Master of Arts in Mathematics
"My best experience at °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û was to have faculty members who truly care about teaching. Unlike big research universities where the primary objective for most professors is to do research, math professors at °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û care about teaching and spend time making sure that each student is getting satisfactory understanding of course materials. I met so many wonderful professors at Murray State University, and it was the best place to pursue a master’s program."
The Master of Science and Master of Arts degrees are designed to provide students with the opportunity to study graduate level mathematics so that they may
- obtain preferred employment in mathematics with government or industry
- teach at the junior college level or be better prepared to teach at the secondary school level, or
- continue working toward a doctor of philosophy degree.
The Master of Arts program is a broadly based program which includes a study of algebra, analysis, topology, and the foundations of mathematics.
Degree Requirements:
All coursework must be approved by the department graduate committee. The student must complete two two-course sequences. If the student has not completed two semesters of advanced calculus then one of the sequences must be MAT 625-626. At most one of these sequences may be a completion of a sequence that was started as an undergraduate.
Thesis Requirements
Total Degree Requirements: 30 hours
- MAT 725 Integration Theory (3 hrs)
- MAT or STA courses, 600 or 700-level (21 hrs)
- MAT 798-799 Research and Thesis (6 hrs)
Other Degree Requirements
- Oral defense and examination of thesis
Non-Thesis Requirements
Total Degree Requirements: 30 hours
- MAT 725 Integration Theory (3 hrs)
- six hours chosen from
- MAT 716 Selected Topics in Topology
- MAT 721 Algebra
- MAT 722 Selected Topics in Algebra
- MAT 723 Selected Topics in Complex Analysis
- MAT 726 Real Function Theory
- MAT or STA courses, 600 or 700-level (21 hrs)
Other Degree Requirements
- Program of study must include
- MAT 614 Modern Algebra II or MAT 721 Algebra
- MAT 616 Introduction to Topology or MAT 716 Selected Topics in Topology
- Comprehensive examinations over coursework
Requirements for Admission:
Applicants must meet the °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û requirements (see Graduate Admissions). Additional requirements for unconditional and conditional admission to M.S. or M.A. programs are as follows:
Unconditional
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college with a major (or equivalent) in mathematics or a related field
- Overall GPA of 3.0 or above
- Minimal GPA of 3.0 in all mathematics courses beginning with the first calculus course
- Minimal GPA of 3.0 in all major courses
- If the major is in a related field (not mathematics), the student must have credit for three calculus courses (including a multivariable calculus course), a proof-based course, a matrix/linear algebra course, and a differential equations course.
Conditional
- Recommendation of the department graduate committee or a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college with a major in a related field and at least a 3.0 GPA in their major courses
- Credit for three calculus courses (including a multivariable calculus course), a proof based course, and a matrix/linear algebra course with a 3.0 GPA in all mathematics courses beginning with the last elementary calculus course
- GPA of 3.0 or above in all mathematics courses beginning with the last elementary calculus course
- Two letters of recommendation from college teachers addressing the candidate’s ability to do mathematics graduate work