University of Richmond

Honors Program

Honors Program in Mathematics

Promising, qualified math majors are invited by the faculty to apply to the honors program in mathematics. Successful completion of the program is designated on the student's academic record and diploma.

To qualify, students must have:

  • completed 19 or more units of University work;
  • earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0;
  • completed 3.5 or more units in mathematics courses at the level of MATH 235 or higher;
  • submitted a recommendation letter from a member of the mathematics faculty;
  • submitted an application to the program, working in conjunction with a faculty member to describe a topic and develop a plan for completing the thesis.

To earn honors in mathematics, students must have successfully completed:

  • two 300-level courses taken for honors credit;
  • one year (2 units) of directed independent study, wherein the student works with one or more faculty members on a selected project;
  • the presentation of an honors paper to the mathematics faculty as a culmination of the independent study (the paper must be accepted by the departmental committee.)

Honors Program in Computer Science 

Achievement of honors in computer science requires significant work beyond that necessary for a major in computer science. The program is intended for strong, self-motivated students seeking additional challenges.

To qualify, students must have:

  • completed 19 or more units of University work;
  • earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30;
  • completed 3.5 or more units of computer science courses at the level of 221 or higher. 
    (Some may be in-progress, but all should be completed by the end of the semester in which application to the program is made.)
  • submitted a letter of recommendation from a member of the tenured or tenure-track computer science faculty
  • submitted an application to the program through the School of Arts & Sciences' faculty committee and included in the application a program of study planned in consultation with the honors coordinator for the computer science program and the recommending faculty member

 To earn honors in computer science, students must have successfully completed:

  • two 300-level courses taken with honors credit and with work appropriate for the honors designation.
    At least one of the courses must have a 300-level prerequisite.
  • a year (2 semesters) of directed independent study (2 units).  The student will work with one or more faculty members on a special project.  This project will be evaluated by the faculty advisor and an honors committee made up of computer science faculty after the first semester. 
  • the presentation of an honors paper to the computer science faculty as a culmination of the independent study (the paper must be accepted by the departmental committee; if not, credit may be given for the independent study even though the student has not earned the honors designation.) Even when the work results in a significant software component, a formal paper and presentation is required.

Honors Program in Mathematical Economics

In order to be eligible, students must have met the following qualifications:

  • Completion of at least 18 units of coursework, not including courses in which the student is currently enrolled
  • Overall GPA of 3.3 or higher
  • Completion of at least four units within the major, excluding courses primarily for first-year students (MATH 211, 212, 231, 232; ECON 101, 102), with a cumulative GPA in all such courses of at least 3.3

The student will select a willing faculty member to serve as lead advisor for the project. Together they find a second faculty member to serve as consultant. One faculty member should be from economics and one from mathematics.

The student and lead advisor will plan the student's honors program. The student and advisor will plan four units of coursework in support of the honors topic. Two of these units will be MATH 340 Directed Independent Study or ECON 490-491 Honors Seminar/Research, depending on the department of the lead advisor. These courses are used to prepare the honors thesis. The remaining two units will be selected from the regular curriculum with an additional honors component; one unit will be from upper-level economics and one unit from upper-level mathematics. These courses will be chosen with an eye towards maximizing the student's ability to produce a quality honors thesis.

A completed honors thesis will be read and approved by a committee of at least three readers, including the lead and consulting advisors, and will be presented to the faculty in both departments.