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 commonly bypass one or more of the beginning courses in mathematics.

Majors typically begin their study of mathematics in MATH 0122 or MATH 0200. Mathematics majors who need to begin the study of calculus with MATH 0121 may arrange with their advisors to use this course as one of the required electives. Credits for MATH 0121 and 0122 may be earned through the College Board AP exams or international exams such as the A-Levels or IB. At the discretion of the chair, additional courses may be waived in recognition of exceptional secondary school preparation. However, in all cases the major must include at least seven (7) Middlebury College or approved transfer courses, and the minor must include at least 4. Students who have earned grades on advanced placement calculus exams that are eligible for credit may not register for the equivalent course at Middlebury College.

Thus students who have earned 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB exam or a 3 on the Calculus BC exam may not register for MATH 0121, students who have earned 4 or 5 on the Calculus BC exam may not register for MATH 0121 or MATH 0122. This policy applies irrespective of whether students choose to use their AP credits toward meeting Middlebury’s graduation requirements. The following international credentials carry the same credit as a 4 or 5 on the Calculus BC Exam: A-level exam with a mathematics grade of A, B, or C; or IB Higher Level Mathematics with a grade of 6 or 7.

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

See more information on Placement.

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.