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2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mathematical Sciences - Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, and Statistics Concentrations, (Accelerated BS/MS)

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MS Degree Program

Program objectives are (1) development of thorough background in mathematical sciences, including retention and integration of core knowledge; (2) development of research skills in mathematics; and (3) development of interdisciplinary opportunities and good oral and written communication skills.

General Program Prerequisites

  1. An undergraduate degree with a major in mathematics or statistics is required. The minimum GPA is 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students whose major was not in mathematics or statistics will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  2. GRE General Test scores are required and are an important factor for admission. This requirement may be waived for applicants to the Teaching of Mathematics concentration who have a graduate degree (master’s degree or higher) already or who have obtained the Graduate Certificate in the Teaching of Mathematics, who have a graduate GPA of 3.0 or above, and who have work experience in an education related field for 3 or more years.
  3. Two letters of recommendation are required.
  4. TOEFL scores are required for students whose native language is not English.

General Program Requirements

  1. Satisfactory completion of 33 credit hours of graduate course work in a program approved by the department is required. At least 24 credit hours of course work have to be at the 7000 level or higher. At least 21 credit hours of course work have to be earned from courses offered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences.
  2. Not more than three credit hours from graduate level seminars can be used to satisfy degree requirements.
  3. Courses designed for the “Teaching of Mathematics” concentration can only be used to satisfy degree requirements in this concentration.
  4. A passing grade on a comprehensive examination is required. Students may choose a thesis or non-thesis option.

Non-thesis Option

Each student must pass a final written four-hour comprehensive examination which may be broken into several parts at the department’s discretion. The written comprehensive examination covers topics from four courses, each consisting of at least three credit hours of course work.

Thesis Option

Each student must identify a thesis advisor, enroll in at least three credit hours of MATH 7996  and submit a written thesis acceptable to the student’s advisory committee. A student must present and defend the thesis before the advisory committee. The oral defense of the thesis will encompass material contained in the thesis and learned during course work and will count as the comprehensive examination. Up to six credit hours of MATH 7996  can be used to satisfy degree requirements.

Note:

Students should familiarize themselves with the Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide before starting to write.

Specific Degree Requirements

Applied Mathematics Concentration

The following courses are required:

At least three of the following elective courses are required:

The program must include at least 12 credit hours in the following broadly defined core categories:

Calculus of Variations and Optimization, Control Theory, Differential Equations, Financial Mathematics, Mathematical Physics, Modeling, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computation. At least 6 of these 12 credit hours must be taken in the same core category. MATH 7996  does not count towards the required credit hours in the core categories.

The written comprehensive examination for students choosing the non-thesis option includes as topics:

  • six credit hours of course work in one of the core categories (see item c. above)
  • plus an additional course approved by the department

Mathematics Concentration

The following courses are required:

At least four of the following elective courses are required:

The written comprehensive examination for students choosing the non-thesis option includes as topics:

Statistics Concentration

The following courses are required:

The following elective courses are required:

Credit for

Credit for both MATH 6637  and MATH 7643  is not permitted.

The written comprehensive examination for students choosing the non-thesis option includes as topics:

Students choosing the thesis option

Students choosing the thesis option may replace either of the two electives (see b.) by three credit hours of MATH 7996 .

Accelerated BS/MS Degree Program

This program allows outstanding undergraduates to complete both a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Sciences and a Master of Science degree in Mathematical Sciences with concentration in Applied Mathematics, Mathematics or Statistics. Students admitted into the program will follow a carefully designed program of study which allows them to begin course work for the Master of Science program during their senior year. Interested students are encouraged to consult with their undergraduate advisor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and to begin planning to enter the accelerated BS/MS degree program early in their undergraduate career. Through careful coordination with their undergraduate and graduate advisors students will be able to graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree within a five year period.

To apply, students must have finished 18 credit hours of course work in mathematics by the end of the semester of their application. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.0 scale) as well as a GPA of 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale) in their mathematics courses. The initial application for the accelerated BS/MS degree program consists of the following two parts:

  1. A letter of intent including two letters of reference and a copy of the applicant’s transcript to be submitted to the Department of Mathematical Sciences
  2. Application with the Graduate School for “combination senior” status

To continue in the program beyond the bachelor’s degree, students must also apply for full admission into the Graduate School and be accepted into the master’s program by the Department of Mathematical Sciences. During their fifth and last year in the program, students must be graduate students working towards their MS degree.

Up to 9 hours of graduate course work may be applied to both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Details on courses that can be applied will be available in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. However, any graduate course work will not be used to calculate the undergraduate GPA.

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