Master of Arts in Mathematics
Degree Requirements for the Master of Arts in Mathematics
Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Mathematics include:
- a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework, as described below, and
- a culminating experience, which may be a thesis, a research project, or a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is a three-hour examination on the courses in the program completed by the student as follows:
- For students electing the Theoretical option: (a) one hour on each of two one-year, six-credit MAT courses; (b) a third hour on any other one-year, six-credit MAT course, or two half-hours, each on one semester courses in the student's program.
In both cases, students may, within the specifications in items a and b above, choose the courses on which they will be examined.
The written examination is given twice a year; the first Saturday in December and the first Saturday in May. It is the responsibility of students choosing to take the examination to notify their advisor by November 1st for the December examination and by April 1st for the May examination. Successful fulfillment of the examination requirement necessitates a passing mark on each section of the examination. In the event the student fails to pass one section of the examination, the student may:
- Repeat that particular section of the examination on the next examination date; or,
- Choose another option with the approval of the Department Graduate Committee which deals with all special cases.
(Credit is not awarded for the comprehensive examination.)
To be eligible to take the comprehensive, all course-work must be completed prior to the semester in which the comprehensive is taken. The total average must be "B" or better.
The Master of Arts in Mathematics degree programs, including both the thesis and the comprehensive approach, must be planned and agreed upon by the student and the advisor.
