Mathematics Curriculum
This page contains information on the curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.
- Course descriptions
- Entry prerequisites
- General education courses
- Core courses
- Elective courses
- Petitions
Course descriptions
Follow the links below for descriptions of each course. Courses taught by the Mathematics program include the following course prefixes:
Entry prerequisites
Visit the admissions page for information on prerequisite coursework.
General education courses
All UW students must complete a common set of general education requirements. As a Mathematics major, you will already be completing the Natural Science (NSc) and Reasoning (R) requirements by taking your prerequisite and core courses, but make sure to plan for completion of the following:
- English Composition (C) – 5 credits (BWRIT 134 recommended)
- Additional Writing (W) – 10 credits (consider BWRIT 135, BST 301, and/or CSS 301)
- Diversity (DIV) – 5 credits (almost always also fulfills A&H or SSc)
- Arts & Humanities (A&H) – 15 credits (cannot overlap with SSc)
- Social Sciences (SSc) – 15 credits (cannot overlap with A&H)
In general, these general education courses can overlap with the Second Discipline and Elective courses for your major.
Core course requirements
A minimum grade of 2.0 is required in each of the following ten core courses. All courses are 5 credits unless otherwise noted.
| Course |
|---|
| CSS 123 + CSSKL 123: Programming for Data Science + Skills Lab (Note: CSS 112 [Programming for Scientific Applications] can be used as the prerequisite for CSS 123) – or – CSS 132 + CSSKL 132: Computer Programming for Engineers I + Skills Lab (6 credits total; C++) – or – CSS 142 + CSSKL 142: Computer Programming I + Skills Lab (6 credits total; Java) |
| STMATH 207: Introduction to Differential Equations |
| STMATH 208: Matrix Algebra with Applications |
| STMATH 224: Multivariable Calculus |
| STMATH 300: Foundations of Modern Mathematics |
| STMATH 301: Intro to Professional Mathematics |
| * STMATH 341: Introduction to Statistical Inference – or – * STMATH 390: Probability and Statistics in Engineering – or – * STMATH 392: Probability |
| ** STMATH 381: Discrete Mathematical Modeling – or – ** STMATH 405: Numerical Analysis I |
| STMATH 402: Abstract Algebra I |
| STMATH 424: Real Analysis I |
* STMATH 341 and STMATH 390 cannot both be taken for credit, so select the one that best meets your needs. STMATH 392 may be taken for elective credit even if you have already taken one of STMATH 341 or 390.
** STMATH 381 and STMATH 405 can both be taken for credit, with one counting as the core requirement and the other as an elective.
Elective courses
You must complete five additional STMATH courses (25 credits) that meet the following criteria. All courses are 5 credits unless otherwise noted.
- 300-level or higher
- Minimum grade of 2.0
- At least three courses (15 credits) must be from the list of Advanced Electives (first list below), and at least one of these three courses must itself have a 400-level STMATH course as a prerequisite (indicated with a star – ★).
- The remaining two courses (10 credits) may be from either the list of Advanced Electives or the list of Other Approved Electives (second list below).
| Other Approved Electives |
|---|
| STMATH 310: Mathematical Game Theory (not currently offered) |
| STMATH 330: Financial Mathematics |
| STMATH 350: Applied Number Theory and Cryptography (not currently offered) |
| STMATH 381: Discrete Mathematical Modeling (one of STMATH 381 or 405 must be used for core requirement) |
| STMATH 392: Probability (only counts as elective if STMATH 341 or 390 used for core requirement) |
| STMATH 405: Numerical Analysis I (one of STMATH 381 or 405 must be used for core requirement) |
| STMATH / BEDUC 465: Fostering Algebraic Reasoning |
| STMATH / BEDUC 466: Fostering Geometric Reasoning |
| STMATH / BEDUC 467: Fostering Data, Graphical and Statistical Understanding (not currently offered) |
| STMATH 493: Special Topics in Mathematics |
| * STMATH 498: Independent Study |
| * STMATH 499: Undergraduate Research |
* STMATH 498/499 are variable-credit courses (1-5 credits). Up to 5 credits combined of STMATH 498/499 can count towards mathematics electives. The credits may be graded (4.0-scale) or ungraded (CR/NC; Credit / No-Credit). For information on registering for STMATH 498/499, contact the mathematics advisor.
Petitions
Mathematics-related courses that are not listed above are considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have a syllabus, letter from the instructor, or other detailed description for the class you want to use as an elective, you can submit a petition to request for the course to count. For information on submitting a petition, contact the mathematics advisor.