Advising
Students who plan to declare Mathematics as their first major must do so through the University Advising Center, with the first-year advisor to whom you were assigned when you arrived at SMU. Students who wish to declare Mathematics as a second (or third!) major must do so through the Dedman Records Office (dcrecords@smu.edu). After declaring your major, you will be assigned to an advisor within the department. Starting in October 2020, the department assigns students to advisors based on intended graduation date:
| Intended Graduation Term | Advisor Name | Advisor Email | Advisor Booking |
| Fall 2024-Spring 2025 | Dr. Vladimir Ajaev | ajaev@smu.edu | |
| Fall 2025-Spring 2026 | Dr. Sheng Xu | sxu@smu.edu | (book now) |
| Fall 2026-Spring 2027 |
Dr. Benno Rumpf |
brumpf@smu.edu | |
| Fall 2027-Spring 2028 | TBA |
Note: Dr. Benno Rumpf also serves as the math minor advisor during Fall 2024-Spring 2025.
You should receive a welcome e-mail from the department within a few weeks of declaring your major, at which point you will be connected with someone from the list above. However, you are welcome and encouraged to reach out before then to introduce yourself! As you progress through the major, you will receive regular e-mail communication on your progress, and invitations to make advising appointments at least once per semester to discuss your course selections. You are also welcome to make additional appointments at any time using the booking links above.
Please familiarize yourself with the department's official catalog entry, from the year you arrived on campus:
- for students who arrived F24-S25
- for students who arrived F23-S24
- for students who arrived F22-S23
- for students who arrived F21-S22
- for students who arrived F20-S21
- for students who arrived F19-S20
- for students who arrived F18-S19
- for students who arrived F17-S18
The department also provides some useful documents that might help answer any questions you may have:
- A welcome guide for new and prospective majors ( PDF)
- A list of frequently-asked questions regarding the major ( PDF)
- A tour of some careers that use applied mathematics ( PDF)
Finally, we are happy to provide easy access to some of the most common forms students might use
- Major declaration form ( PDF)
- Re-evaluation of transfer credit ( PDF)
- Pre-approval for courses taken elsewhere ( PDF)
- Change of Degree Requirements ("force match") ( PDF)
and the links to Dedman Records and Dedman Degree Counselors for quick accesses.