Departmental Honors in Mathematics is granted to students who have demonstrated exceptional talent, interest, effort, and achievement in mathematics. Departmental Honors is distinct and separate from college-wide Latin Honors. This document outlines specific requirements for Departmental Honors, including the timeline for the process and the criteria used for assessment.

Summary of Guidelines

• Student has GPA of at least 3.0 overall.
• Student has GPA of at least 3.5 in MAT courses numbered 200 and above.
• Student has completed a major in mathematics including at least four MAT courses numbered 200 and above taken at Augsburg.
• Student has successfully completed the following process:
• Submit successful application for candidacy.
• Work on Honors Project.
• Give oral presentation of Honors Project.
• Submit written presentation of Honors Project.
• Gain departmental approval of completed Honors Project.

Students with more than one major may earn Department Honors in other majors independent of Department Honors in Mathematics.

Throughout the remainder of this document the word “department” refers to the Mathematics Department faculty.

The first step in working toward honors is to major in mathematics. Normally a student seeking honors would take calculus in the first year, three or more 200-level MAT courses in the sophomore year, and more than the required number of remaining MAT courses in junior and senior years, including Analysis (MAT 324) in the spring of junior year, if at all possible. A student seeking honors is expected to study mathematics outside of class work including activities such as talking about mathematics with his or her mathematics professors, attending departmental colloquium or other mathematics talks, reading undergraduate mathematics journals such as those published by the MAA or COMAP, reading books about mathematics, or browsing relevant Web sites.

The first formal step in working toward honors is to apply to the Mathematics Department for candidacy. Applications are due in early spring of the student’s junior year for full consideration.¹ The opportunity to apply is advertised by professors in mathematics classes and in the department newsletter, the Augarithms. Students applying after the deadline will be considered if faculty load and time permits.

The Application for Candidacy should include

Applications for Candidacy will be evaluated by the Mathematics Department² based on the following criteria.

Applicants are notified of the Mathematics Department’s decision in writing, normally within two weeks of applying. Note that the department has the right to refuse candidacy. In such a situation, the department would allow the student to re-submit later, if there is time to do so, but a student would normally submit no more than twice, i.e. a second denial is considered final.

For students completing the project at Augsburg, the student will work with a faculty member of the Mathematics Department, hereafter referred to as the “Honors Advisor”. The final product of the project is mathematical research original to the student at the level expected of excellent undergraduate students in mathematics. The work must culminate in at least one substantial theorem with proof or at least one substantial development and analysis of a model.

¹Note that the times given in this document are written for a student taking his or her last full
semester of course work in the spring of senior year. Such a student would be graduating in May
or student teaching in the fall and graduating in December. Students on other graduation
schedules will need to adjust the timetable accordingly.
² In all cases approval of the department is defined to be the approval of a simple majority of
full-time tenured or tenure-track department members.

Finding a topic and finding an Honors Advisor are not separate processes as each faculty member is expected to advise on projects reasonably related to his or her areas of expertise. In most cases, the student will want to talk with several faculty members to find a topic that is of interest to the student and within the area of expertise of the faculty member. On occasions the advisors may be assigned by the Mathematics Department and the student will need to select a topic within the areas of the assigned faculty member.

Mathematics courses, journals, books, and colloquia can provide ideas for topics for an Honors Project. The project may continue work begun in a class or summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). Students are welcome to propose interdisciplinary projects related to a minor, second major, area of interest, teaching, internship, work, or service experience. Mathematics Department faculty members are encouraged to describe potential research projects to students in classes, during advising sessions, in the Augarithms, via colloquium, etc. Students may elect to work on a new topic for a project in which case additional reading will normally be required.

If participating in a summer REU program, the student may elect to submit the results of the summer research project as an Honors Project. Students who choose this path will still be assigned an Honors Advisor at Augsburg; however, the primary research will be conducted as part of the REU program and not with the Honors Advisor.

If the new work is the equivalent of a course, then the student should register for an independent study course (MAT 499). Students with future plans for graduate work in mathematics are normally expected to take an independent study reading course as part of or in addition to the Honors Project. Independent Study courses will be evaluated by the professor. The professor and student are required to develop a syllabus including grading scheme to be filed by midterm of the course with the department.

Students completing an Honors Project in a summer REU program are expected to meet with the Honors Advisor early in the Fall semester after the REU program to inform the Advisor of the results of the research project.

In addition, the work must be reviewed by another faculty member or outside expert called the “Reader”. Normally the Reader is chosen by the chair of the department. The Reader should be consulted first around the time of the selection of a topic. If the student is completing the project on campus, the Reader must have the opportunity to read or hear partial results at least two times during the work period and will read the final project. If the project is completed as part of summer REU program, the Reader must have the opportunity to read or hear the results early in the Fall semester after the REU program. The Reader is not expected to assist the student the way the Honors Advisor might; the Reader’s job is to insure quality and to assist the advisor in providing suitable pressure for excellence.

There are times when a proposed project does not work out the way it was intended. In such cases, the student is welcome to propose and work on a new project, if time permits.

An oral presentation of the Honors Project is also required. The student is required to give a 25 or 50 minute presentation of results, usually in the Mathematics Colloquium. In addition, each student is required to write a brief autobiography (˜ 100 words) and description of project (˜ 150 words) for publication in the Augarithms. Students are strongly encouraged to present a paper at regional or national meetings or to submit a paper for publication. Presentation in colloquium must be completed prior to graduation and must be scheduled by January 15 of senior year during regularly offered colloquium times. The biography and description of work must be submitted to the Augarithms editor with time for publication two weeks before the colloquium.

The Honors Project will be evaluated based on the following criteria.

Normally the Honors Advisor or Reader will prevent an inadequate Honors Project from being presented to the entire department faculty, but it is possible for the department to deny approval if the level of quality of the Honors Project does not, in the opinion of the majority, fit within the normal bounds of Honors Projects in Mathematics. It is at the discretion of the department to allow revision and re-submission.

A copy of the written presentation of work will be kept on file in the mathematics department. Another copy may be kept on public file by the college.

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