The Hamel Honors and Scholars College and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics offer an Honors-in-Major opportunity for qualified students who are interested in gaining an enriched academic experience. The program combines honors coursework with an honors thesis and leads to graduation with a special designation on the diploma of “Honors-in-Major.”
For further details, please contact the departmental Honors coordinator Professor Adam Boucher at Adam.Boucher@unh.edu.
Requirements for Honors-in-Major in Mathematics
1. Honors GPA. Students are required to maintain a grade-point average of at least 3.20 overall, a grade-point average of at least 3.50 in major coursework and an unblemished record of academic integrity.
2. Honors Coursework. Generally, a student must add Honors Designation to three approved, 700-level MATH courses that will be used to satisfy major requirements. After adding Honors Designation to an approved course and before starting the course, a student will contact the course instructor and submit Honors Designation Contract to the course instructor. After finishing the course, the student will collect the signed Honors Designation Contract from the course instructor and submit it to the Department Liaison. University requirements stipulate a grade of at least B- in courses used for honors credit.
Additional departmental requirements for specific majors are given below. Students may suggest alternative programs to the Honors Committee for approval.
- Mathematics Majors in the B.A. degree program
- Must take one of the following:
- Topology (MATH 784)
- Complex Analysis (MATH 788)
- Must take one of the following:
- Majors in the B.S. in Mathematics Education degree: Elementary or Middle/Junior High Option
- Must take Abstract Algebra (MATH 761)
- Majors in the B.S. in Mathematics Education degree: Secondary Option
- Must take Real Analysis (MATH 767)
- Majors in the B.S. degree in Statistics
- Must take one of the following courses:
- Introduction to Numerical Methods I (MATH 753)
- One-Dimensional Real Analysis (MATH 767)
- Must take one of the following courses:
- Majors in the B.S. in Applied Mathematics degree: Computation, Dynamics & Control, Fluid Dynamics, and Solid Dynamics & Vibration options
- Must take One-Dimensional Real Analysis (MATH 767)
- Must take One-Dimensional Real Analysis (MATH 767)
3. Honors Thesis. Students must successfully complete an honors thesis, MATH 799. The thesis project will be planned in consultation with a faculty adviser and approved by the department Honors Committee. The project will consist of independent work, an oral presentation, and a written thesis. Students are encouraged to submit their thesis proposal to the departmental Honors Committee for approval by the end of their junior year. The proposal must be approved no later than the drop/add deadline in the first semester of their senior year.
Research opportunities, field experiences, and summer work
For those students who are interested in pursuing undergraduate research the University offers two highly-competitive programs administered through the Hamel Honors and Scholars College. These are an academic-year program called the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. In both cases, a faculty sponsor is needed and the application procedure involves writing a research proposal. Note that there is much educational value in engaging in this process, even if the eventual application proves unsuccessful. Many Federal laboratories also conduct sprecial summer (and sometimes academic year) programs for undergraduates. The department will alert students with announcements of such opportunities.
