Combined BS/MA Program

Introduction

Eligibility

• GPA of at least 3.5
• No more than 15 credits remaining of required upper-level mathematics courses toward the B.S. degree
• No more than 6 credits of CORE requirements remaining for the B.S. degree
• One to three letters of recommendation
• An essay or statement of purpose
• An interview with the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

Requirements

There are two options for achieving the M.A.in Mathematics: the "M.A. with Thesis" option and the "M.A. without Thesis" option. For detailed information on these, see the description of M.A. requirements within the Policies of the Mathematics Graduate Program and also the graduate school requirements. We'll describe the main features here. Each M.A. option requires 30 units of graduate credit. In the combined program, in effect this is reduced to 21 units.

For the Math "M.A. with thesis" option, 6 of these units are dedicated to the supervised thesis research. The remaining 15 units must be taken at the 600-700 level and at least 12 of these units must be in mathematics. Finally, at least 6 units must be taken in two fields (3 units each) of mathematics distinct from each other and from the field in which the thesis is written. The actual thesis must be approved and the student must pass a final oral examination. Students in the combined degree program have generally taken the "M.A. with thesis" option.

The Statistics "M.A. with thesis" option is similar; click here for more information. Perhaps the main difference is that there is no requirement for 6 graduate units to be taken outside Stat.

"M.A. without thesis" option

Here are the qualifying exams, with the coursework on which they are based, for the M.A. :

• Algebra (MATH 600,405)
• Analysis (MATH 630,660)
• Logic(MATH 712,713)
• Numerical Analysis (AMSC 666,667)
• Ordinary Differential Equations (MATH 670,671)
• Partial Differential Equations (MATH 673,674)
• Probability (STAT 410, 650),
• Mathematical Statistics (STAT 700-701)
• Applied Statistics (STAT 440,450,740)
• Topology (MATH 730, 734)

The Statistics "M.A. without thesis" option is similar; click here for more information.

The bureaucracy of degree times

To the University, you are an undergraduate or a graduate; the bureaucratic hive mind, computing various consequences, chooses not to create a really different category for a student in the combined program. So, if you are a student in the combined degree program, you are required to graduate with the B.S. at some point, and then to be a graduate student for at least two academic year semesters.

When you graduate with the B.S., of course you must have satisfied the B.S. requirements. Satisfaction of the M.A. requirements is a trickier matter, because the usual M.A. requires those 30 grad credits to be taken while a grad student. But you might take 600-700 level courses before the graduation with B.S., and want to count that work toward your combined degree.

The University created a policy to deal with this: an undergraduate is allowed to take up to a total of 12 credits (maximum of 6 credits per semester) of graduate level courses "for graduate credit only". Such courses cannot be used to satisfy any part of the Bachelor's degree requirements, but can be "banked" for later use to satisfy graduate degree requirements. To bank graduate courses you need to apply for permission before taking the courses. There is a form for this called Graduate Credit Permission Form which you can download from the Graduate School website.   On the same webpage there is a form called Combined Bachelor's/Master's Form which you use to indicate the courses (up to 9 credits) from your BS degree which will also be used for the MA degree.    This form should be completed and approved before you graduate with the BS degree.

All other credits taken toward the graduate degree must be taken after completion of the Bachelor's Degree.

Example Programs

Example 1:
Here a student enters the University with Advanced Placement credit for Math 140 (Calculus I). It is compatible with the "M.A. with thesis" option, if the student gets the B.S. after Year 4, but "banks" one of the two sequences of Year 4 for graduate credit only.

Example 2:
Here the student enters the University with AP credit for Math 140 and Math 141, and takes the special honors sequence Math 340-341 (which covers the courses Math 240,241 and 246 with enrichment). The courses below could fit an extremely strong student developing an interest in topology and geometry. The particular course sequence is compatible with the taking of qualifying exams (analysis, topology and algebra) in time for graduation, and thus fits into the "M.A. without thesis" requirements.

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4		Year 5
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Math 340	Math 341	Math 410	Math 411	Math 630	Math 631	Math 660	Stat 410	Math 600	Math 601
		Math 405	Math 403	AMSC 466	Math 463	Math 730	Math 734	Math 740	Math 742

Example3:
Here a strong student develops a strong interest in Logic and writes a masters thesis in Logic.

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4		Year 5
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Math 340	Math 341	Math 410	Math 411	Math 630	Math 631	Math 710	Math 463	Math 600	Math 601
		Math 405	Math 403	AMSC 466	Math 446	Math 712	Math 713	thesis	Math 660

Example 4:
Here a strong student writes a masters thesis in Applied Statistics.

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4		Year 5
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Math 340	Math 341	Math 410	Math 411	STAT 410	STAT 420	STAT 700	STAT 701	STAT 740	STAT 741
		Math 405	AMSC 466	STAT 430	STAT 440	STAT 600	STAT 601	thesis	STAT 770

The examples above don't list all the courses needed to satisfy degree requirements. For the Math BS/MA, a student would have to complete the following at the required grade point levels:

• An approved three course "supporting sequence"
• the University's CORE requirements;
• a total of 141 credits (the B.S. requires 120 credits and the M.A. requires 30; the total is only 141 on account of the 9 credit overlap allowance)

Timetable and mechanics

An undergraduate math major interested in the joint Bachelor's/Masters program should discuss it well in advance with the departmental advisor (Ida Chan), generally not later than Spring of the junior year (and preferably sooner, as there are those considerations of banking courses "for graduate credit only" ahead of time). At some point the student should submit a formal application to the program. At this point the department may reject the student, or issue a conditional acceptance, with a list of conditions for acceptance. (The graduate school admission process is not controlled by the department, and will generally take place in the fourth year; a conditional acceptance meanwhile serves to clarify and formalize the student's situation.)

During at least the final two semesters of the Bachelor's/Masters program, the student must be registered as a graduate student in Mathematics. So, the student must submit an application to the graduate school in advance of deadlines; for the five year program, this would generally be done in Fall of the fourth year. Admission to graduate school in Mathematics requires both University and departmental approval. The key requirements for University admission are a Bachelor's degree and an acceptable GPA.

Formal Application

• statement of purpose for pursuing the combined degree
• 1 to 3 faculty references
• plan of courses (and thesis, if applicable) for completion of the degree requirements, with indication of courses which are to be used "for graduate credit only" and courses which are to be "double counted."
  
• date for graduating with the BS
• indication of the thesis advisor or area, if this has been decided

Applied Mathematics

For more information, please contact Ida Chan at (301) 405-7582, or ugadvisor @math.umd.edu.