À¦°óSMÉçÇø

important

Note: This is the 2023–2024 eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or .

Mathematics and Statistics (MATH)

Mathematics and Statistics (MATH)

Location

Location

  • Burnside Hall, Room 1005
  • 805 Sherbrooke Street West
  • Montreal QC H3A 0B9
  • Telephone: 514-398-3800
  • Website: mcgill.ca/mathstat

About Mathematics and Statistics

About Mathematics and Statistics

Mathematics and statistics are omnipresent in today's world of information and technology. Their theories, models, and methods are integral to the way we analyze, understand, and build the world around us. They play a key role in nearly every effort to push the boundaries of science, engineering, medicine, and social sciences, and contribute—in a major way—to solving some of the most pressing human, environmental, and economic problems of our time.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is one of the oldest and most distinguished of its kind in Canada. It is home to active, internationally acclaimed, and award-winning researchers in the three principal subdisciplines in the mathematical sciences.

Pure mathematics is concerned with abstract structures and concepts mainly with respect to their intrinsic and technical nature, although many areas in pure mathematics have developed from questions in science and technology. Core areas of expertise in pure mathematics include algebra, analysis, geometry, number theory, and topology.

Applied mathematics develops and utilizes advanced mathematical methods to solve problems in a broad range of applications in science, technology, engineering, computer science, and business. Core areas of expertise in applied mathematics include discrete mathematics, game theory, machine learning, graph theory, mathematical physics, numerical analysis, optimization, and probability.

Statistics is motivated by the need to extract information from data, to quantify uncertainty, and to make predictions about random phenomena. To do this effectively, sophisticated mathematical and probabilistic techniques and computational tools are needed. Core areas of expertise include Bayesian inference, biostatistics, computational statistics, extreme-value analysis, high-dimensional data modelling, multivariate analysis, and survival analysis.

Undergraduate Program Options

Undergraduate Program Options

Our programs provide a broad and solid mathematical and statistical education that paves the way to many interesting career options in academia, government, and industry. Top students typically get admitted to prestigious graduate schools around the world and often become leaders in their areas of research in academic or industrial settings. Our graduates at all levels are in high demand in government departments, health research centers, banks, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, statistical agencies, and multinational high-technology industries.

There are two popular undergraduate streams. The Honours programs in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Probability/Statistics (including Joint Honours with Physics or Computer Science) are at an advanced level for students who wish to specialize their studies in the mathematical sciences. The Honours stream is well suited for students who intend to move on to graduate school and essential for those who are envisaging research careers in the mathematical sciences. The Major programs in Mathematic and Statistics are less intense and more flexible, leaving room for a Minor or a second Major Concentration in another discipline. The Major stream is particularly suited for students whose future creative activity will involve Mathematics, Statistics, or Data Science and its applications in another area. With satisfactory performance in an appropriate selection of courses, the Major Statistics program can lead to the professional accreditation A. Stat from the Statistical Society of Canada, which is regarded as the entry level requirement for a Statistician practicing in Canada. Several Joint Major programs and a Liberal program are also available.

Furthermore, the Desautels Faculty of Management offers the B.Com. degree with a Major in Mathematics.

Students considering programs in Mathematics and Statistics are encouraged to contact the Department of Mathematics and Statistics to arrange for academic advising.

Research Opportunities

Research Opportunities

During their undergraduate degree, students in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are encouraged to engage in research. The two main opportunities are:

  • Funded summer research projects allowing students to engage in state-of-the art research with faculty members
  • Opportunities for hands-on experience with data analysis offered through the Statistical Consulting Service

Internship Opportunities

Internship Opportunities

Students who want to get practical experience in industry before graduation are encouraged to participate in one of the following internship programs:

  • The Internship Year in Science (IYS) is an option offered for a duration of 8, 12, or 16 months. It is reflected on the transcript and included in the program name (Bachelor of Science – Internship Program). Eligible students usually take this program between their U2 and U3 years.
  • The Industrial Practicum (IP) has a duration of four months and is usually carried out starting in May. It will appear as a 0-credit, Pass/Fail course on your transcript.

For more information on these opportunities, consult mcgill.ca/science/undergraduate/internships-field.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 8, 2023) (disclaimer)

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty

Interim Chair
Rustum Choski
Graduate Program Director
Jérôme Vétois
Undergraduate Program Director
Armel Djivede Kelome
Emeritus Professors
William J. Anderson; Michael Barr; Peter Bartello; William G. Brown; Ian Connell; Stephen Drury; Kohur N. GowriSankaran; Paul Koosis; Michael Makkai; Sherwin Maslowe; Arak M. Mathai; Karl Peter Russell; Georg Schmidt; George P.H. Styan; Kwok Kuen Tam; John C. Taylor; David Wolfson; Jian-Jun Xu; Sanjo Zlobec
Professors
Louigi Addario-Berry; Masoud Asgharian; Rustum Choksi; Henri Darmon; Christian Genest; Eyal Z. Goren; Pengfei Guan; Jacques C. Hurtubise; Dmitry Jakobson; Vojkan Jaksic; Joel Kamnitzer; Niky Kamran; Eric D. Kolaczyk; Jean-Philippe Lessard; Johanna Neslehova; Adam Oberman; Charles Roth; David A. Stephens; John A. Toth; Adrian Vetta; Daniel T. Wise
Associate Professors
Patrick Allen; Linan Chen; Tim Hoheisel; Antony R. Humphries; Abbas Khalili; Jessica Lin; Jean-Christophe Nave; Sergey Norin; Elliot Paquette; Mikael Pichot; Piotr Przytycki; Marcin Sabok; Russell Steele; Anush Tserunyan; Gantumur Tsogtgerel; Jérôme Vétois; Archer Yang
Assistant Professors
Medhi Dadoug;Courtney Paquette; Brent Pym
Associate Members
Simon Caron-Huot; Xiao-Wen Chang; Luc Devroye; Pierre R. L. Dutilleul; Leon Glass; James A. Hanley; Hamed Hatami; Anmar Khadra; Xue Liu; Michael Mackey; Erica E.M. Moodie; Prakash Panangaden; Robert W. Platt; Alexandra Schmidt; Kaleem Siddiqi; Christina Wolfson
Adjunct Professors
Syed E. Ahmed; Andrew Granville; Alexis Hannart; Adrian Iovita; Dimitris Koukoulopoulos; Michael Lipnowski; Ming Mei; Claude-Alain Pillet; Iosif Polterovich; Armen Shirikyan
Senior Faculty Lecturers
José A. Correa; Axel Hundemer; Armel Djivede Kelome
Faculty Lecturers
Rosalie Bélanger-Rioux; Jérôme Fortier; Kiwon Lee; Jens Kreitewolf, joint with Psychology; Jeremy Macdonald; Tharshanna Nadarajah; Alia Sajjad; Sidney Trudeau
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Minor Mathematics (24 credits)

The Minor may be taken in conjunction with any primary program in the Faculty of Science (other than programs in Mathematics). Students should declare their intention to follow the Minor Mathematics at the beginning of the penultimate year and should obtain approval for the selection of courses to fulfil the requirements for the Minor from the Departmental Chief...

For more information, see Minor Mathematics (24 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Minor Statistics (27 credits)

(24-27 credits) ...

For more information, see Minor Statistics (27 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Liberal Program - Core Science Component Mathematics (45 credits)

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Liberal Program - Core Science Component Statistics (48 credits)

(45 or 48 credits) ...

For more information, see Liberal Program - Core Science Component Statistics (48 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Mathematics (54 credits)

For more information, see Major Mathematics (54 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Statistics (54 credits)

The program provides training in statistics, with a solid mathematical core, and basic training in computing. With satisfactory performance in an appropriate selection of courses, this program can lead to the professional accreditation A. Stat from the Statistical Society of Canada, which is regarded as the entry level requirement for a Statistician practicing in...

For more information, see Major Statistics (54 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Mathematics and Computer Science (72 credits)

The B.Sc.; Major in Mathematics and Computer Science emphasizes fundamental skills in mathematics and computer science, while exploring the interaction between the two fields.

For more information, see Major Mathematics and Computer Science (72 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Statistics and Computer Science (72 credits)

This program provides students with a solid training in both computer science and statistics together with the necessary mathematical background. As statistical endeavours involve ever increasing amounts of data, some students may want training in both disciplines.

For more information, see Major Statistics and Computer Science (72 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Applied Mathematics (63 credits)

Applied Mathematics is a very broad field and students are encouraged to choose a coherent program of complementary courses. Most students specialize in "continuous" or "discrete" applied mathematics, but there are many sensible combinations of courses, and the following informal guidelines should be discussed with the student's adviser. Also, aside from seeking to...

For more information, see Honours Applied Mathematics (63 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Mathematics (63 credits)

Students may complete this program with a minimum of 60 credits or a maximum of 63 credits depending if they are exempt from MATH 222.

For more information, see Honours Mathematics (63 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Probability and Statistics (60-63) (63 credits)

The B.Sc.; Honours in Probability and Statistics provides training, at the honours level, in probability and statistics, with a solid mathematical core, and basic training in computing. With a suitable selection of complementary courses, the program can focus on probability, mathematical statistics, applied statistics, actuarial science and finance, or data science. With satisfactory performance in an appropriate selection of courses, this program can lead to the professional accreditation A.Stat from the Statistical Society of Canada, which is regarded as the entry level requirement for a Statistician practicing in Canada.

Program Requirements (60-63) (63 credits)

Students may complete this program with a minimum of 60 credits or a maximum of 63 credits depending on whether or not they are required to take MATH 222.

Program Prerequisites

The minimum requirement for entry into the Honours program is that the student has completed with high standing the following courses or their equivalents:

MATH 133 (3) Linear Algebra and Geometry
MATH 150 (4) Calculus A
MATH 151 (4) Calculus B

In particular, MATH 150/MATH 151 and MATH 140/MATH 141/MATH 222 are considered equivalent.

Required Courses (28-31 credits)

* Students with limited programming experience should take COMP 202/COMP 204/COMP 208 or equivalent before COMP 250.

** Students select either MATH 251 or MATH 247, but not both.

*** Students who have successfully completed MATH 150/MATH 151 or an equivalent of MATH 222 on entering the program are not required to take MATH 222.

Students who have not completed an equivalent of MATH 222 on entering the program must consult an academic adviser and take MATH 222 as a required course in the first semester, increasing the total number of program credits from 60 to 63. Students who have successfully completed MATH 150/MATH 151 are not required to take MATH 222.

Note: Students with limited knowledge of computer programming should take COMP 202/COMP 204/COMP 208 or equivalent before COMP 250. U0 students may take COMP 202 as a Freshman Science course; new U1 students should take one of these courses as an elective in their first semester.

Note: Students who wish to take MATH 204 as a complementary course are strongly advised to take MATH 203 beforehand, in their first semester or their first year.

Students who transfer to Honours in Mathematics from other programs will have credits for previous courses assigned, as appropriate, by the Department.

To be awarded the Honours degree, the student must have, at time of graduation, a CGPA of at least 3.00 in the required and complementary Mathematics courses of the program, as well as an overall CGPA of at least 3.00.

COMP 250* (3) Introduction to Computer Science
MATH 208 (3) Introduction to Statistical Computing
MATH 222*** (3) Calculus 3
MATH 235 (3) Algebra 1
MATH 247** (3) Honours Applied Linear Algebra
MATH 251** (3) Honours Algebra 2
MATH 255 (3) Honours Analysis 2
MATH 356 (3) Honours Probability
MATH 357 (3) Honours Statistics
MATH 470 (3) Honours Research Project
MATH 533 (4) Regression and Analysis of Variance

Complementary Courses (32 credits)

Advising notes:

- Students wishing to pursue mathematical statistics in graduate school are advised to take MATH 587 and recommended to take honours mathematics courses as complementary courses in Part II, in particular MATH 358, MATH 454 (preferably prior to MATH 587), and MATH 455.

- Students wishing to pursue applied statistics and/or careers as statisticians in industry or government are advised to take MATH 523, MATH 524, MATH 547, at least one of MATH 525 and MATH 558, and as many courses as possible from Part III of the list of Complementary Courses below. Students interested in obtaining the A-Stat accreditation from the Statistical Society of Canada should discuss their course selection with the academic adviser.

-Students with interest in probability are advised to choose from the following as part of their Complementary Courses: MATH 547, MATH 587, MATH 589.

- Students with interest in actuarial science are advised to choose from the following as part of their Complementary Courses: MATH 329, MATH 430, MATH 524, MATH 545, MATH 547.

- Students with interest in data science and machine learning are advised to choose from the following as part of their Complementary Courses: COMP 206, COMP 251, COMP 370, COMP 424, COMP 551, MATH 308, MATH 350, MATH 378, MATH 462 and MATH 517,MATH 562, and MATH 563.

Part I: 3 credits selected from:

* It is strongly recommended that students take MATH 254.

MATH 242 (3) Analysis 1
MATH 254* (3) Honours Analysis 1

Part II: 6-11 credits in mathematics and computer science selected from:

+ Students can select either MATH 248 or MATH 358, but not both.

++ Students may obtain credit for both MATH 455 and MATH 587.

COMP 206 (3) Introduction to Software Systems
COMP 252 (3) Honours Algorithms and Data Structures
MATH 248+ (3) Honours Vector Calculus
MATH 325 (3) Honours Ordinary Differential Equations
MATH 350 (3) Honours Discrete Mathematics
MATH 352 (1) Problem Seminar
MATH 358+ (3) Honours Advanced Calculus
MATH 376 (3) Honours Nonlinear Dynamics
MATH 387 (3) Honours Numerical Analysis
MATH 397 (3) Honours Matrix Numerical Analysis
MATH 398 (3) Honours Euclidean Geometry
MATH 454 (3) Honours Analysis 3
MATH 455++ (3) Honours Analysis 4
MATH 458 (3) Honours Differential Geometry
MATH 466 (3) Honours Complex Analysis
MATH 475 (3) Honours Partial Differential Equations
MATH 478 (3) Computational Methods in Applied Mathematics
MATH 480 (3) Honours Independent Study
MATH 527D1 (3) Statistical Data Science Practicum
MATH 527D2 (3) Statistical Data Science Practicum

and any 500-level course offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics not listed in Part III below.

Part III: 18-23 credits in probability and statistics selected as follows:

15-23 credits selected from:

+++ Students must take MATH 204 before taking MATH 357 or MATH 533. Moreover, it is strongly advised to take MATH 203 before taking MATH 204.

MATH 204+++ (3) Principles of Statistics 2
MATH 308 (3) Fundamentals of Statistical Learning
MATH 523 (4) Generalized Linear Models
MATH 524 (4) Nonparametric Statistics
MATH 525 (4) Sampling Theory and Applications
MATH 545 (4) Introduction to Time Series Analysis
MATH 547 (4) Stochastic Processes
MATH 556 (4) Mathematical Statistics 1
MATH 557 (4) Mathematical Statistics 2
MATH 558 (4) Design of Experiments
MATH 559 (4) Bayesian Theory and Methods
MATH 587 (4) Advanced Probability Theory 1
MATH 589 (4) Advanced Probability Theory 2

0-3 credits from the following courses for which no Honours equivalent exists:

MATH 329 (3) Theory of Interest
MATH 378 (3) Nonlinear Optimization
MATH 427 (3) Statistical Quality Control

0-8 credits selected from:

+++ Students may select either MATH 594 or MATH 598 but not both.

COMP 370 (3) Introduction to Data Science
COMP 424 (3) Artificial Intelligence
COMP 451 (3) Fundamentals of Machine Learning
COMP 551 (4) Applied Machine Learning
COMP 579 (4) Reinforcement Learning
COMP 588 (4) Probabilistic Graphical Models
MATH 430 (3) Mathematical Finance
MATH 462 (3) Honours Mathematics for Machine Learning
MATH 562 (4) Theory of Machine Learning
MATH 594+++ (4) Topics in Mathematics and Statistics
MATH 598+++ (4) Topics in Probability and Statistics
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Statistics and Computer Science (79 credits)

This is a challenging program providing students with a solid training in both computer science and statistics suitable for entry into graduate school in either discipline. Students may complete this program with a minimum of 76 credits or a maximum of 79 credits depending on whether or not they are exempt from taking COMP 202.

For more information, see Honours Statistics and Computer Science (79 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Mathematics and Computer Science (78 credits)

Students may complete this program with a minimum of 72 credits or a maximum of 78 credits depending if they are exempt from COMP 202, COMP 204, COMP 208 and/or MATH 222.

For more information, see Honours Mathematics and Computer Science (78 credits).

Mathematics and Statistics (MATH) Related Programs

Mathematics and Statistics (MATH) Related Programs

Major in Biology and Mathematics

Joint Major in Biology and Mathematics

Major in Physiology and Mathematics

Joint Major in Physiology and Mathematics

Honours Program in Mathematics and Physics

Joint Honours Program in Mathematics and Physics

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 8, 2023) (disclaimer)
Faculty of Science—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 8, 2023) (disclaimer)
Back to top