Handbook for Math Majors/Minors 2006-2007 Mathematics has always held a central position in the liberal arts. It has also come to play a prominent and growing role in society at large. Mathematical analysis and modeling are involved in more and more fields, not just the "hard" sciences and engineering. This fact is reflected in the diversity of students who study at least some mathematics during their time at Washington University, as well as in concerns expressed regularly in the media about the need for a mathematically educated population in a world that is more and more technological. Students have many different reasons for majoring in mathematics. Some are planning academic careers in mathematics, involving teaching or research. Others plan to work as actuaries, or at other jobs in industry or government. Some plan careers in secondary education. Many math majors do not intend to become "mathematicians" at all, but simply realize that quantitative training is a valuable asset in many work situations. Still others simply view mathematics as an interesting concentration in their liberal arts education, even though they plan to enter such professional fields as medicine or law. The Department uses e-mail frequently to communicate with majors, so please check your e-mail regularly.  Each major also has a mail folder in the Math Office (Cupples I, Room 100).  The Ross Middlemiss Undergraduate Math Lounge (Cupples I, Room 222) is available for use by majors.  Please see Professor Freiwald (Cupples I, 203A) for the lock combination. There are bulletin boards outside the Undergraduate Majors' Lounge and on the first floor hall of Cupples I where articles about mathematics, as well as information about jobs, research opportunities, and fellowships are posted. The printed edition of this handbook is only updated once each year, but the online version is revised constantly as changes occur.  In addition to being current, the online version contains many useful embedded link. If you find errors or have questions,  please contact Prof. Ron Freiwald.

Contents

What Can I Do with a Math Major?	W.U. Math majors have gone on to all sorts of careers.
Math Courses in Summer School	Summer school courses here or elsewhere can sometimes help complete the major.
Major Requirements	There are five different "tracks" for a math major, called  "Traditional,"  "Probability and Statistics,"  "Applied,"  "Secondary Education," and "Mathematics/Economics Emphasis."
Minor Requirements	Some students find a minor in math a useful addition to a major in another area.
Latin Honors Distinction in Mathematics Award	Some strong students work toward a degree with Latin honors: summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude.
Honors Program in Statistics	A challenging 4-year program in math and statistics for entering freshmen.
The Joint A.B. and A.M. Program	Very strong students can sometimes complete both the A.B. and A.M. degrees during their undergraduate program.
Miscellanous Information	Information about the Math Major Lounge, Departmental Awards, departmental jobs, the W.U. Math Club, and Math Competitions.
Directory of Courses	A directory of the upper level math courses and information about when they are most likely to be taught.
Math Department Faculty Faculty Pages	A listing of the Math Department Faculty, where they got their degrees, their research interests, and e-mail links.
Math Department Staff	The Math Department Staff (the ones who make everything run).