Welcome to the Department of Mathematical Sciences. As a science student, you will learn from top faculty and discover a diverse range of courses, all of which will prepare you with valuable work and life skills, a solid foundation for whatever career you choose to pursue.
Check out the links and information below to learn more about our programs and your opportunities at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÍòÄÜ¿Æ´ó.
Placement, Registration, and More
Information about placement, registration, switching sections, and proctoring for distance education classes is provided for students to aid in their understanding of requirements.
All 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÍòÄÜ¿Æ´ó students are required to take at least one math course to earn their degree and graduate. Students are mandated by the state of Nevada to be on track to completing that requirement in their first academic year of enrollment.
Students at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÍòÄÜ¿Æ´ó may be placed into mathematics courses through their ACT/SAT scores, the Department of Mathematics Placement Exam, or the ALEKS Mathematics Placement Assessment. Please note that we will not waive prerequisites for courses – no exceptions.
To learn more, visit the Math Placement page.
If your transfer course has not yet been evaluated by the department, you may find you cannot enroll for the course you wish. If this is the case, you can talk with your advisor about a "transfer course equivalency", whereby the math department will analyze your prerequisite course and determine your placement level accordingly. This process takes about three weeks.
If the system is not allowing you to register for a math course because of a failure to meet the prerequisite and you feel this is in error, email the DMS front office at math@unlv.edu.
The Department of Mathematical Sciences will NOT allow students to enroll in full classes — no exceptions.
- The university policy on credit by exam is located in the undergraduate catalog in the "Academic Policies" section under "Student Classifications" and then "Credit by Examination."
(Information taken from the undergraduate catalog, under "Academic Policies")
- Late-registration period begins on the first day of classes and ends at the end of the fifth day of classes. Students may freely add and drop classes or switch sections during this period.
- Adding or switching classes after the late-registration period is allowed primarily to adjust for extenuating circumstances beyond your control, registration errors, lack of prerequisite courses, or schedule changes initiated by the university. After the late-registration period is over, changes may be made only when the university deems the circumstances sufficiently extraordinary to warrant an exception.
- Forms must be obtained from the registrar and signed by the instructor, advisor, dean, and department chair/undergraduate coordinator.
- Proctors used for distance education classes must be approved.
- All proctors must follow instructors explicitly. See the instructions and form used by instructors for each assessment.
Pi Mu Epsilon
Pi Mu Epsilon is a national honorary mathematics society that was founded in 1914. It is a nonsecret organization whose purpose is the promotion of scholarly activity in mathematics. There are academic requirements for undergraduates to be invited to join.
Math Competitions
51³Ô¹ÏÍøÍòÄÜ¿Æ´ó Math Competitions
The mathematical competition activities at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÍòÄÜ¿Æ´ó consist of a semester-long workshop on problem solving, the annual 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÍòÄÜ¿Æ´ó Mathematical Competition, and the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. The local version of the Putnam exam is open to all undergraduate students at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÍòÄÜ¿Æ´ó. The competition is typically held during the fall term in October.
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition is the premier mathematical competition for undergraduates in North America. This annual contest began in 1938 and is designed to stimulate a healthful rivalry in mathematical studies in the colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It is administered by the Mathematical Association of America and attracts a large number of contestants from nearly 500 colleges and universities across North America. It is usually held on the first Saturday of December and consists of two three-hour sessions of six problems each. The problems are challenging and require considerable ingenuity and insight but little technical knowledge beyond calculus. In addition to individual competition, the participating colleges are ranked based on the performance of their three-member teams.