Requirements

Students majoring in mathematics may choose to complete either the standard mathematics major requirements listed below or the Applied Mathematics Track. For more information about applied math at Middlebury, please visit this page.

Required for the Major in Mathematics

The standard mathematics major consists of eleven courses total, at least six of which must be taken at Middlebury College in Vermont:

• Core courses: MATH 0122, MATH 0200, MATH 0223, MATH 0302, and MATH 0323 (at least one of the latter two to be completed by the end of the junior year)
• Electives: : five MATH electives at the 0200-level or above. Students may substitute up to two courses with a STAT prefix. One of these can be at the 200 level; the other must be at the 300 level or above.  (Courses listed with both a MATH and STAT prefix would not count as one of these two substitutions.)
• Senior work: A 0700-level MATH seminar in the senior year

For students who matriculated Fall 2023 or earlier: Students can include a post-calculus course sequence of probability (MATH 0310) and either statistical inference (MATH 0311) or stochastic processes (MATH 0410). Completion of one of these designated sequences (0310→0311 or 0310→0410) may be counted in place of MATH302 for the mathematics major requirement.

Note: Students are strongly encouraged to include a proof-based course such as MATH 0241 or MATH 0247 early in their programs. This is especially helpful prior to taking MATH 0302 or MATH 0323. 

Students planning a 3-2 engineering program who wish to major in Mathematics should complete the 700-level senior seminar in their sixth semester at Middlebury. 

Required for the Major in Statistics

Eleven courses total, at least six of which must be taken at Middlebury College in Vermont:

• Core courses: MATH 0122, MATH 0200, MATH 0223, STAT 0201 or (STAT 0116 and STAT 0118), STAT 0211, MATH/STAT 0310, MATH/STAT 0311;
• Electives: three STAT electives at the 0200-level or above, one of which must be a Group B elective (MATH 0323, MATH 0410, STAT 0412). Students may substitute one non-Group B STAT elective with any one MATH course at the 0200-level or above.
• Senior work: A 0700-level STAT seminar in the senior year.

Students who need to start the Calculus sequence with MATH 0121 can reduce the elective count by 1, but still must include an elective at the 0400 level.

Please visit this page for more information about Statistics at Middlebury College.

Required for the Applied Mathematics Track

Students who choose the Applied Math Track within the mathematics major must take a total of eleven courses, at least six of which must be taken at Middlebury College in Vermont:

• 5 Core courses: MATH 0122, MATH 0200, MATH 0223, MATH 0226, and MATH 0323
• 2 Required Electives: Students must take one elective from each of the categories below.
        -Computational Elective: Choose one of MATH 0228 or MATH 0328
        -Advanced Differential Equations Elective: Choose one of MATH 0315 or MATH 0326
• 3 Electives that count towards the mathematics major at the 0200-level or above.
• Senior work: A 700-level applied mathematics seminar. Current applied mathematics seminars are MATH 0715 and MATH 0728.

Please visit this page for more information about Applied Math at Middlebury College.

Honors

Students who wish to be considered for departmental honors in Mathematics or Statistics must take one additional elective with a MATH or STAT prefix, respectively (12 courses total). Honors designations are based on senior work and GPA within the major.

Required for the Minor in Mathematics

Six courses total at least half of which must be taken at Middlebury College in Vermont:

• MATH 0121
• MATH 0122
• MATH 0200
• Plus three MATH courses at the 0200-level or above

Joint Majors

The Department of Mathematics does not offer a joint major.

There is no minor in Statistics.

Advanced Placement

Advanced placement in the department is offered to first-year students whose secondary training indicates they can bypass one or more of the beginning courses in mathematics. 

Incoming students should consult the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Placement Information page (https://www.middlebury.edu/college/academics/mathematics/placement-info…) to see where to begin their study of math and statistics at Middlebury. Those who place out of MATH 0121 and/or MATH0122, according to the criteria listed on the placement page, can waive the requirement for these courses if they decide to pursue a major or minor in mathematics. At the discretion of the department chair, additional courses may be waived in cases where the student has engaged in more advanced mathematical training. In all cases, however, the major must include at least seven Middlebury College or approved transfer courses, and the minor must include at least four. 

Note that MATH 0121 is a requirement for the minor in mathematics but is not considered part of the major. Mathematics majors who need to begin the study of calculus with MATH 0121 can count this course as one of their five required electives. 

AP Statistics is not a substitute for any of the introductory statistics courses offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Middlebury.

Other Credits

Because of the wide variation in course offerings at other institutions, students wishing to substitute a course from another college for any course in mathematics must seek approval from the department before registering for the course.