Outdated / No Longer Maintained

The Merit Track in Mathematics consists of a serious and challenging set of mathematics courses. It is ideally suitable for incoming freshmen who intend to major in one of the mathematics majors and have scored a 5 on the BC portion of the AP Calculus test (or have equivalent college course credit).

In this program, students have the opportunity to complete both a Bachelors (BS) and Masters (MA) in four years. The granting of the Masters Degree is contingent upon the completion of graduate level coursework and passing of the Basic Qualifying Exam.

It is recommended that students who attempt this program follow a timeline as such:

First year at UCLA: Complete Math 97 and Math 32AH in fall, Math 33AH and Math 32BH in winter, and Math 115AH in spring.

Second year at UCLA: Complete Math 131AH (Honors Analysis) in fall, Math 115B (Linear Algebra) and Math 131BH (Honors Analysis) in winter. Completion of these courses will provide a strong foundation for the Basic Qualifying Exam, which is a crucial component of completing the Scholars program. Students are encouraged to apply to the Departmental Scholar program upon completion of 115B and 131BH. Students are also strongly encouraged to take the Putnam Exam in the winter – there is a special course dedicated to helping students score well on this test (Math 100).

Third Year at UCLA: Pass the Basic Qualifying Exam. Complete other major courses, these particular courses will depend on whether the student is pure or applied. Students can also begin their graduate courses as well.

Fourth year at UCLA: Complete remaining graduate level courses for the Masters Degree.

Successful completion of this course plan, graduate level courses (minimum 8/maximum 11 for the Masters) and the Basic Qualifying Exam will result in the granting of the BS/MA concurrently.

If you have further questions, please contact the Undergraduate Mathematics Student Services Office ugrad@math.ucla.edu.