General

All pertinent regulations set forth in the Graduate Studies Bulletin and the Bulletin of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics must be observed. The student must consult the departmental Director of Graduate Studies prior to beginning his/her graduate program so that proper records may be established within the department. It is the student's responsibility to be informed about current degree requirements. It is the joint responsibility of the student and the student's advisor to maintain communications and to track the student's progress toward meeting those requirements. The departmental Director of Graduate Studies will serve as interim advisor for the purposes of initiating a course of study until an advisor is selected.

Prerequisites

The prerequisite for admission to the Master’s Degree Program is the equivalent of an undergraduate major in mathematics as defined at this University. Students not meeting this requirement may, at the discretion of the Chairman of the Department, be admitted to the program conditionally until the deficiency is removed. Courses taken to remove deficiencies may not be counted as part of the Master’s Degree Program. For students uncertain of their preparation, the following courses (some of which may count for elective credit) are strongly recommended: MATH 6312-6313 (for any Analysis courses); MATH 4333 (for Algebra); MATH 4337 (for Topology); MATH 6308-6309 (for all advanced subjects).

MSM Core Courses

At least 15 hours from the following Master’s Degree Core Courses are to be completed, with a one-year sequence in two of the following three areas.

• Area I
  Functions of a Real Variable (MATH 6320;6321)
  Complex Analysis (MATH 6322;6323)
  Functional Analysis (MATH 7320;7321)
• Area II
  Modern Algebra (MATH 6302;6303)
  Topology/Geometry (MATH 6342;7350)
• Area III
  Differential Equations (MATH 6324;6325)
  Partial Differential Equations (MATH 6326;6327)
  Numerical Analysis (MATH 6370;6371)
  Probability Models and Mathematical Statistics (MATH 6382;6383)
  Applicable Analysis(MATH 6360; 6361)

Options

There are two options available for obtaining an MS. in Mathematics:

• Plan I - Thesis
  A minimum of 30 semester hours is required. These hours include 6 semester hours of Master’s Thesis credit and a minimum of 24 semester hours in course work. These 24 semester hours must consist of 18 semester hours of courses in mathematics at the 6000 level or above, except for 6308, 6309, 6312, or 6313; and 6 semester hours of courses in mathematics at the 4000 level or above. No more than 3 of the 24 hours may be in special problems. The Master’s Thesis is to be accomplished by agreement between student and the student's advisor. After all course work and the thesis are completed and all other degree requirements are satisfied, an oral and/or written examination over the candidate's background will be conducted by the thesis committee. Questions for this examination may be drawn from the student's courses and thesis. Once the thesis has been accepted by the committee, a final corrected version must be submitted to the College by the student.
• Plan II - Tutorial
  A minimum of 36 semester hours is required. These hours must include 6 semester hours in Master’s Tutorial credit and a minimum of 30 semester hours in other course work. Of these 30 hours at least 21 must be in regularly scheduled mathematics courses at the 6000 level or above, other than 6308, 6309, 6312, or 6313. Not more than 6 of the 30 may be in special problems. With departmental approval, up to 9 hours of the 30 may be at the 4000 level in mathematics. With departmental approval, 6 semester hours may be taken in a minor in a related field (in courses at the 4000 level or above). The Master’s Tutorial is to be accomplished by agreement between the student and the student's advisor. If the tutorial consists of a project, it should be as demanding as a thesis; however, a formal defense and submission to the College are not required. The tutorial requirement may be satisfied by participating in regularly scheduled classes, if this is the decision of the student and advisor. The advisor is required to place on file in the department office a statement which summarizes the contribution of the student in the Master’s Tutorial.