Faculty of Mathematics

The terms used in Table I are explained below.

Math courses – Courses with one of these prefixes: ACTSC (Actuarial Science), AMATH (Applied Mathematics), CO (Combinatorics and Optimization), CM (Computational Mathematics), CS (Computer Science), MATH (non-departmental Faculty courses), PMATH (Pure Mathematics), and STAT (Statistics). Any course that is cross-listed with a course having one of these prefixes is also considered a math course, regardless of the label under which it is taken. The following courses, with content very similar to courses offered in the Mathematics Faculty, are also considered to be math courses: ECE 222, 354, 428; SE 112, 240, 382, 463, 464, 465.

Non-math courses – Courses with the prefix MTHEL and those courses offered by other faculties (excluding courses cross-listed with math courses and courses, listed above as math courses). Work-term courses (COOP 1 to COOP 6) and professional development (PD) courses do not count as math or non-math courses.

Major Average – See sections 2 and 4 in "Faculty Policies."  

Cumulative Average – See sections 1 and 3 in "Faculty Policies."  

Course Attempt – Any course enrolment for which a student is assigned a final grade (including a grade of WD). Transfer credits from other institutions are also considered to be course attempts.

Excluded Course – A course which has been excluded is not included in any unit counts toward degree completion or in averages but is included in course attempts. Any failed course must be excluded, but a student may also choose to exclude a course with a passing grade below 60 (such a request must be made no more than six months after the grade appears in Quest). An excluded passed course normally cannot be used to meet any degree requirement or to meet the prerequisite requirements for another course.

Full-time Term – A term in which a student is enrolled in at least 1.5 course-attempt units.

Unit – The credit value associated with any course. All courses offered in the Faculty of Mathematics have a value of 0.5 units.

Co-op Requirements

In addition to the requirements specified in Table I, Co-op students are required to complete a minimum of five Professional Development courses. PD 1 must be taken in the term prior to the first work term and PD 2 must be taken during the first work term. At least one other Professional Development course must cover non-technical skills. With the exception of PD 1, these courses are normally taken during Co-op work terms. Students are encouraged to take a professional-development course each work term until the requirement is met; the required schedule for completing the courses is as follows:

First-Year English Writing Skills Requirement

• A grade of 60 or better on the UW English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE), or
• Successfully complete the study program offered by the UW Writing Centre, or
• Complete one of the following courses with a grade of at least 60%:

ENGL 109 Introduction to Academic Writing
ENGL 129R Introduction to Written English
ENGL 210E Genres of Technical Communication
ENGL 210F Genres of Business Communication
ESL 102R Introduction to Error Correction in Writing

1. Students who have written and failed ELPE should enrol in the Writing Centre or enrol in one of the above courses rather than attempt ELPE again.
2. Students who arrange a special sitting of the ELPE outside the scheduled dates will be assessed an administrative charge.
3. A completed English Proficiency milestone on a student's academic record will indicate successful completion of this requirement.
4. Students in the Software Engineering program must satisfy this requirement as set down by the Faculty of Engineering.
5. Students in the Computing and Financial Management program must satisfy this requirement as set down by the Faculty of Arts.

No-Credit/Overlap Courses

There are some restrictions on course selection for obtaining credit toward a BMath, BCS, or BCFM degree. Before enrolling in a course, students should check the Faculty of Mathematics "No-Credit List" and "Course Overlap List" (available on the Math Undergraduate website at www.math.uwaterloo.ca/navigation/Current/nocredit_overlap.shtml), to determine whether or not the course will count towards their BMath, BCS, or BCFM degree. See section 13.4 in "Faculty Policies"  for further details.

Table II – Required Faculty Core Courses – BMath Honours Plans except Mathematics/Chartered Accountancy

Notes

1. Refer to individual plan requirements to determine which of MATH 237 (or MATH 247) or MATH 239 (or MATH 249) is required for your plan. Some plans require both courses.
2. The MATH and STAT core courses are offered at two levels: Advanced and Honours. The Advanced courses are more challenging than the Honours courses. The Advanced course numbers are listed in parentheses in Table II above.
3. Students entering with no prior CS experience may either take the Programming-Basics sequence (CS 125 in their 1A term, followed by CS 134 in their 1B term), or the Functional-First sequence (CS 135 in their 1A term, followed by CS 136 in their 1B term).
   Students with ICS3M or equivalent may choose to take the Objects-First sequence (CS 133 in their 1A term, followed by CS 134 in their 1B term), or the Functional-First sequence.
   Students with extensive programming experience (ICS4M or equivalent) may take CS 134 in their 1A term followed by CS 241, 230, or 234 in their 1B term.
4. The three algebra and three calculus courses are normally taken in sequence in the 1A, 1B, and 2A terms. The two STAT courses are normally taken in the 2A and 2B terms.
5. Table II applies only to students enrolled in plans leading to the BMath degree, not any other degrees offered through the Faculty of Mathematics. Most requirements in Table II apply to Mathematics/Chartered Accountancy (MATH 235/245 is an exception). A full set of course requirements is given with the Chartered Accountancy plan.

Responsibility For Meeting Degree Requirements

Students are responsible for being aware of all regulations pertaining to their academic plans. This responsibility includes, submitting a completed "Intention to Graduate - Undergraduate Studies" form to the Registrar's Office (by the designated date for submission of such forms) during their last academic study term (i.e., the term in which they anticipate completing the requirements for their degree).

Incompatibility of Full-time Study with Full-time Employment

Students who by choice or necessity work on non-academic activities more than 10 hours per week should, where possible, structure their course/work load so that they can attend fully to their academic obligations. The Standings and Promotions Committee will not normally grant petitions based on time pressure resulting from employment.

Honours Fallback Provision

Students who satisfy all the conditions below, but do not satisfy the cumulative major average requirement and/or the excluded-units requirement for an Honours degree, will be eligible for a three-year BMath General degree:

1. all course requirements for a specific BMath Honours or BCS plan;
2. cumulative average (CAV) at least 60%;
3. at most four units excluded;
4. at most 25 units attempted.