Note: McGill鈥檚 new Course Catalogue will replace the eCalendar. The Course Catalogue is expected to go live the week of April 22nd. When the new site is published, "mcgill.ca/study" will be redirected to the new Course Catalogue website.
Course information on this site is not reflective of offerings for the 2025鈥�2026 academic year. Some irregularities may occur as we move operations to the incoming Course Catalogue.
Mathematics and statistics are omnipresent in today's world of information and technology. Their theories, models, and methods are integral to the way we analyze, understand, and build the world around us. They play a key role in nearly every effort to push the boundaries of science, engineering, medicine, and social sciences, and contribute鈥攊n a major way鈥攖o solving some of the most pressing human, environmental, and economic problems of our time.
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is one of the oldest and most distinguished of its kind in Canada. It is home to active, internationally acclaimed, and award-winning researchers in the three principal subdisciplines in the mathematical sciences.
Pure mathematics is concerned with abstract structures and concepts mainly with respect to their intrinsic and technical nature, although many areas in pure mathematics have developed from questions in science and technology. Core areas of expertise in pure mathematics include algebra, analysis, geometry, number theory, and topology.
Applied mathematics develops and utilizes advanced mathematical methods to solve problems in a broad range of applications in science, technology, engineering, computer science, and business. Core areas of expertise in applied mathematics include discrete mathematics, game theory, machine learning, graph theory, mathematical physics, numerical analysis, optimization, and probability.
Statistics is motivated by the need to extract information from data, to quantify uncertainty, and to make predictions about random phenomena. To do this effectively, sophisticated mathematical and probabilistic techniques and computational tools are needed. Core areas of expertise include Bayesian inference, biostatistics, computational statistics, extreme-value analysis, high-dimensional data modelling, multivariate analysis, and survival analysis.
Our programs provide a broad and solid mathematical and statistical education that paves the way to many interesting career options in academia, government, and industry. Top students typically get admitted to prestigious graduate schools around the world and often become leaders in their areas of research in academic or industrial settings. Our graduates at all levels are in high demand in government departments, health research centers, banks, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, statistical agencies, and multinational high-technology industries.
There are two popular undergraduate streams. The Honours programs in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics (including Joint Honours with Physics or Computer Science) are at an advanced level for students who wish to specialize their studies in the mathematical sciences. The Honours stream is well suited for students who intend to move on to graduate school and essential for those who are envisaging research careers in the mathematical sciences. The Major programs in Mathematics and Statistics are less intense and more flexible, leaving room for a Minor or a second Major Concentration in another discipline. The Major stream is particularly suited for students whose future creative activity will involve Mathematics, Statistics, or Data Science and its applications in another area. With satisfactory performance in an appropriate selection of courses, the Major Statistics program can lead to the professional accreditation A.Stat. from the Statistical Society of Canada, which is regarded as the entry level requirement for a statistician practicing in Canada. Several Joint Major programs and a Liberal program are also available.
Furthermore, the Desautels Faculty of Management offers the B.Com. degree with a Major in Mathematics.
Students considering programs in Mathematics and Statistics are encouraged to contact the Department of Mathematics and Statistics to arrange for academic advising.
During their undergraduate degree, students in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are encouraged to engage in research. The two main opportunities are:
Students who want to get practical experience in industry before graduation are encouraged to participate in one of the following internship programs:
For more information on these opportunities, consult mcgill.ca/science/undergraduate/internships-field.
The Minor may be taken in conjunction with any primary program in the Faculty of Science (other than programs in Mathematics). Students should declare their intention to follow the Minor Mathematics at the beginning of the penultimate year and should obtain approval for the selection of courses to fulfil the requirements for the Minor from the Departmental Chief...
For more information, see Minor Mathematics (24 credits).
(24-27 credits) ...
For more information, see Minor Statistics (27 credits).
The B.Sc.; Liberal Program 鈥� Core Science Component in Mathematics provides a general overview of Mathematics, including a rigorous foundation and exploration of the different branches of Mathematics,
For more information, see Liberal Program - Core Science Component Mathematics (45 credits).
(45 or 48 credits) ...
For more information, see Liberal Program - Core Science Component Statistics (48 credits).
The B.Sc.; Major in Mathematics provides a general overview of Mathematics including a rigorous foundation and the exploration of the different branches of Mathematics.
For more information, see Major Mathematics (54 credits).
The program provides training in statistics, with a solid mathematical core, and basic training in computing. With satisfactory performance in an appropriate selection of courses, this program can lead to the professional accreditation A. Stat from the Statistical Society of Canada, which is regarded as the entry level requirement for a Statistician practicing in...
For more information, see Major Statistics (54 credits).
The B.Sc.; Major in Mathematics and Computer Science emphasizes fundamental skills in mathematics and computer science, while exploring the interaction between the two fields.
For more information, see Major Mathematics and Computer Science (72 credits).
This program provides students with a solid training in both computer science and statistics together with the necessary mathematical background. As statistical endeavours involve ever increasing amounts of data, some students may want training in both disciplines.
For more information, see Major Statistics and Computer Science (72 credits).
The B.Sc.; Honours in Applied Mathematics provides an in-depth training, at the honours level, in 鈥渄iscrete鈥� or 鈥渃ontinuous鈥� applied mathematics. It gives the foundations and necessary tools to explore some areas such as numerical analysis, continuous and discrete optimization, graph theory, discrete probability. The program also provides the background required...
For more information, see Honours Applied Mathematics (63 credits).
The B.Sc.; Honours in Mathematics provides an in-depth training, at the honours level, in mathematics. It gives the foundations and tools needed to explore diverse areas of mathematics such as analysis, number theory, geometry, geometric group theory, and probability. This program may be completed with a minimum of 60 credits or a maximum of 63 credits.
For more information, see Honours Mathematics (63 credits).
The B.Sc.: Honours in Statistics provides training, at the honours level, in statistics, with a solid mathematical core, and basic training in computing. With a suitable selection of complementary courses, the program can focus on probability, mathematical statistics, applied statistics, actuarial science and finance, or data science. With satisfactory performance...
For more information, see Honours Statistics (63 credits).
The program provides a rigorous training in the area of Computer Science and Statistics at the honours level. Exploration of the interactions between the two fields. Students may complete this program with a minimum of 76 credits or a maximum of 79 credits depending on whether or not they are exempt from taking COMP 202.
For more information, see Honours Statistics and Computer Science (79 credits).
The B.Sc.; Honours in Mathematics and Computer Science provides a rigorous training, at the honours level, in mathematics and computer science, while exploring the interaction between the two fields. This program may be completed with a minimum of 72 credits or a maximum of 78 credits.
For more information, see Honours Mathematics and Computer Science (78 credits).
For more information, see Biology (BIOL) > Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Biology and Mathematics (76 credits).
For more information, see Physiology (PHGY) > Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Physiology and Mathematics (79 credits).
For more information, see Physics (PHYS) > Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Mathematics and Physics (81 credits).
