UBC Mathematics
Summer Reading Program
What is the SRP?
The UBC Mathematics Summer Reading Program (SRP) is a four to six-week program intended for first-year and second-year undergraduates.
Students will work in small groups with a graduate student or postdoctoral mentor on a reading project related to a topic not normally covered in the undergraduate courses at UBC.
Each week, participants will work as a team to read articles and solve practice problems proposed by their graduate mentors. At the end of the program, each student will write a short expository report explaining the project on which they worked.
The objective of the SRP is to provide students with opportunities to explore advanced mathematical topics, refine their mathematical interests, and practice skills to set them up for success in upper-year courses as well as research projects in mathematics.
The SRP is endorsed by the UBC Department of Mathematics. Participants completing the program will receive a certificate from the department. Please note that this certification will not appear on transcripts.
Why participate?
You should apply to the SRP if:
You want to learn interesting topics that go beyond the typical undergraduate courses.
You think you will have fun doing math in a small reading group with peers and a graduate mentor.
You want to try writing a substantial expository article on some modern mathematics.
You want a taste of "research-level math" to get a sense of whether this is something you might like to pursue.
Who is eligible to participate?
The SRP is intended for UBC students who have just completed their first year or second year of study. (That is, who will be starting their second year or third year in September 2024.)
Please note that we will prioritise applications from students without prior research experience.
We especially encourage applications from students from groups underrepresented in mathematics.
If you are not sure whether you are eligible to participate, please reach out to the organisers.
How do I apply?
Applications for the 2024 SRP are now closed. If you have already started your application, you will be able to submit it until 1 AM on March 18th.
On the application form, you will be prompted to:
Indicate which of this year's projects you are interested in applying for, and rank these in order of interest.
Upload a PDF copy of your unofficial transcript.
Submit a short statement telling us a little about what drew you to the SRP and what you hope to get out of this experience.
There is no minimum grade average required to apply. We are asking for transcripts to confirm which courses you have taken and make sure we match you to a project for which you the adequate prerequisites.
The only surefire way to know that someone would be a good SRP candidate is to offer them a project and let them demonstrate what they can can do. Unfortunately, we have a limited number of projects, so we will not be able to accept every applicant. We will use the statements you submit to help us select applicants who we think would benefit most from the program. What you write is only part of what informs our decision. Another part depends on the individual mentors and who they think they are best suited to work with. We would like to stress that our final decision is not an evaluation of your mathematical research potential---frankly, being graduate students and postdocs, none of our mentors are sufficiently experienced to offer such an evaluation. We hope to offer a larger selection of projects next year.
We will contact selected applicants in early April.
Questions?
For questions about SRP logistics, contact
Yuveshen Mooroogen (yuveshenm at math dot ubc dot ca).
For questions about the offered projects, contact the appropriate mentors.
Please note that while the SRP is endorsed by the UBC mathematics department, the UBC mathematics faculty and staff are not involved with organising the program or with selecting participants. In particular, the UBC mathematics faculty and staff are not responsible for answering emails about this program.