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...

For more information, see Honours Probability and Statistics (63 credits).

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)
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