Department of Mathematics & Statistics

Program overview

Major/minor: Mathematics and Statistics

Mathematics is a language and like all languages is learned best through immersion. Cornell's One Course At A Time schedule gives students the opportunity to focus intently without artificial time constraints, allowing learning to occur quickly and deeply. 

The block plan and Cornell's small class sizes benefit math students of all abilities in several ways:

• Exams are not timed.
• Group work is often used in class.
• Extended contact time with professors enables individualized learning -- nobody is left behind or held back.

Research & graduate study

Cornell students undertake meaningful research under the guidance of faculty members during summers and through independent study. They also have the opportunity to participate in VIGRE, a summer REU program sponsored by the University of Iowa mathematics department, as part of Cornell's participation in the Heartland Mathematics Partnership.

Our students frequently attend graduate school, often in conjunction with other disciplines. Recent graduates have pursued advanced degrees in physics, chemistry, statistical genetics, sociology/statistics, and actuarial science, among others.

Tutoring & assistance

Students have the opportunity to give or receive assistance in math and statistics through the library's Quantitative Reasoning Studio.  The studio is directed by a full-time academic consultant who also delivers subject-specific lessons in math and statistics to a wide range of Cornell courses.

Facilities

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is housed in Law Hall, the college's technology center. Our classrooms are equipped with a variety of instructional technology and were designed especially with activities-based statistics in mind.