M.A.
The M.A. degree requires a thesis and 30 approved semester hours of graduate mathematics course work, including the three-credit thesis course, MATH 799. All courses in the student's program must be numbered 700 and above (excluding 7xx-I courses) and must include a one-year sequence in real and complex analysis (MATH 703-704) and one of the one-year sequences in abstract algebra (MATH 701-702) or in the foundations of computational mathematics (MATH 708-709). These courses form the core of the student's program and provide the topics upon which the Masters Comprehensive Examination (Admission to Candidacy) is based; a "master's pass" or "pass" is required.
The thesis for this degree is generally a short monograph (to be bound and delivered to the department), the content of which is drawn from several current research papers, possibly including the student's original contributions, which could lead to topics of suitable depth for a Ph.D. dissertation. The thesis is subject to the approval of the thesis committee, consisting of the major professor and a second reader. The student is invited to present the thesis to the department in a seminar format.
M.S.
The M.S. degree requires a thesis and 30 approved semester hours of graduate course work, including satisfactory completion of the three-credit thesis course MATH 799, MATH 703, and at least one of MATH 701, 708, and 709. The courses in the student's program should be numbered 700 and higher. However, in special circumstances some 500-level courses, or 7xx-I courses, may be approved for a student's program if the courses supplement 700-level course work. In general, a student's M.S. program should be fairly broad in scope and should include courses of both a pure and applied nature. The M.S. is designed primarily for students who seek broad and intensive preparation for teaching in a junior college or working in industry.
The thesis for this degree is generally a short monograph (to be bound and delivered to the department), the content of which is drawn from several research papers in an area of interest to the student. The thesis is subject to the approval of the thesis committee, consisting of the major professor and a second reader.
Upon conclusion of the program, each M.S. degree candidate either undergoes an oral examination administered by the thesis committee (the "defense", which includes an oral presentation of the thesis and also serves as the Masters Comprehensive Exam), or obtains a pass on the Masters Comprehensive Examination (a "master's pass" on the Admission to Candidacy Examination). Students who follow the second path are invited to present the thesis in a seminar format.