Requirements below were active through the 2023-2024 school year.

Graduation with Distinction in Mathematics is an academic honor bestowed on certain graduating majors in mathematics each year. To be eligible for this honor, students must take three courses with a 300-level prerequisite, one of which must be MA410: Complex Analysis, by the end of block eight of the senior year (block four for those graduating in winter). Note that in fulfilling the requirements of the major, students must already take one course with a 300-level prerequisite; this course counts towards the 3-course requirement. In addition, to qualify for distinction, a student must meet the Capstone requirement for the math major by completing a Senior Thesis. All students who meet these requirements by the end of Block eight will be considered for Distinction in Mathematics. We recommend that spring graduates complete their distinction requirements by Block seven. Students completing distinction requirements in Block eight of the senior year will be fully considered, but awards may be contingent on successful and timely completion of Block eight coursework.

In late spring, the members of the Mathematics & Computer Science Department meet to discuss the students who qualify for this honor. Students are evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Work in the major: candidates for distinction should have an excellent record in departmental courses, especially in upper-level courses, and especially in the senior year.
2. The Senior Thesis should reflect both depth of understanding, as well as some grasp of its larger context. The project should show the student's ability to work independently. The paper and seminar or poster presentation will be judged both on content and on how well it reflects the larger project. For further information about the Senior Thesis option, see information on the Senior Thesis in Math.

After a full discussion of the qualified candidates, the departmental faculty makes the final decision on granting Distinction by a yes/no vote.