Undergraduate Senior Thesis in Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics at UC Davis offers undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in original mathematical research that will culminate in a senior undergraduate thesis. A student taking advantage of this opportunity would work under the guidance of a faculty mentor, pursuing original research.

Eligibility

To be eligible to write a senior thesis, advanced undergraduate students must

  • Have a GPA of 3.5 or above in upper level courses in Mathematics OR be in the Honors Program.
  • Find an appropriate research mentor willing to supervise their research project. Research supervisors can be faculty from the Mathematics Department or faculty from the Graduate Group in Applied Mathematics (GGAM).
  • Students that do not meet the GPA requirement may also be permitted to write a senior thesis. However, they must be nominated by a faculty member who is willing and able to supervise them in a research project, and the nomination must be approved by Undergraduate Research Committee.

Requirements for completion of an undergraduate thesis

  • Students must complete two full quarters of research prior to graduation.
  • While pursuing their research, students must complete MAT 199 (Special Studies for Advanced Undergraduates) and/or MAT 194 (Undergraduate Thesis) for a total of at least 6 units of credit over two quarters.
  • Students must complete a thesis of sufficient quality and substance. Both the research supervisor and the Undergraduate Research Committee (URC) will evaluate a student's thesis. In some cases, the URC will appoint an ad hoc committee to review the thesis.
  • The URC must receive a draft of the thesis no later than the beginning of the eighth week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate. The URC must also receive the supervisor's evaluation of the thesis at this time. The final copy of the thesis must be submitted to the department by the end of finals week.

Students in the Honors Program who complete theses may be considered for graduation with High Honors or Highest Honors. All students completing theses will be recognized at the June Graduation Reception and in the Fall Department Newsletter.

Undergraduate Senior Thesis - Archived Submissions

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