1. A student cannot declare more than one major or minor in the department. This restriction includes dual majors, such as Mathematics and Economics and Mathematics and Computer Science. These majors are considered "in the department" even if they are declared in another department.
2. No upper-level course used to satisfy a major requirement can be counted toward the requirements of any other major or minor (i.e., no double-counting of courses).
3. At most 3 units of independent study or research work can count toward the major requirements.
4. Students may count courses from the Department of Statistics and Data Science (SDS) as Mathematics courses if the student matriculated in 2023-24 or earlier and if the course was previously offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, as reflected by the student’s matriculation-year Bulletin.
5. At most one of the following courses can be used to fulfill major requirements: MATH 3180 Introduction to Calculus of Several Variables or MATH 3550 Mathematics for the Physical Sciences.
6. Courses transferred from other accredited colleges and universities can be counted, with the following caveats, if they receive department approval:
   1. Courses transferred from a two-year college (e.g., a community college) cannot be used to satisfy upper-level requirements.
   2. At least half of the upper-level units required in a major must be earned at Washington University or in a Washington University-approved overseas study program.
   3. Courses from the School of Continuing & Professional Studies cannot be used to fulfill major requirements.

Latin Honors

At the time of graduation, the Department of Mathematics will recommend that a candidate receive Latin Honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude) if that student has completed the department's requirements for High Distinction or Highest Distinction in Mathematics, including an Honors Thesis. The actual award of Latin Honors is managed by the College of Arts & Sciences.

The Honors Thesis

Arts & Sciences mathematics majors who want to be candidates for Latin Honors, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction must complete an honors thesis. Writing an honors thesis involves a considerable amount of independent work, reading, creating mathematics, writing a paper that meets acceptable professional standards, and making an oral presentation of the results.

Types of Projects

An honors thesis can take two forms: 

1. A thesis that presents significant work by the student on one or more nontrivial mathematics problems.
2. A substantial expository paper that follows independent study on an advanced topic under the guidance of a department faculty member. Such a report would involve the careful presentation of ideas and the synthesis of materials from several sources.

Process and Suggested Timeline

Junior Year, Spring Semester:

1. Talk with a faculty advisor about possible projects.
2. Complete the Honors Proposal Form and submit it to Blake Thornton.

Senior Year: 

1. By the end of January, provide the advisor with a draft abstract and outline of the paper.
2. By the end of February, submit a rough draft, including an abstract, to the advisor.
3. The student and the advisor should agree on a date that the writing will be complete and on a date and time for the oral presentation in mid-March (the deadline is March 31).

Departmental Prizes

Each year, the department considers graduating majors for two departmental prizes and also awards a prize to juniors. Recipients are recognized at an annual awards ceremony in April where graduating majors each receive a certificate and a set of honors cords to be worn as part of the academic dress at Commencement. Awards are noted on the student's permanent university record.

Ross Middlemiss Prize

The Ross Middlemiss Prize is awarded to a graduating major with an outstanding record. The award was established by former Professor Ross Middlemiss, who taught at Washington University for 40 years. Middlemiss authored several books, including a widely popular calculus text that was used in courses offered by the School of Continuing & Professional Studies until the late 1970s.

Martin Silverstein Award

The Martin Silverstein Award was established in memory of Professor Martin Silverstein, who, until his death in 2004, was a pioneer in work at the interface of probability theory and harmonic analysis. Graduating students completing any major we offer will be considered for this award, but preference is given to those who have done excellent work in applied mathematics or analysis.

Brian Blank Award

The Brian Blank Award was established in memory of Professor Brian Blank, who passed away in 2018. Each year, the Department of Mathematics selects distinguished juniors who have declared a major in the department to receive this award.