Mathematics and its Applications

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses, including Grade 12 U courses in: English, Advanced Functions (MHF4U), one of Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U) or Mathematics of Data Management (MDM4U), and one of Biology (SBI4U) or Chemistry (SCH4U) or Physics (SPH4U).

Notes:

1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English.
2. The grade(s) required in the subject prerequisites (normally in the range of 70 percent) will be determined subject to competition.
3. Completion of Grade 12 U Physics (SPH4U) is strongly recommended.
4. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

For those students with a particular interest in the interrelationship between mathematics and computer science, we offer an Option in Computer Science which provides the opportunity to take many more courses in that subject. For those who wish to explore the relationship between mathematics and economics we offer an Option in Economics.

Students not taking either of the above Options will be enrolled in the Regular program. Under the new curriculum that came into effect in the Fall 2013 term, students have the chance to take up to 10 courses from an Open Elective Table. These electives can be chosen so as to obtain a Minor in areas such as Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Finance or Physics, and even in areas such as French, Politics, Law, and News Studies just to name a few, although there is no Minor requirement. In addition to Open Electives, students must take six upper level mathematics electives in addition to their Math core courses.

Students in science programs must enrol in SCI 180 in their first semester of studies.

Faculty members of the Department of Mathematics have expertise in applied and pure mathematics. The topics include: Computer Security, Financial Mathematics, Applied Statistics, Biomathematics, Software Testing, Graph Theory, Fluid Mechanics, Differential Equations and Operator Theory. Students will have the opportunity to work on a supervised thesis project that draws on faculty research in combination with their research interests. After graduation, students can go on to graduate studies in mathematics, as well as to work in industry.

All students enrolled in Mathematics and its Applications have the option to enrol in the Optional Specialization in Management Sciences.

An optional co-operative program is available for students who wish to obtain work experience and receive a salary from an employer while studying at Ryerson. The program leads to a BSc degree. In this option school terms alternate with four or five paid work terms starting from the second year (see the table below). This schedule is the same as that used by the rest of the science programs at Ryerson and is designed to ensure that students attend winter and fall semesters in the correct order.

Although neither the Department nor the Office of Co-operative Education (opens in new window)  can guarantee a placement, they provide major assistance in locating suitable positions and counseling of students in their search for suitable jobs. This co-operative program enables students to earn competitive wages to offset the costs of a university education.

Students who have completed the first year of the program must apply through the Mathematics Department for admission to the co-op program before the beginning of the second year. Enrolment in the co-op program is limited and the department retains the right to deny access to the co-op program based on the number of available placements and student's grade point average. Once in the co-op program, the terms alternate between four months of study and four months of on the job experience. The co-op program usually takes an additional year to complete. The graduation requirements for the co-op program are the same as those for the BSc in Mathematics.

The sequencing of academic and work terms is shown below:

Students must successfully complete a minimum of four work terms in order to graduate from the co-op program.

The co-op program requires five years to complete the degree in Mathematics and its Applications. The regular program can be completed in four years.

All co-op placements must be approved by the Office of Co-operative Education (opens in new window)  and the Dean's designate responsible for administering science programs.

Students can enrich their studies and hone their management skills with the Optional Specialization in Management Sciences. Courses within the optional specialization cover four major areas in management sciences: Strategic Engineering Management, Operations Management/Operations Research, Finance and Organizational Behaviour. For eligibility, registration, and course information see Optional Specialization in Management Sciences (OS MS).

Research Practicum

SCI 999 - Research Practicum gives students the chance to gain hands-on research experience, in a lab or in the field, by engaging in the research work of a faculty member. Ryerson records participation in the practicum on the student’s Official Transcript.

SCI 999 is a non-credit, pass-fail course that is not used to fulfil degree program requirements. Students who meet the expectations for the research will get a passing grade. These expectations will be worked out between the student and the professor at enrolment. To take part in SCI 999, students must have a CGPA of 2.5 or more, and they must commit to a minimum of 5 to 10 hours each week (on average) for one term.

There are no tuition fees associated with this practicum.

How to Enrol

1. Students must first find a supervisor. Descriptions of faculty research are available on the Faculty of Science website (opens in new window) .
2. Students should contact supervisors whose research interests them by email or in person. Students must give their potential supervisor an unofficial transcript (opens in new window) , a one-page resumé and a brief covering letter. This package must include their contact information, degree program and stream, a brief statement of their career goals and how this research experience would further those goals, and any relevant work experience (paid or volunteer).
3. Fill out the Research Practicum Application Form (available at the office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in VIC-741). When students find a faculty member who agrees to supervise them, they will both fill out and sign the Application Form.
4. Enrol in the course. After the course director has approved the form, students must take it to the office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs (opens in new window)  at VIC-741.

Graduates with a Bachelor degree in Mathematics, whether it is a single subject or in combinations with some other discipline, will have a wide range of prospective careers, ranging from finance to computer security to medical research to name a few. Mathematics graduates work for industry, business and governments, where they are involved in a wide variety of tasks such as biological and environmental studies (for ministries of the environment), market research (for finance institutions), software development (for the security and coding of data), statistical analysis (polling agencies, financial institutions, Statistics Canada), market analysis (for financial institutions) and others. It is universally recognized that training in mathematics develops strong problem-solving skills and the ability to reason analytically. Aptitude in problem solving and analytical reasoning is important and highly valued in all areas of industry. Graduates of the program will thus satisfy a current and growing demand for mathematically trained individuals who are able to move into business and industry. There is a consistent demand for students who are able to combine mathematics with another discipline. Students who are able to combine knowledge from mathematics with another area of expertise have a greater chance of employment in a variety of jobs. Science students with a mathematical background also have more flexibility and are better prepared when pursuing graduate studies in science. We note that graduates taking the Computer Science Option would be particularly well suited for careers as Systems Analysts and Computer Programmers. Those pursuing the Economics option would be well suited to work as Auditors, Accountants, Investment Professionals, Finance and Insurance Clerks. All graduates of the program would be eligible for the most common occupation: Mathematicians, Systems Analysts and Computer Programmers.

We would like to direct students to Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). Specifically, Job Futures (www.jobfutures.ca), a Government of Canada web-site that provides overviews of the labour market and general economic trends, detailed information on all occupational groups and post-secondary fields of study, current and future labour market conditions and prospects for finding work in the Canadian workforce. The site has an entry for those studying undergraduate mathematics, and this category includes applied mathematics, actuarial mathematics, and statistics. Graduates usually find work as mathematicians, statisticians, systems analysts, accountants, financial auditors in finance and insurance.

Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Ryerson (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see  (PDF file) Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

Dr. Joe Campolieti
Associate Professor
Department of Mathematics
Wilfrid Laurier University

Dr. Tom Salisbury
Professor
Department of Mathematics
York University

Dr. Dave Saunders
Associate Professor
Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science
University of Waterloo

Dr. Luis Seco
Professor
Department of Mathematics
University of Toronto

Adam Thibideau
Senior Analyst
Global Tactical Asset Allocation
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

Dr. Rudi Zagst
Professor
Chair of Financial Mathematics
Munich University of Technology (Germany)

REQUIRED:

OPEN ELECTIVES: Three courses from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: Three courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two courses from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: Three courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Four courses from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

OPEN ELECTIVES: Three courses from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

Revised curriculum begins 2017-2018 for co-op students admitted Fall 2013 and after.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: Three courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Four courses from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

The following table shows the sequence of academic and work terms for this program:

REQUIRED:

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table I.

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table II.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table I.

PROFESSIONAL: Four courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: One course from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table I.

PROFESSIONAL: Four courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: One course from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

The following table shows the sequence of academic and work terms for this program:

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: One course from Table I.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: One course from Table I.

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table III.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table I.

PROFESSIONAL: Four courses from Table III.

OPEN ELECTIVES: One course from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: One course from Table I.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

Revised curriculum begins 2017-2018 for co-op students admitted Fall 2013 and after.

REQUIRED:

PROFESSIONAL: Two courses from Table I.

PROFESSIONAL: Four courses from Table III.

OPEN ELECTIVES: One course from Open Elective Table.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

The following table shows the sequence of academic and work terms for this program: