateway mathematical maturity course."
It is generally a bad idea to take Math 403 or Math 405 a semester before Math 410, as a "warmup". These courses should be and generally are of comparable difficulty as serious proof courses. Math 403 also covers material less familiar to the students. If you are not ready to take 410, then your are probably not ready for 403.
The mathematics department serves a wide range of students and recognizes that students come to us with various interests, talents, and career goals. Some students, especially those who plan to attend graduate school in mathematics and become professional mathematicians, should consider taking the more theoretical math courses when they are academically ready. Other students may be more interested in a general broad-based undergraduate education in mathematics, perhaps to supplement their other major, perhaps to further hone their analytic and quantitative skills. These students will find that we have a large range of courses, both theoretical ones and less theoretical ones, that will suit their needs. In particular:
Algebra Requirement.
Math 403 and 405 are hard. Math 401 is easier.
AMSC Requirement.
AMSC 460 is less theoretical than AMSC 466. AMSC 460 is the standard choice. Students with a theoretical inclination, especially those thinking of going to graduate school in mathematics or applied mathematics, are encouraged to take AMSC 466.
Differential equations requirement.
Almost all our majors satisfy this with Math 246. Math 436 (Differential Geometry) will satisfy this requirement.
Stat 400-401 vs. Stat 410-420.
Stat 400 and Stat 401 are introductory probability and statistics (respectively), as are Stat 410 and Stat 420. The latter two are much more theoretical and challenging and include many graduate students.
Graduate School: The program of a student aiming at graduate school in mathematics should include Math 403, 405, 410, 411, and 463. For students aiming at graduate school outside of mathematics, Math 410, 411 and 405 are usually the most valuable. The career center runs workshops on "How to apply for graduate school".
Tracks: There are four tracks through the math major: traditional, education, applied math and statistics.
Sample four year plans: The following sample four year plans cover the mathematics major requirements. These plans do not include the general education CORE requirements. There are many variations on these plans.
| Year | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman | Math 140 CMSC106 or 131 FSAW DSSP | Math 141 Math 206 (recommended) DSNL DSSP DSHU |
| Sophomore | Math 240 Math 241 Supporting sequence I DSHU SCIS | Math 246 Math 310 Supporting sequence II DSNS FSOC |
| Junior | Math 410 Math 4** Supporting sequence III FSPW | Math 4** Math 4** DSHU DSHS |
| Senior | AMSC 460/466 Math/Stat 4** DSHS DVUP | Math 4** Math 4** DVUP/DVCC SCIS |
| Year | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman | Math 140 CMSC106 or 131 Engl 101 Humanities (DSHU/I Series) TLPL | Math 141 Math 206 (recommended) Oral Communitcations (FSOC) History and Soc Sc (DSHS, DVUP, I Series) TLPL 102 |
| Sophomore | Math 240 MATH274 Supporting Sequence I (also DSNL) TLPL Knowing and Learning (DSHS) | Math 241 Math 310 Supporting Sequence II (also DSNL) TLPL Classroom Interactions (DVCC) |
| Junior | Math 410 Math 401 Professional Writing (FSPW) TLPL Reading | Math 406 Math 430 TLPL Functions and Modeling TLPL Reseach Methods (DSSP) |
| Senior | Stat 400 Math 402 Math 4** TLPL Project Based Instructions EDCI355 | Student Teaching |
Math 340-341 and honors: This is the very high road. A student finishing Math 340-341 in the freshman year is a year ahead and should be a very strong student. An A student in 340-341 should be quite ready for Math 410. We hope a good number of these students go into Math 410-411 in the sophomore year. Then the student will have a lot of freedom, and the potential for extremely strong credentials in applying to graduate school. Below is one example (among a great many). The key is 410-411 in the sophomore year.
| Year | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman | Math 340 Cmsc 106 or 131 FSAW DSSP | Math 341 DSNL DSSP DSHU |
| Sophomore | Math 410 Math 463 Supporting sequence I DSHU SCIS | Math 411 Math 405 Supporting sequence II DSNS FSOC |
| Junior | Math 403 Math 432 or Math 436 Supporting sequence III FSPW | Stat 410 AMSC 466 DSHU DSHS |
| Senior | Math 630 Math 600 DSHS DVUP | Math 631 Math 601 DVUP/DVCC SCIS |
Course Offerings: Most 400-level math major classes are offered every semester. This includes
Others are only offered during certain terms. The current sequencing (which we hope to keep stable) is below.
In addition, many 400-level math major courses are offered during the summer. These usually include:
The listings above are subject to change based on enrollment and need.
AMSC 460/466 prerequisites: Before a student attempts AMSC 460 or 466, he/she should have completed a computer course like CMSC 106, or have obtained similar experience elsewhere. Because these AMSC courses generally use MATLAB, this is a "computational maturity" requirement, but from experience a good one.
Statistics: Employers like students with some statistics. STAT 400 (probability) can be followed by STAT 401 (statistics) and/or STAT 430 (doing statistics on data with SAS). These are particularly good upper level electives for students not headed to grad school.
Special Course Offerings: Don't forget to consider Special Course Offerings. Look for fliers describing these courses in detail.
Graduate Classes: With permission from the undergraduate office and the dean's office, talented undergraduate students (typically, this means students who have excelled in an appropriate number of challenging undergraduate courses) may take graduate classes. The undergraduate office will usually not approve graduate classes for a student who has not progressed successfully and with fine grades through most of the major. The dean's office has at times denied a student permission to take a graduate course when the student has not made appropriate progress on CORE/GenEd requirements.
Miscellany
Good luck! Also, we welcome feedback, if you want to suggest additions or changes to this page, or find it helpful.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The course requirements listed below are for informational purposes only. Math majors should refer to their degree audits (available via Testudo) to check their progress in the major.
If you are going to be a mathematics major, or are thinking about majoring in mathematics, this page is for you. Please read it carefully. You should use it in conjunction with advice from your advisor to plan your program of study. It also will be necessary for you to refer to the Undergraduate Catalog or a departmental brochure for course descriptions. For further information please drop by the Department to see the Mathematics Advisor: Ida Chan, Room: 1115, Math Building, Phone: (301) 405-7582, Email: math-ugadvisor [AT] umd [DOT] edu.
The program in mathematics leads to a degree of Bachelor of Science in mathematics and offers students training in mathematics and statistics in preparation for graduate work, teaching, and positions in government or industry. See our career opportunities page. Mathematical training is integrated with the computer use in several courses. Because a strong mathematical background is important in several fields, over a third of UMCP mathematics majors are double majors. For the description of all campus courses see the Undergraduate Catalog.
There are four tracks for the major:
The Secondary Education Track is for students seeking to become certified to teach mathematics at the secondary level (for more information click here). However, students planning to complete the Five-Year Integrated Master's with Certification Program are required to complete the Traditional Track. The Statistics Track is either for students preparing for graduate work in Statistics or who would like to prepare for one of the many occupations that require a strong Statistics background.
All new students matriculating in Fall 2012 or later must earn a grade of C- or better in all of the following courses. In addition, students must earn an overall 2.000 average in these major courses to meet graduation requirements.
1. The introductory sequence MATH 140, 141, 240, 241, 246, or the corresponding honors sequence MATH 340-341. Completion of MATH 340 satisfies the requirement for MATH 241; completion of MATH 340-341 satisfies the requirement for MATH 240-241-246. In addition, the MATH 240 requirement may be fulfilled by MATH461. In addition, the MATH 246 requirement may be fulfilled by MATH 414, 436 or 462. If MATH 414, 436 or 462 is used to fulfill the MATH246 requirement, it may also be used to fulfill the upper level math requirement in (3)(f) below. Please note that MATH462 requires MATH246 as a prerequisite.
2. MATH 310, unless otherwise exempted.
3. Eight MATH, AMSC and STAT courses at the 400 level or higher, at least four of which are taken on the College Park campus. The eight courses must include the following.
4. One course from CMSC 106, 131, 132, AOSC247, ENAE 202, ENME202, ENEE150, PHYS 165, PHYS265, AOSC358L.
5. One of the following supporting three-course sequences. These are intended to broaden the student's mathematical experience. Other sequences might be approved by the Undergraduate Office--but they would have to make use of mathematical ideas, comparable to the sequences on this list.
All new students matriculating in Fall 2012 or later must earn a grade of C- or better in all of the following courses. In addition, students must earn an overall 2.000 average in these major courses to meet graduation requirements.
1. The introductory sequence MATH 140, 141, 240, 241 or the corresponding honors sequence MATH 340-341. Completion of MATH 340 satisfies the requirement for MATH 241; completion of MATH 340-341 satisfies the requirement for MATH 240-241-246. In addition, the MATH 240 requirement may be fulfilled by MATH461.
2. MATH 310, unless otherwise exempted.
3. One of MATH 246, MATH 341, MATH 401, MATH 452, MATH 462, AMSC 460, AMSC 466.
4. Seven MATH, AMSC and STAT courses at the 400 level or higher, at least four of which are taken on the College Park campus. The seven courses must include the following.
5. One course from CMSC 106, 131, 132, AOSC247, ENAE 202, ENME202, ENEE150, PHYS 165, PHYS265, AOSC358L.
6. All of the following education courses, many of which also satisfy General Education requirements: TLPL 101, 102, MATH274, TLPL (Knowing and Learning), TLPL (Classroom Interactions), TLPL (Reading), TLPL (Functions and Modeling), TLPL (Research Methods), TLPL (Project Based Instructions), EDCI355, EDCI474, EDCI450, EDCI451.
7. One of the following supporting two-course sequences. These are intended to broaden the student's mathematical experience.
All new students matriculating in Fall 2012 or later must earn a grade of C- or better in all of the following courses. In addition, students must earn an overall 2.000 average in these major courses to meet graduation requirements.
1. The introductory sequence MATH 140, 141, 240, 241, 246 or the corresponding honors sequence MATH 340-341. Completion of MATH 340 satisfies the requirement for MATH 241; completion of MATH 340-341 satisfies the requirement for MATH 240-241-246. In addition, the MATH 240 requirement may be fulfilled by MATH461. In addition, the MATH 246 requirement may be fulfilled by MATH 414 instead. If MATH 414 is used to fulfill the MATH 246 requirement, it may also be used as one of the upper level math requirements in (3)(g)(ii) below.
2. MATH 310, unless otherwise exempted.
3. Eight additional courses, at least four of which must be taken at College Park. The eight courses are prescribed as follows.
h. Under no circumstance would more than one upper-level math course be replaced by non-math courses.
4. One course from CMSC 106, 131, 132, AOSC247, ENAE 202, ENME202, ENEE150, PHYS 165, PHYS265, AOSC358L.
5. One of the three-course supporting sequences listed in the "Traditional Track" above.
All new students matriculating in Fall 2012 or later must earn a grade of C- or better in all of the following courses. In addition, students must earn an overall 2.000 average in these major courses to meet graduation requirements.
1. The introductory sequence MATH 140, 141, 240, 241, 246 or the corresponding honors sequence MATH 340-341. Completion of MATH 340 satisfies the requirement for MATH 241; completion of MATH 340-341 satisfies the requirement for MATH 240-241-246. In addition, the MATH 240 requirement may be fulfilled by MATH461. In addition, the MATH 246 requirement may be fulfilled by MATH 462 instead. If MATH 462 is used to fulfill the MATH 246 requirement, it may also be used as one of the upper level math requirements in (3)(f) below. Please note that MATH462 requires MATH246 as a prerequisite.
2. MATH 310, unless otherwise exempted.
3. Eight additional courses, at least four of which must be taken at College Park. The eight courses are prescribed as follows.
a. MATH410
b. STAT410
c. STAT4xx (any STAT course other than STAT400, STAT 410, STAT 464)
d. One of MATH 401 or MATH 405
e. One of AMSC 460 or AMSC 466
f. One of MATH416, 420, 424, 431, 452, 456, 462, 463, 464, 475
g. A one-year sequence which develops a particular area of mathematics in depth, chosen from the following list: (i) MATH 410-411 or (ii) MATH 416-464 or (iii) STAT410-420 or (iv) MATH462-463
h. The remaining 400 level MATH/AMSC/STAT course is an elective, but cannot include any of: MATH 461, 478, 480-484, or STAT 464
i. Under no circumstance would more than one upper-level math course be replaced by non-math courses.
4. One course from CMSC 106, 131, 132, AOSC247, ENAE 202, ENME202, ENEE150, PHYS 165, PHYS265, AOSC358L.
5. One of the three-course supporting sequences listed in the "Traditional Track" above.
Students majoring in mathematics should complete the basic sequence of MATH 140, 141, 240, 241 (or the corresponding mathematics honors sequence MATH 340, 341) as quickly as possible. These courses prepare you for the upper division courses. However, you are urged to take some upper division courses, and/or MATH 310, before completing the basic sequence. (Courses such as MATH 445 or STAT 400 may be taken after MATH 141 but before completing the basic sequence.)
The University CORE/GenEd program requirements must be satisfied by all MATH/STAT majors. Consult the Undergraduate Catalog for these requirements.
The Mathematics Honors Program is designed for students showing exceptional interest and ability in mathematics. For those interested in this program, a special honors brochure is available from the Undergraduate Office or see the Honors Program page.
Comments and questions to math-ugadvisor [AT] umd [DOT] edu.
The Department of Mathematics educates its majors in a broad range of modern mathematics while instilling in them a strong ability to solve problems, apply mathematics to other areas, and create rigorous mathematical arguments. The program prepares the majors to further their mathematical education in graduate school, or to teach at the secondary school level, or to work in government or business.
If you are interested in being a Math major, or a Math-double major, please contact us at math-ugadvisor [AT] umd [DOT] edu.
Math Major Survival Guide (PDF)
A lot! There is extensive information about mathematics careers, with substantial further links, at the following math career sites:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook includes education, employment and earnings information on Mathematicians, Statisticians and Actuaries. In a 2008 study of 200 professions, "mathematician" was rated NUMBER ONE, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.
One thing you can do with a math degree is be better in another field. About half of UMD's math majors are double majors.