Honors Courses
The Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences is unique on campus in that it offers a suite of Honors mathematics courses, ranging from 100- to 400-level courses. The Honors courses form the foundation of most of our Honors programs and are required courses for those programs. However, the courses are open to all strong students with a keen interest in mathematics and its theoretical foundation. In fact, a significant number of students taking Honors courses are not enrolled in one of our Honors programs, but in one of our Major programs, or in a Physics, Computing Science, or Engineering program instead. The Honors courses are for all students who enjoy mathematics and are seeking a challenge.
The Honors mathematics courses treat the subjects in depth and are designed to reach the level of rigor used by practicing mathematicians (for example, working with proofs is emphasized in all Honors courses, starting at the 100-level). As such, these courses provide outstanding preparation for graduate research. Graduate coordinators at top universities across Canada and the USA have long recognized the exceptional quality of Canadian undergraduate programs like ours, in large part due to the Honors courses that students can include in their programs.
There is a big difference between university and high school mathematics. Nowhere is this more apparent that in the Honors mathematics courses. It is true that you have to put a lot of work into an Honors course. However, if you love math, you will enjoy it! You will be in a course with other mathematically talented students, and you receive a stronger mathematical background, which will pay off in the future. We recognize the challenge of our Honors courses, and we have a policy of not penalizing students for taking on a greater challenge.
Honors Calculus and Analysis Courses
MATH 117: Honors Calculus, I
- This course can be used as a substitute for MATH 100, MATH 114, MATH 134, or MATH 144.
- Web page with resources for MATH 117, including an online textbook by Dr. John C. Bowman.
- Scan of lecture notes for MATH 117 by Dr. James S. Muldowney.
MATH 118: Honors Calculus, II
- This course can be used as a substitute for MATH 101, MATH 115, or MATH 146.
- Web page with resources for MATH 118, including an online textbook by Dr. John C. Bowman.
- Scan of lectures notes for MATH 118 by Dr. James S. Muldowney.
MATH 217: Honors Advanced Calculus, I
- This course can be used as a substitute for MATH 214 or MATH 209.
- Web page with a link to online lecture notes for MATH 217 by Dr. Volker Runde.
- Scan of lecture notes for MATH 217 by Dr. James S. Muldowney.
MATH 317: Honors Advanced Calculus, II
- This course can be used as a substitute for MATH 215.
- Web page with a link to online lectures notes for MATH 317 by Dr. Volker Runde.
- Scan of lectures notes for MATH 317 by Dr. James S. Muldowney.
MATH 411: Honors Complex Variables
- This course can be used as a substitute for MATH 311.
- Web page with resources for MATH 411, including an online textbook by Dr. Volker Runde and Dr. John C. Bowman.
MATH 417: Honors Real Variables, I
MATH 418: Honors Real Variables, II
- This course is cross listed with MATH 516.
Honors Linear Algebra Courses
MATH 127: Honors Linear Algebra, I
- This course can be used as a substitute for MATH 125.
MATH 227: Honors Linear Algebra, II
- This course can be used as a substitute for MATH 225.
Other Honors Courses
MATH 336: Honors Ordinary Differential Equations
- This course can be used as a substitute for MATH 334.
Switching Out of the Honors Stream
Should you try out an honors course instead of the equivalent course required by your program and then realize that you are not up to the challenge, you can switch to the course appropriate for your stream, e.g., from MATH 117 to MATH 100, 114, 134, 144, or 154 or from MATH 127 to MATH 125, prior to the end of the sixth week of classes. If this should happen, the weight of the homework you missed in your new course will be transferred to the remaining assignments, and if you missed an in-class exam, its weight will be transferred to the final.
For more information, contact our Honors advisors.