Mathematics, Master of Arts (M.A.)
Thesis option: 30 credits
Non-thesis option (scholarly paper): 30 credits
Please note: Students cannot apply to the M.A. degree. The M.A. can only be awarded on route to the Ph.D. All students interested in earning the M.A. must be doctoral students.
The M.A. degree program offers both a thesis and non-thesis option; most students choose the latter. The non-thesis option requires students to take 30 credit hours with an average of at least a B. At least 18 credits must be at the 600/700 level, including at least 12 hours in mathematics. Also, students must complete two full-year sequences at the 600/700 level, except that a suitable "Selected Topics" course may be substituted for the second part of one of these full-year courses. Additionally, students must pass Departmental written examinations in two different mathematical fields at the Master's level, and write a scholarly paper.
The thesis option requires a total of 24 hours of courses carrying graduate credit of which at least 15 are at the 600/700 level. Of these 15 hours at least 12 must be in mathematics. Of these 12 hours, at least 3 hours must be in each of two fields of mathematics distinct from the one in which the thesis is written, and must be passed with a grade of B or better. The student must also take 6 hours of thesis research, write a satisfactory thesis, and pass a final oral examination.
The M.A. degree includes no foreign language requirement. Generally it takes two to three years to earn the M.A., and approximately 20 degrees are granted each year in mathematics (MATH, STAT, and AMSC combined).
The department also has a 5-year program to earn a combined M.A./B.S. degree. The requirements for this program include the requirements for both the B.S. degree and the M.A. degree, with 9 hours of overlapping credits. Either the thesis or non-thesis option for the M.A. degree is available in this program.
Thesis Option
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Select 24 credits of coursework 1 | 24 | |
| MATH799 | Master's Thesis Research | 6 |
| Pass a final oral examination | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
At least 15 credits at the 600-700 level and at least 12 credits at the 600-700 level in mathematics.
Non-Thesis Option
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Select 30 credits of coursework 1 | 30 | |
| Pass two written exams at the Master's level | ||
| Complete the correspending coursework | ||
| Write a scholarly paper | ||
| Pass a final oral examination | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
At least 18 credits at the 600-700 level and at least 12 credits at the 600-700 level in mathematics