Both senior thesis and senior seminar satisfy the Bates W3 writing requirement and highlight mathematical research, writing, presentation, and group collaboration. Senior thesis is a good choice for students wanting to improve all these, with special emphasis on mathematical research on a topic chosen by the student. Senior theses also involve significant amounts of writing, presentations, and check-ins with other math thesis writers.

To ensure that each senior thesis writer has an enriching experience, the math department limits how many theses each faculty member advises, typically to no more than two theses per semester per advisor. To help the department determine senior thesis advisors, each junior math major who would like to write a senior thesis completes a request form by NOON on the last day of Winter Semester classes of the junior year, that is, by 12:00pm (noon) on Friday, April 11, 2025. Some details:

• The request form seeks background information on the student, the student’s preferences regarding senior thesis, the student’s reasoning behind their preferences, and a description of the proposed senior thesis project. The project description should include enough information to show that the student has given their topic serious thought and that the project is feasible, given the student’s background and given the amount of time the student has to do the research.
• The request form also asks students if they are considering senior seminar as an option.
• The math department strongly advises juniors to discuss senior thesis topics and ideas with faculty members before writing their description of a proposed thesis topic. The request form asks whether you have had such discussions.
• Students should plan to work at least 12 hours per week on thesis, and at least 15 hours per week if pursuing an Honors thesis.
• The math department meets to consider all senior thesis and senior seminar proposals. The department chair typically notifies students of the results of the meeting during Short Term.
• The mathematics department keeps copies of past senior theses in our lounge in Hathorn 209. We encourage prospective senior thesis writers to look through these past theses as part of deciding whether to write a thesis: past theses provide topic ideas, writing structures, and a sense of the scope of a senior thesis.
• Here is information on mathematics faculty, their availability for the 2025-2026 academic year for thesis advising, and their areas of research and thesis advising:
  
  Professor Meredith Greer, available Fall 2025 and Winter 2026
  Expertise in applying mathematics, using differential equations or agent-based models, especially to concepts based in epidemiology or ecology. Many ideas from MATH 255A or MATH 219 can lead to thesis topics, and/or we can discuss other ideas you may have for connecting mathematics to a variety of applications.
  
  Professor Logan Hambric, available Fall 2025 and Winter 2026
  Specialize in algebra, algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, and discrete topics. I am happy to talk about thesis topics stemming from MATH 303, MATH 306, MATH 309, and MATH 312.
  
  Professor Katy Ott, available Fall 2025 and Winter 2026
  Expertise in analysis (real and complex), partial differential equations, signal processing, Fourier analysis. I would be happy to discuss thesis topics stemming from classes including MATH 301, MATH 308, MATH 233, MATH 205, and MATH s45T.
  
  Professor Fatou Sanogo, available Fall 2025
  Areas of research are: computational Mathematics, Image and Video Processing, Machine Learning, Mathematical Data Science, Multilinear and Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis. I am open to discuss thesis topics stemming from classes including MATH S45T, MATH 205, MATH 306, MATH 355H, MATH 355A, MATH 233.
  
  Professor Laura Storch, available Winter 2026
  Areas of research are: Theoretical ecology, spatial ecology, spatial pattern formation, mathematical modeling, chaotic dynamical systems, and topological data analysis. I could discuss thesis topics stemming from classes such as MATH 219, MATH 255, and MATH 355.
  
  Professor Peter Wong, available Fall 2025 and Winter 2026
  Expertise in topology, geometry, and algebra, especially algebraic topology and geometric group theory. I would be happy to discuss thesis topics stemming from classes including MATH 309, MATH 312, and MATH s45R.
  

Types of thesis

• One-semester thesis: A one-semester thesis may be either in the fall (MATH 457) or winter (MATH 458). One-semester theses are due by the Friday of the final examination period of the semester in which the student is writing their thesis.
• Two-semester thesis: Two-semester theses (MATH 457 and MATH 458) not in the Honors Program are due by the last day of classes of the winter semester.
• Honors thesis: Honors theses (MATH 457 and MATH 458) are always two-semester theses and follow the procedures and deadlines of the Honors Program. While all capstone experiences expect students to demonstrate mathematical reading skills and ability to communicate mathematics, a thesis earning Honors in Mathematics is distinguished by an exceptional level of achievement in these areas. Students preferring to write an Honors thesis state this preference at the time of their senior thesis proposal. The Department then decides which students to nominate for the Honors Program, based on the thesis work presented at the end of the first semester.
• Double thesis with another major: A double thesis is a single year-long project that satisfies the thesis requirements of both mathematics and another department, and as such, requires a significant amount of mathematics. A student writing a double thesis signs up for their math thesis in one semester (either MATH 457 or MATH 458) and the other department thesis in the other semester. The math department requires the student to present a talk or poster in the “math semester.” A student who applies thesis course credit to another major may not apply that same credit to the Mathematics Major. The Department will not approve a proposal for a one-semester double thesis.

Completing the thesis

• Students turn in their thesis to their advisor, in a format determined by the advisor, and students give the department chair a final printed copy of the thesis to be placed on permanent display in the mathematics lounge.
• Students completing a thesis give some form of presentation at the end of each semester of working on thesis. Typically:
  • one-semester thesis students present a poster or a talk;
  • two-semester non-honors thesis students present a talk in Fall Semester and a poster or a talk in Winter Semester;
  • Honors thesis students present a talk in Fall Semester and give their Honors defense during a College-designated Honors defense time period;
  • when there is a choice of a poster or a talk, this decision is to be made with the thesis advisor.