UChicago Core + Math

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
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<p>I have heard and read that UChicago arguably has one of the top five math departments in the country, and that their Honors Analysis course is superb. But does the hefty core curriculum at UChicago distract undergrad math majors from their math studies? Does it restrict them to less math classes than a math major at a different college could take?</p>

<p>I have looked into the combined core and major requirements from the following websites: Courses</a> & Programs of Study and <a href="http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf_08/MATH.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf_08/MATH.pdf&lt;/a>. I counted 21 quarters of non-math that a math major is required to take (including the physical sciences major requirements). Now say someone takes 4 classes per quarter and 3 quarters a year. Then one takes a total of 48 quarters at UChicago. </p>

<p>I think 27 free classes isn't that bad, but 21 required classes is a lot, hence the big core + major requirements. I am most concerned with the amount of time a math major has to study, as well as the amount of classes a math major can take, in light of the requirements. For instance, a first year at UChicago can't elect to take courses in logic, set theory, game theory, etc. in -- they will be busy with their freshman year math course and the 2-3 other courses that are for the core. The same seems to apply to a second year as well. But a first year at other colleges with a lighter core or no core could overload on math. </p>

<p>Can anyone knowledgeable on this topic elucidate?</p>

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<p>I highly doubt unless a freshman had an exceptional and outstanding background in math that he or she could overload on math in the first semester of college at a different school. </p>

<p>In theory (how it seems to work in my head) is that you have to take two full years of math classes (plus at least a quarter of Algebra, this will vary depending on placement) before you are allowed to take many other classes. I am planning on majoring in math (and highly doubt this will change in the coming months or year(s)) and I am not the least bit worried about not being able to take as much math as I would like or as students at other schools take.</p>

<p>It is worth saying that if you really think you will be limited by the core then Chicago may not be the best school for you because you cannot avoid it. Also while you may not be able to take numerous math classes your first year we do have the Directed Reading Program(DRP) which you can read about here Department</a> of Mathematics.</p>

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<p>Ah, the DRP is cool.</p>

<p>I guess my main question is: the department is arguably top 5 in the country... but does this apply to the undergrad program as well? Do you think the mathematical experience of an undergrad math major is one of the top 5 in the country, or around that?</p>

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<p>I'm a humanities person all the way, but I'll try to address some of your concerns and questions.</p>

<p>First, I applaud you for questioning these "rankings" and what they may mean to you. I think a good program in any field is one which has good professors (virtually any school will have at least some good ones), course offerings that are appropriate for your level and in your areas of interest, and opportunities that are accessible and exciting.</p>

<p>With regards to core, I think it is right for some people and it isn't right for others... it's a matter of how you like to be pushed and what you believe your education should be like. If I had no core requirements, I would be tempted to take English classes all day long, and nothing but. I'm not really sure, though, how much I would benefit from taking 100% English courses... especially when that's what I plan to be doing in grad school... The core shook me up a little bit, made me visit other academic fields (social science, art history) and revisit demons from my past (biology). It also gave me confidence to take academic risks-- once you've braved through Marx, everything else seems easy in comparison. Also, I feel more encouraged to diversify my courseload. This quarter I will taking a sociology class and an art history class, not because I have to, but because I want to, because the course titles interested me, and my experiences with the subjects in core directed me there. </p>

<p>If you're worried about the core curriculum taking away from hardcore math, I personally don't have much experience with balancing the two, but I would imagine that the typical student spends 3-5 hours a week on homework for humanities, civ, or social science core (probably much less on the others) and 30+ hours a week on honors analysis. The math courses that come in between regular calc and honors analysis (IBL honors calc, for example) vary somewhat from student to student and class to class... I would say my friends spend anywhere from 5-15 hours a week on those classes. Balancing math with core is possible, and core will probably be a pinprick in comparison to the work that you'll be doing on math.</p>

<p>Anecdotally... a lot of the students I know who end up choosing the U of C over other superexcellent schools (I'm particularly thinking about the HYPSMC cohort) tend to be math majors. Of course, I don't have the data to back that up, but I imagine that the "nerd culture," the balance of math/science with humanities/social sciences, and the emphasis on theoretical concepts serve as a draws for really top math students.</p>

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<p>Chicago is the real deal in math. No question about it.</p>

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<p>I know when I visited I spoke to a 2nd year who was in Honors Analysis; he mentioned that he chose Uchi over Brown and Yale, among others, because of the strength of the Math dept. He seemed reasonably happy, although I think he wasn't exclusively interested in math, which might not be the case with you.</p>

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<p>I have a number of third and fourth year math major friends that are happy with the major, love the department and are able to take some outside classes for fun. Also important, most people enjoy much of the core. If it sounds awful to you, this may not be the best place for you to do undergrad.</p>

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<p>GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH GO MATH </p>

<p>Yea.</p>