Students enrolled in the master’s degree program will be required to:

  1. Complete a total of 30 credit hours of coursework.
    1. At least 18 credit hours must be from APPM/STAT at the 5000+ level. 
    2. Six credit hours must be taken outside of the Department of Applied Mathematics (from a designation other than APPM or STAT). This out-of-department coursework must be approved by an advisor or the professional MS director (pre-approval recommended), must be at 5000+ level and should not  significantly overlap with material taught in APPM/STAT. The purpose of this sequence is to help students become proficient in one or more application areas of applied mathematics and statistics.
       
  2. Complete a Culminating Experience (CE). There are two options for completing a CE—a project or internship/fellowship. Each option must have a written and presentation component. 
    1. Project. A CE project is intended to have goals that are different from a traditional master’s thesis. In particular, students working on a project are expected to fulfill any of the following three goals: (1) master an important set of mathematical or statistical methods used in industry; (2) gain experience working with a large, high-dimensional, or “messy” dataset; or (3) gain exposure to some tools (e.g., SQL and database management) that aren't typically taught in the program but that are useful for future employment. 
      1. Students interested in statistics and data science are encouraged to complete their CE project with LISA (Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis). The most natural way to do this would be to produce a written report and presentation of a collaborative project from STAT 5680 Statistical Collaboration or STAT 5690 Advanced Statistical Collaboration. Students who do not take both STAT 5680 and STAT 5690 will have a deficit of 3 credit hours; such deficits can be filled in by elective coursework as determined with the faculty advisor to reach the 30 credit hours required for the degree. This option will not require a final examination with committee.
      2. Students pursuing areas other than statistics and data science would propose a project to a potential advisor. If interested, the student and advisor would come to an agreement on the work required to meet goals 1–3 above. Such projects do not need to meet the criteria of a formal master’s thesis. Students will have the option of enrolling in up to 3 credits of independent study to work on their CE project. These credits would count toward their 30 credits for the degree, and a grade (A–F) will be assigned based on how well the student met the goals of the CE set out at the beginning of the independent study. Students who do not take independent study hours (or who take fewer than 3 independent study hours) will have a deficit of up to 3 credit hours. Such deficits can be filled in by elective coursework as determined with the faculty advisor to reach the total 30 credit hours required for the degree. This option will not require a final examination with a committee.
    2. Internship or fellowship. Students who secure an internship or fellowship related to applied mathematics, statistics or data science while in the program can use their work as part of their Culminating Experience. Students choosing this CE option should work closely with their MSAM advisor to decide what components will be necessary for successful completion of the CE (e.g., a presentation or written report of the details of the internship/fellowship). Students pursuing this option will also be able to enroll in up to 3 credits of independent study (counting toward their 30 credits for the degree) so they can be supported by faculty during their internship, discuss progress and possibly collaborate with their advisor to dive deeper into some of the concepts that students are gaining exposure to during their internship. Students who do not take independent study hours (or who take fewer than 3 independent study hours) will have a deficit of up to 3 credit hours; such deficits can be filled in by elective coursework as determined with the faculty advisor to reach the total 30 credit hours required for the degree. This option will not require a final examination with a committee.
    3. In rare cases where a student and department agree that a formal master’s thesis is appropriate, 4–6 hours of thesis hours must be taken as part of the total 30 required hours, and a thesis defense must be conducted with three faculty committee members, as required by Graduate School rules. 
  3. Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better and earn at least a C in each class.
     
  4. Complete the program in four years.

Learn About the Culminating Experience Project