At OSU, you have several options for Honors studies. First, you can participate in the university-wide General Honors program. Second, you can work within a specialized departmental or college-level Honors curriculum. These courses will show as Honors courses on your transcript. Lastly, if you meet the requirements of both these programs plus a few additional courses, you will end up with a Bachelors Degree with Honors.
The Math Department offers Honors seminars and Honors sections for many courses, encouraging critical thinking and reasoning. Distinguished faculty members teach these courses in small sections, leaving plenty of time for discussion with other Honors students. If you take part in Departmental Honors as well as General Honors, you will write a Senior Honors Thesis, receive a special Honors Diploma, and have an Honors notation on your transcript.
Honors students enjoy priority enrollment status for all courses and extended library privileges. They may use the Honors Program Study Lounge in the Edmon Low Library, which has both Apple Macintosh and IBM personal computers, plus vending machines for food and drink. Honors students may live in the Honors Residence Hall(s), and even receive a 10% discount on room and board (for sophomores and above, who contract for ten or more meals each week).
We encourage Honors students to attain breadth in their education both within and outside of mathematics. Many mathematicians consider the four main areas of pure mathematics to be real analysis, complex analysis, algebra, and topology. Honors students should take courses in as many of these areas as their time and interest permit. In particular, we encourage Honors students who use the course MATH 4613, Modern Algebra I, to fulfill their Honors requirement, to at least take MATH 4023, Introduction to Analysis. (For students starting in Fall 1993, MATH 4023 is required.)
The Math Department also sponsors many activities that are fun and useful for Honors students. You should look into Math Club meetings, the Putnam Exam, and the Mathematical Contest in Modeling (see Chapter 6). Try enriching your coursework with such innovative programs as the Problem Solving Seminar and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Section 7.4.4). Lastly, don't forget that part-time employment at the Mathematics Learning Resource Center or at an OSU-sponsored summer camp (see Chapter 7) provides valuable experience and enjoyable contact with other math majors.
The Math Department staff includes an Honors Liaison who is available for consultation on questions regarding the Honors Program. You can find the name of the current Liaison in the Math Office or in the Honors Program Office.