Undergraduate Honors Research Program
The primary mission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Undergraduate Research Honors Program ("UHRP") is to recognize and foster student academic excellence at East Tennessee State University by:
- Nurturing the intellectual growth of students through challenging curricula;
- Instilling the desire to advance knowledge;
- Promoting continued study in graduate school;
- Offering mathematics and statistics faculty the opportunity for innovative and unique teaching and research experiences.
Course Requirements
| Class | Credit Hours |
| Any level enriched course | 3 |
| Mathematical Reasoning (MATH 3000-088) | 3 |
| Junior/Senior Level Enriched Course | 3 |
| Junior/Senior Level Enriched Course | 3 |
| Honors Thesis (MATH/STAT 4018) | 6 |
| Total | 18 |
Program benefits include:
- One-on-one special instruction concerning the honors enriched component of each class.
- Opportunities to go beyond the usual classroom material for a deeper or more diverse exploration.
- Participation in the Semi-Annual Mathematics and Statistics Undergraduate Research Honors Program seminar ("SAMS-URHP") as either a presenter or an audience member.
- Learning research techniques and the production of original research.
- URHP participation is recognized on the student transcript.
- The opportunity for scholarship support through the Honors College.
Robert "Dr. Bob" Gardner
ProfessorMathematics & Statistics
- gardnerr@etsu.edu
- 423-439-6979
- 308-F Gilbreath
Honors Enriched Courses
Honors enriched sections of classes carry the section number 088. Honors enriched classes are taught along with the corresponding regular class, but the instructor and URHP student meet outside of class to process the honors component. In order to get a mathematics or statistics class approved as honors enriched, a list of proposed enrichment experiences must be submitted in writing to the Mathematics and Statistics URHP Coordinator by the end of the first week of class. The honors enrichment proposal must include a cover sheet which is available online. When approved, the student drops the regular class, an honors enriched section (numbered 088) is created, and the student adds the honors section (which requires a permit that the departmental executive aid will create when the 088 section is created). The section must be created by the day of "Late Registration/Add with Departmental Permit only" (which is sometime during the second week of classes; it varies from term to term). Therefore you must act fast in preparing your proposal! Every honors-enhanced section will include a written report and an oral presentation. The presentation should be given at the Semi-Annual Mathematics and Statistics Undergraduate Research Honors Program Seminar ("SAMS-URHP Seminar") which is traditionally held on the Friday of the last week of classes (i.e., on "Study Day"). Details are online of recent SAMS-URHP Seminars.
Academic Program of Study
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics requires 18 hours of honors enriched
classes for completion of its URHP. Of these 18 hours, 6 hours must be Honors Thesis
(MATH 4018, the "capstone course"), normally taken during a student's last two semesters.
Each student must take Mathematical Reasoning (MATH 3000-088), which acts as the "research
methods" course in the department. The remaining 9 hours may be taken as honors enriched
sections of departmental classes, at least 6 hours of which are beyond the sophomore
level. These can include Independent Study (MATH/STAT 4900-088) classes.
Students entering the program during their freshman or sophomore year are required
to complete at least one honors enriched class (at least 3 semester hours) by the
end of their sophomore year.
Honors Thesis
The capstone course for UHRP is Honors Thesis (Math/Stat 4018). For mathematics and statistics majors, it replaces the Undergraduate Research (MATH/STAT 4010). A faculty member fdirects the honors thesis, and two faculty members (one from the Mathematics and Statistics Department and one from outside the department) are appointed as an advisory committee who act as readers of the thesis and attend the final oral presentation. To graduate withe UHRP designation, a grade B or higher is required in the Honors Thesis classes. More inforation is on the Honors College Thesis Process webpage.
GPA Requirements
Retention in the Mathematics and Statistics URHP include:
- enrollment in a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester (15 hours if student is awarded
an URHP scholarship),
a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 for the first 30 hours of study, - 3.00 for 31-45 hours completed,
- 3.15 for 46 to 60 hours,
- 3.25 after 60 hours.
Honors students who fail to meet these GPA requirements may request one semester of probationary status. If the student meets the retention requirements after one semester of probation, they may remain in the Mathematics and Statistics URHP Honors Program.
