Mathematics
Create a mathematical model of a real world system and discover whether the fluttering of a butterfly's wing in the Amazon can cause a tornado in the East Indies! Predict patterns of societal behaviour, understand the stock markets and build models of national economies. Research an abstract problem and develop a groundbreaking equation. Discover the aesthetics of pure reasoning, the elegance of a clever argument and the art of conjecture. These opportunities and more are available to you when you choose to major in Mathematics & Statistics.
What is Mathematics & Statistics?
Mathematics is the study of numbers, sets of points and various other abstract elements and deals with the size, order, shape and various relationships among these features. Statistics is a branch of Mathematics that includes the study of methods for data collection, analysis, interpretation and principles of experimental design. Mathematics contributes to the formulation and solution of problems in diverse fields such as Medicine, Economics and the Social Sciences in addition to being the foundation of the field of Computer Science and the "language" of Science and Engineering.
During my studies I received two NSERC scholarships to do research in Statistics. Now I am working for Aon Consulting, a pension plan company in Saskatoon. I am an analyst/actuarial assistant. I use the skills I learned in Statistics on a daily basis in everything from maximization to integrals. My education has prepared me for the highly computational and theoretical exams I will be writing in order to become an actuary.—Troy Milnthorp,
Honours Degree in Statistics
A Stepping Stone...
A degree in Mathematics & Statistics is a solid foundation for continued education in many fields. The traditional sciences, such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geology have an ever-growing mathematical and statistical content. The study of Mathematics & Statistics develops a capacity for logical reasoning and efficient problem solving.
Mathematics or Statistics is often a first degree or a first joint degree for students pursuing further studies in Economics, Engineering Physics or Engineering Science, Business Administration, the Physical Sciences and Computer Science. It goes almost without saying that the very best preparation for future teachers of high school and elementary school Mathematics is to earn one's first undergraduate degree in the subject.
Career Opportunities
In the age of computers, sophisticated technology and scientific progress many jobs require a sophisticated knowledge of Mathematics, Science and Engineering. A degree in Mathematics or Statistics opens the door for graduates to pursue careers in diverse fields such as:
- Geophysics
- Actuarial Science (Insurance and Pensions)
- Transportation Systems, Air Traffic Data
- Communications Scheduling
- Modeling: Social, Economic, Agricultural, Urban
- Cartography
- Meteorology
- Survey and Market Research
The U of S Advantage
Students have the opportunity to interact with researchers in Mathematics and Statistics and are introduced to the national and international mathematical science community. The Department participates annually in undergraduate mathematical competitions that develop skills and expose students to situations with no classroom counterpart. Upper year classes have excellent student-professor ratios; this allows for direct interaction and creates an excellent learning environment.
The Department of Mathematics & Statistics also offers scholarships and awards for top students and many Honours students, while completing their degree, are able to find summer employment in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics as research assistants or as markers or tutorial assistants.
Choose Your Program!
Students in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics develop a strong mathematical foundation and then have the opportunity to concentrate in Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics or Statistics.
Pure Mathematics prepares a student for graduate study towards the pursuit of a research career in mathematics at educational institutions.
Applied Mathematics is intended for students who have a keen interest in applying mathematical techniques in order to solve problems arising in fields such as the Physical Sciences, Engineering, Medical Sciences, Social Sciences including Economics and Psychology.
Statistics exposes students to concepts such as experimental design, sampling techniques, data analysis and statistical inference. This concentration prepares students for employment with research agencies or to proceed in graduate studies in applied Statistics.
Mathematical Physics is an interdisciplinary program, offered jointly by the Department of Mathematics & Statistics and the Department of Physics & Engineering Physics.
A Major in Mathematics & Statistics
Students majoring in Mathematics & Statistics can earn one of the following degrees:
- B.Sc. – Three-year Major in Mathematics
- B.Sc. – Four-year Major in Mathematics
- B.Sc. – Four-year Major in Statistics
- B.Sc. – Honours (four-year) in Mathematics with concentration in either:
- Pure Mathematics
- Applied Mathematics
- B.Sc. – Honours (four-year) in Statistics
- B.Sc. – Double Honours in Mathematics or Statistics together with another subject
- B.Sc. – Double Honours in Mathematics and Statistics
- B.Sc. – Honours (four-year) in Mathematical Physics
I think most people have misconceptions about the field of mathematics. It's not all about formulas and rules - there is plenty of room for abstract and creative thought. Even if you do not see yourself pursuing a career as a mathematician, a degree in mathematics also provides a wonderful foundation for a number of other disciplines, including my current field of study, law.—Chira Chilliak
(Mathematics)
Recent Outstanding Students
- Chira Chilliak, from Saskatoon, came to the U of S from Aden Bowman Collegiate and graduated in the fall of 2001 earning a Bachelor of Science degree, with High Honours in Mathematics. At the Fall 2001 Convocation, Chilliak was awarded the Dean’s Medal (College of Arts & Science) and the University Medal in Sciences. Her career plans have taken her into Law at the University of Victoria thereby illustrating once again the value of a Mathematics degree in preparation for many non-science careers. During her last two years as an undergraduate Chilliak held NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (NSERC USRA), available only through very stiff competition, to undergraduate students in the sciences and engineering.
- Bret Hoehn, from Saskatoon, came to the U of S from Mount Royal Collegiate and graduated in the spring of 2002 earning a Bachelor of Science degree, with Double High Honours in Mathematics and Computer Science. At the Spring 2002 Convocation, Hoehn was awarded the Earl of Bessborourgh Prize and the Haslam Medal. Hoehn has entered graduate school in Computer Science at the University of Alberta to work in the field of artificial intelligence and in the study of games in particular. During two NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards, Hoehn worked on applications of orthogonal polynomials aimed at finding solutions of a class of nonlinear water wave equations. Hoehn competed in the prestigious 2001 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition open to undergraduates in Canada and the U.S. and ranked 164th amongst 2,954 participants, placing him with the 26 Canadian students in the top 200. Hoehn, along with two teammates, also competed in the 2001 Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) and his team achieved an Honourable Mention in the top 88 of 215 teams attempting one of two possible problems.
Research Facilities
The Department of Mathematics & Statistics operates an up-to-date research computer lab which supports a variety of projects, among them: symbolic computation, state-of-the-art “integrators” for non-linear dynamical systems, numerical approximations for the solution of differential equations, and Monte Carlo and other simulations.
Admission Requirements
The following is a list of high school subjects required for admission. Please select the province/territory where you completed high school.
Additional Information
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