Graduate Degree Programs and Requirements

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Master of Science Programs

Three different Master's Degrees are currently available:

• MS in Mathematics (Degree checklist)
  
• MS with Outside Specialization (Degree checklist)
  
• MS in Applied and Computational Mathematics (Degree checklist)
  

All M.S. degrees require at least 35 credit hours of coursework. Under the direction of the advisor, the committee will plan and supervise the course of study and the writing of the thesis (Plan A) or master's paper (Plan B) See individual program descriptions in the Graduate Program Handbook or continue to the links above for more details.

Entering students will undergo an initial diagnostic interview with the Graduate Director to plan an appropriate program of study. If the student's diagnostic interview identifies a deficiency, the program may be required to include courses to correct this. However, mathematics courses at the 300 level or below will not be counted toward the total credit hour requirement of any graduate degree in mathematics.

Scholastic Standard for all MS degrees:

In addition to the GPA requirements outlined in Part I, section 3.1 of the Graduate Program Handbook, a 3.0 average in all math courses at the 400 level and above must be maintained.

Selecting an Advisor and Committee:

Details regarding the advisory system are outlined on the Mathematics Graduate Program Website under the link for Selecting an Advisor and Committee.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Ph.D. Requirements (Degree checklist)
  

The Ph.D. in Mathematics is a comprehensive program requiring considerable coursework after the Master's degree, and an original dissertation in Mathematics consisting of publishable research. To enter the program a student must have demonstrated an aptitude for mathematics (for example, by completing an M.S. degree in mathematics with a good record in course work). Each student's course of Ph.D. study is planned individually by the student, the student's adviser, and the student's graduate committee. This planning allows the student and adviser to develop specific programs in any of a large number of areas of mathematics.

The Ph.D. degree usually takes 3 or 4 years beyond the Master's degree, and requires at least 72 semester credits beyond the bachelor's degree. Additional requirements for the doctorate consist of a series of milestone examinations including a two part Qualifying Examination, a preliminary Examination and a Final Dissertation Defense. The Ph.D. preliminary examination, administered by the student's Ph.D. committee, is a written and/or oral examination taken near the end of the course work and at the beginning of the work on the dissertation. All dissertations must be successfully defended in an open final oral examination.

Scholastic Standard for the PhD degree:

In addition to the GPA requirements outlined in Part I, section 3.1 of the Graduate Program Handbook, a 3.0 average in all math courses at the 400 level and above must be maintained.

Selecting an Advisor and Committee:

Details regarding the advisory system are outlined on the Mathematics Graduate Program Website under the link for Selecting an Advisor and Committee.

Interdisciplinary Studies Program (ISP) Graduate Certificate in Mathematics

The graduate-level certification in Mathematics at Colorado State University is designed for students who seek to enrich their graduate degree program by completing an additional program in mathematics. The program presumes a background in mathematics that includes sufficient prerequisite material to enter the courses in the program. Students must be pursuing a graduate degree in another discipline at Colorado State University. To be considered for admission to the program submit the Graduate Certificate in Mathematics application, a formal letter of intent, and a copy of all unoffical transcripts to:

 

Graduate Program Coordinator
Graduate Certificate Application
Department of Mathematics
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO  80523-1874

 

To obtain a Graduate Certificate in Mathematics a student must complete 12 or more credits of Mathematics courses at least 9 of which are at the 500-level or above. Up to 3 credits of 400-level Mathematics courses (excluding M425, M470) may be included. At most 1 credit of MATH 592 may be counted. Each individual program of study must be submitted to and approved by the Mathematics Graduate Committee.

For further information, please contact Professor Jeanne Duflot, Graduate Program Director, Department of Mathematics, Colorado State University via email at duflot@math.colostate.edu.

Program Motivation

The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in Mathematics is to provide incentive and guidance to graduate students in disciplines other than Mathematics so that they may obtain the mathematical sophistication necessary to solve their own applied problems whose solutions are inherently mathematical in nature. As science, engineering and technology disciplines become more and more mathematical, it is increasingly clear that many students have inadequate mathematical training to apply advanced mathematics to their field of interest and, in effect, decreasing the competitiveness of their research. This ISP provides a mechanism for the development of an individualized mathematics curriculum designed to meet each student’s educational needs. Thus equipped with additional knowledge in core mathematics, a student’s ability to transfer knowledge to their specific discipline is significantly enhanced.

*ST720 may be used to count towards these 12 credits.

Graduate Student Seminar Requirement

All Colorado State University Mathematics graduate students are required to register for 1 credit of MATH 592.004 (Greenslopes seminar) every semester before they have a permanent advisor. Once a permanent advisor is chosen, the advisor will determine the nature of the seminar requirement, if any.

What constitutes a seminar? During the course of each semester a minimum of 10 one-hour seminar meetings selected from Green Slopes, the Mathematics Colloquium, or research seminars organized by mathematics faculty must be attended to satisfy the seminar requirement. Students will maintain an attendance sheet that will be signed by the seminar organizer each week and submitted to the graduate coordinator at the end of the semester.

A limited number of credits may be earned for seminars: All grades for seminars based on attendance are awarded on an S/U basis. No more than two S/U seminar credits may count towards the MS program credit requirements and no more than an additional two S/U seminar credits may be used to count towards the PhD program credit requirements. If a student arranges to perform additional work, then a letter grade may be awarded and the seminar credit may be used over and above the S/U credits allowed for the MS and Ph.D. programs.

Seminar Philosophy in Mathematics: Students should attend seminars as much as possible early in their program to assist them in identifying fields of interest. After an advisor is selected s/he should play a central role recommending courses, including seminars. Roaming attendance supports the philosophy of students freely exploring their interests.