Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Faculty of Science

Mathematics

A variety of programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science

Minor in Mathematics  

The minor in Mathematics is available to students registered in a 120 credit hour Bachelor of Applied Computer Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Community Design, Bachelor of Computer Science, Bachelor of Informatics, Bachelor of Management, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Science (Medical Sciences) program.

A BA or BSc (90 credit hour) degree program with a Minor in Mathematics is also available

Minor Requirements

  • MATH 1000.03: Differential and Integral Calculus I/MATH 1010.03: Differential and Integral Calculus II or MATH 1500.06X/Y: Calculus
  • MATH 1030.03: Matrix Theory and Linear Algebra I
  • MATH 2001.03: Intermediate Calculus I
  • MATH 2120.03: Methods for Ordinary Differential equations
  • twelve additional credit hours of Math at or above the 2000 level
  • This selection may not include MATH 3700.03:  Mathematics for Economists, MATH 3800.03: Financial Economics.

NOTE: Students will not receive credit for taking MATH 1115.03 after receiving credit for MATH 1000.03, MATH 1500X, or MATH 1215.03

 

Major or Double Major in Mathematics  

The Major in Mathematics will provide a broad coverage of the discipline but is slightly less demanding than the Honours programs. You can choose from Bsc or BA Major in Mathematics, BSc Double Major in Mathematics and another Science subject, or Double Major in Mathematics and a BA Subject.

Students completing a double major with Mathematics can fulfil the Mathematics requirements by following one of two programs available. In both cases, students are recommended to consult with a Mathematics Advisor.

*Note that students intending to continue into Graduate Studies should enroll in an Honours Program

Major Requirements


1000 level

  • MATH 1030.03: Matrix Theory and Linear Algebra I
2000 level
  • MATH 2001.03: Intermediate Calculus I/MATH 2002.03: Intermediate Calculus II
  • MATH 2040.03: Matrix Theory and Linear Algebra II (or MATH 2135.03: Linear Algebra)
  • At least one of MATH 2112.03: Discrete Structures I, MATH 2051.03: Problems in Geometry or MATH 2505.03: Introductory Analysis
  • Six additional credit hours in MATH at or above 2000 level
  • Three credit hours in a STAT course at or above 2000 level
3000 level
  • 24 additional credit hours in MATH at or above the 3000 level. This selection may not include MATH 3700.03: Mathematics for Economists, MATH 3800.03: Financial Economics.

Students wishing to concentrate in Applied Mathematics should choose the additional MATH courses from

Students wishing to concentrate in Pure Mathematics should choose the additional MATH courses from

Students contemplating a career in Mathematics Education should choose the additional MATH courses from


Note: Students will not receive credit for taking MATH 1115.03 after receiving credit for MATH 1000.03, MATH 1500X, or MATH 1215.03

Double Major Requirements


Mathematics as the Primary subject

Student completing a double major with Mathematics as the primary subject can fulfill the Mathematics requirements by following one of two programs below.

Pure Mathematics

2000 level
  • MATH 2001.03: Intermediate Calculus I and MATH 2002.03: Intermediate Calculus II
  • MATH 2040.03: Matrix Theory and Linear Algebra II (or MATH 2135.03: Linear Algebra)
  • At least two of MATH 2112.03: Discrete Structures I, MATH 2051.03: Problems in Geometry, MATH 2505.03: Introductory Analysis
3000 level
  • 18 additional MATH credit hours at or above the 3000 level. This selection may not include MATH 3700.03: Mathematics for Economists, MATH 3800.03: Financial Economics.

Applied Mathematics

2000 level
  • MATH 2001.03: Intermediate Calculus I
  • MATH 2040.03: Matrix Theory and Linear Algebra II (or MATH 2135.03: Linear Algebra)
  • MATH 2120.03: Methods for Ordinary Differential Equations and MATH 2002.03: Intermediate Calculus II
  • MATH 2060.03: Introduction to Probability and Statistics or MATH 2080.03: Statistical Methods for Data Analysis and Inference
3000 and 4000 level
  • MATH 3120.03: Differential Equations or MATH 3260.03: Applied Differential Equations
  • At least 15 credit hours selected from MATH 3080.03: Introduction to Complex Variables, MATH 3210.03: Statistical Mechanics, MATH 3300.03: Optimization, MATH 3330.03: Applied Graph Theory, MATH 3400.03: Classical Game Theory, MATH 3900.03: Financial Mathematics, MATH 4190.03: Ordinary Differential Equations, MATH 4220.03: Introduction to Partial Differential Equations, MATH 4230.03: Partial Differential Equations, MATH 4250.03: Asymptotic Analysis, MATH 4320.03: Combinatorial Optimization, MATH 4370.03: Combinatorics: Techniques and Structures, MATH 4540.03: Applied Analysis

Mathematics as the Secondary subject

A student enrolled in a Double Major with Mathematics as the secondary subject also fulfills the Mathematics requirements by following one of the programs listed above for a Double Major with Mathematics as the primary subject.


Note: Students will not receive credit for taking MATH 1115.03 after receiving credit for MATH 1000.03, MATH 1500X, or MATH 1215.03.

 

Honours or Combined Honours in Mathematics

Completion of an Honours Program is normally required for students wishing to do graduate work. BSc Honours in Mathematics provides a rigorous training in the discipline. Students may choose programs with a concentration in Applied Mathematics or Pure Mathematics. 

A Bsc Combined Honours program may be appropriate for students wishing to have a broader range of expertise. Students wishing to include Computer Science should consider Combined Honours in Mathematics and Computer Science. Students wishing to include Statistics should consider Combined Honours in Mathematics and Statistics.

All Honours programs must be approved by the Honours Advisor.

Honours Requirements

1000 level
  • Math 1030.03: Matrix Theory and Linear Algebra 
2000 level
  • MATH 2001.03: Intermediate Calculus I/MATH 2002.03: Intermediate Calculus II
    Math 2135.03: Linear Algebra and Math 2505.03: Introductory Analysis
  • Fifteen additional credit hours in mathematics at or above the 2000 level - not including courses listed below
3000 level
  • MATH 3031.03: Abstract Algebra I and MATH 3501.03: Intermediate Analysis I
  • Students in Stream A are required to take MATH 3032.03: Abstract Algebra II and MATH 3502.03: Intermediate Analysis II
  • Students in Stream B are required to take MATH 3080.03: Introduction to Complex Variables and MATH 3260.03: Applied Differential Equations
4000 level
  • MATH 4950.03: Honours Research Project
  • Twelve additional credit hours at or above the 4000 level

Note: Students will not receive credit for taking MATH 1115.03 after receiving credit for MATH 1000.03, MATH 1500X, or MATH 1215.03

Students in Stream A are advised to include a selection of courses from the following list in their programs:

Students in Stream B are advised to include a selection of courses from the following list in their programs:

Honours Comprehensive Examination

The Honours Comprehensive Examination in mathematics consists of a written paper of about 20-30 pages researched and prepared by the student. The topic is decided on in conjunction with the Honours advisor. The paper is also presented to the honours seminar. The work for this paper is done as part of the required course MATH 4950.03: Honours Research Project.

Combined Honours Requirements

Students interested in taking honours in mathematics and another subject as a combined program should consult the Mathematics Honours advisor. Combined programs in areas such as Mathematics and Statistics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry and Mathematics and Economics are common, but combined programs with Mathematics and any subject in the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, and Faculty of Computer Science can be arranged. These programs must satisfy University Regulations, but are designed to satisfy the interests and needs of the student.

Students contemplating a combined honours program in Mathematics and another subject should bear in mind that the work in either subject would probably be insufficient for admission to a regular graduate program. A qualifying year would usually be necessary.

  

Certificates

Students who complete a required set of mathematics and statistics courses as part of their degree program will earn professionally-recognized certificates. Students can choose a Certificate in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics, a Certificate in Applied and Computational Mathematics or a Certificate in Data Analytics.

To add a certificate program concurrent with a degree, submit the Declare Major/Minor/Certificate form via Dal Online under Admissions. For more information visit Certificates in the Academic Calendar.

Actuarial and Financial Mathematics Requirements

This program addresses many of the learning objectives and fundamental mathematical and statistical skills required to complete the classes (and examinations) of the Society of Actuaries accrediation program.  Students who are interested in a career in Actuarial Science should consult the Basic Education Catalogue on the Society of Actuaries web page (https://www.soa.org/canada/) or the Syllabus of Basic Education on the Casualty Actuaries web site (www.casact.org).  This program also prepares students for employment in general financial institutions where modeling, quantitative risk analysis, management of investment instruments, asset and liability management, life contingencies and insurance assessment, and other complex financial calculations are required.
Students must register their intent to complete the requirements with the department before graduation. 

Admission to Certificate
To enroll in the Certificate in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics, students must declare the certificate through Dal Online (https://dalonline.dal.ca>Web for Students > Admissions > Declare Major/Minor/Certificate), and notify the Certificate Coordinator by e-mail.

To graduate with the Certificate, students must apply to graduate with a Certificate at the time they apply to graduate from their degree program.

Certificate Requirements:

  1. Completion of a 120 credit hour Major or Honours program in Mathematics and/or Statistics
  2. Completion of the following mathematics courses: MATH 1000, MATH 1010, MATH 1030or 2030, MATH 2001, MATH 2002, MATH 2600
  3. Completion of the following statistics courses: STAT 2060, STAT 2080, STAT 3340 and STAT 3360
  4. Completion of either:

Financial Option: MATH 2120, MATH 3300, and MATH 3900
OR
Actuarial Option: STAT 3703, STAT 3720, and STAT 4390

Applied and Computational Mathematics Requirements

This program is concerned with the development of the core mathematical and computational skills required in science, government and industry. Areas of application include everything from mathematical modeling to operations research to cryptography to software development. You must register your intent to complete the requirements with the department before graduation. 

Admission to Certificate
To enrol in the Certificate in Applied and Computational Mathematics, students must declare the certificate through Dal Online (https://dalonline.dal.ca >Web for Students>Admissions>Declare Major/Minor/Certificate), and notify the Certificate Coordinator by e-mail.

To graduate with the Certificate, students must apply to graduate with a Certificate at the time they apply to graduate from their degree program.

Certificate Requirements:
1. Completion of the 120 credit hour Major or Honours program in Mathematics or an equivalent program

2. Completion of the following mathematics courses: MATH 1000, MATH 1010, MATH 1030 (or MATH 2030), MATH 2001, MATH 2002, MATH 2040, MATH 2112/CSCI 2112, MATH 2120

3. Completion of at least four of: MATH 3120, MATH 3210, MATH 3260, MATH 3300, MATH 3330, MATH 3400

4. Completion of at least two of: MATH 4116, MATH 4220, MATH 4230, MATH 4250, MATH 4320

Additional recommended courses: MATH 2300, STAT 2060, STAT 2080

Data Analytics Requirements

Data Analytics is an interdisciplinary field aimed at extracting knowledge from data of various forms. The techniques of data analytics draw heavily from the fields of statistics, computer science, and mathematics.  Students completing the certificate will understand  distinctions among data, information and knowledge, will be able to use the Structured Query Language (SQL) to manipulate relational databases, the R programming language to model data using a variety of machine learning and statistical  models, and will able to assess the performance of predictive models.

Admission to Certificate

To enrol in the Certificate in Data Analytics, students must declare the certificate through Dal Online (https://dalonline.dal.ca>Web for Students > Admissions > Declare Major/Minor/Certificate), and notify the Certificate Coordinator by email.

To graduate with the Certificate, students must apply to Graduate with a Certificate at the time they apply to graduate from their degree program.

Certificate requirements: