For Prospective Students
Why We're Different
Our department dates back to the W&M 1693 Charter
The first mathematics professor on record was Hugh Jones, who served on the faculty from 1716 to 1729
Through a program hosted in the Mathematics Department, W&M undergraduates can earn an M.S. in Computer Science, with a specialization in computational operations research, in a 5th year of study
Undergraduate research, with financial support from NSF and NASA, enables W&M students to touch the frontiers of mathematics
Our Mathematics students enjoy the rare privilege of holding a truly important subject in one's mind, feeling its theoretical cohesiveness, and seeing the beauty of it from top to bottom. When one grasps the theoretical unity of the parts of our subject in that way, mathematics is more like a poem than a tool. Mathematics remains one of the best tools we have for understanding our world.
Graduate students focus their studies on Computational Operations Research, a program administered by the Department of Computer Science.
Degree Programs
- Undergraduate Major (B.S.)
- Undergraduate Minor
- Master's Program in Computational Operations Research (M.S.)
There are three concentrations within the major: traditional, applied mathematics, pre-college mathematics teaching.
Courses
Our courses cover a broad range of topics, including abstract algebra, mathematical biology, number theory, and mathematical statistics. See the Undergraduate Catalog to explore the complete list of Mathematics courses.
Research
Mathematical research involves first determining the right questions to ask and then attempting to answer them. To varying degrees, this involves solving problems that no one has solved before, often with little idea of what approaches and which techniques might work, and sometimes without a clear initial idea of the question. You will be introduced to research through a carefully supervised apprenticeship process. In this process, your research skills and insight develop through close interaction with a faculty supervisor. Many research articles have been published by mathematics undergraduates who worked with faculty members.
Student Activities
Students share their interest in mathematics by joining the W&M chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, a national mathematics club.
Careers
About 25 percent of our majors pursue doctoral study in mathematics. Recent years have seen a marked increase in the number of majors who pursue graduate study in disciplines such as engineering, economics, or other sciences. There is a perennial shortage of high school teachers with strong mathematics backgrounds, and teaching at that level is a reliably strong employment option.
Talk to Us
Want to know more? Our current students and faculty want to connect with you.
- Get an inside look: contact a current Math major
- Undergraduate program: contact [[gyu, Professor Gexin Yu, Department Chair]]
- Graduate program: contact [[math|rrkinc, Professor Rex Kincaid, COR Director]]
