Major

Mathematics Major

Department/Program

Total credit requirements for a Mathematics major: A student who enters Whitman College without a good working knowledge of the material in Mathematics 125 and 126 will have to complete 41 Mathematics credits to fulfill the requirements for the Mathematics major (including six credits for Mathematics 124 or 125, 126).

  • Required Courses
    • Mathematics 225, 240, 260, 455, and 475
    • Mathematics 497 or 498
    • 12 additional credits in Mathematics at the 200-level or above, excluding Mathematics 220
  • Senior Requirements
    • Mathematics 497 or 498
    • Senior assessment consisting of:
      • Written exam in Mathematics (taken in September)
      • Oral exam over general advanced topics (taken in January)
  • Honors
    • Students do not apply for admission to candidacy for honors.
    • Accumulated at least 87 credits
    • Completed two semesters of residency at Whitman
    • Major GPA of at least 3.500
    • Complete a written thesis or research project prepared exclusively for the satisfaction of this program.
    • Earn a grade of at least A- on the honors thesis or project and the honors thesis course.
    • Pass the senior assessment with distinction.
    • Chair of the department will notify the Registrar of students attaining honors no later than the beginning of Week 12.
    • An acceptable digital copy of the honors thesis must be submitted to Penrose Library no later than Reading Day.
  • Notes
    • Average GPA for Mathematics 225, 240, and 260 must be at least 2.500
      • Students should complete these courses by the end of their sophomore year.
      • Grades of B or higher (3.0) are strongly recommended if considering Mathematics as a major.
      • For students with transfer credit in one or more of these courses, the grade earned at that institution will be used for calculating the average GPA.
    • Students planning graduate study in Mathematics should:
      • Take Mathematics 456 and 476
      • Acquire a reading knowledge of French, German, or Russian
Total Credits
41