Each new student will be assigned a faculty advisor (usually the chair of the graduate committee) for consultation in planning a sound program of study. Advising includes the courses to be taken and the areas in which to take the preliminary exams (if applicable).
Incoming students will be prevented from registering until they obtain approval from their faculty advisor.
M.S. students must demonstrate adequate progress toward the degree by:
By the posted Graduate School deadline for the term during which the M.S. degree is to be conferred, each master’s degree candidate (whether Plan I or Plan II) must formally apply for admission to candidacy for the master’s degree by completing the Candidacy Application for an Advanced Degree, available on the Graduate School website.
This application must be submitted to the graduate program assistant with the student’s signature and the approval signature of his/her faculty advisor. Once the graduate chair approves the application, the department will forward it to the Graduate School. By this same deadline, the student must apply online for graduation.
The department requires a master’s degree candidate to complete an approved program of study consisting of at least 30 semester hours. At least 18 of these 30 hours must be in Applied Mathematics courses at the 5000 level or above. A grade of C (2.0) or higher must be attained in each course. Generally, APPM 4350/5350, 4360/5360, and 4720/5720 do not count toward this requirement.
All master’s degree students must complete two yearlong 5000-level course sequences in applied mathematics. See the Graduate Courses section of this supplement for a list of acceptable sequences. Other sequences require faculty advisor approval. If APPM 5600/5610 is not taken, the numerical preliminary exam becomes mandatory.
M.S. candidates must take a yearlong 5000-level graduate sequence outside of Applied Mathematics in an area where mathematics has significant application. This sequence must be approved by the graduate chair. Upon approval by petition to the graduate committee, up to 6 credit hours may be taken in 4000-level courses in other departments, provided members of the graduate faculty teach those courses.
There is no foreign language requirement for the M.S. program.
The University Catalog provides the general requirements for the degree of Master of Science in all departments of the University of Colorado. The following is a description of the requirements that specifically pertain to students pursuing a course of study leading to the degree of Master of Science in Applied Mathematics. It supplements the requirements outlined in the catalog. In all cases not specifically mentioned below, the general requirements as stated in the catalog apply.
The M.S. degree can serve as a steppingstone for any student considering a Ph.D. program at CU-Boulder or elsewhere. However, the M.S. is unique and an important program in its own right. One of its principal advantages is in preparation for teaching or industry, which is the genesis of the required numerical analysis and out-of-department sequences discussed below. It is also a flexible program in that it supports special interest directions, including the teacher training option listed in the APPM Teacher Licensure Option section of this supplement.
A master’s degree student must complete an online application for graduation whether or not he/she plans to attend commencement. To apply for graduation, log on to myCUinfo.colorado.edu. On the Student tab, select the Apply for Graduation link under Academic Resources. Contact the graduate program assistant for additional information on applying online for graduation.
The online application for graduation notifies the department and the Graduate School of a student’s intent to graduate and provides necessary information to the Commencement Office for ordering and shipping the diploma.
A student who does not complete the requirements for graduation for the academic term indicated on the online application must apply online to graduate for the new graduation term.
If a student feels that he/she has received unfair treatment academically or as a teaching or research assistant, then the student should first attempt to resolve the problem with the faculty member involved. If this fails, the student should speak with the faculty advisor, who will bring the matter before the graduate committee. In the event that the student is dissatisfied with this resolution, he/she may file a written formal complaint with the dean of the Graduate School.
The master’s degree requirements may be fulfilled by following the requirements for either the thesis (Plan I) option or the non-thesis (Plan II) option as described below. See the University Catalog for further details. Students who choose Plan II must obtain approval from the chair of the graduate committee.
Plan I (Thesis option)
A student electing to do a thesis must enroll in 4-6 hours of thesis credit, which count toward the required 30 hours, and must take an oral comprehensive exam (also referred to as a defense) on his/her thesis work. This exam will be administered by a committee consisting of the faculty advisor, who serves as committee chair, and two other faculty members. Each committee member must hold a current graduate faculty appointment. The chair must have a regular graduate faculty appointment, and the remaining committee members must hold either regular or special membership.
The M.S. student on the thesis option must be registered for a minimum of 1 credit hour during the academic term (including summer session) the defense is passed.
At least two weeks before the defense, the M.S. student on the thesis option must submit for approval, a completed M.S. degree audit form, a completed Master’s Examination or Project Report form (available on the Graduate School website), and the dissertation title and abstract (in electronic format) to the graduate program assistant.
A student who fails the oral thesis defense may, in a later semester, make one and only one more attempt to satisfy this requirement. In doing so, the student may switch from the thesis to the non-thesis option.
An electronic copy of the thesis (in PostScript or PDF format), as well as an unbound copy, printed single-sided on 8.5 x 11 watermarked bond paper of at least 25 percent cotton content and 20-pound weight, should be submitted to the graduate program assistant. Both copies are due by the posted Graduate School deadline for online submission of the thesis for the semester the master’s degree is to be conferred. The thesis should be formatted according to Graduate School specifications, available on the Graduate School website (www.colorado.edu/graduateschool).
Plan II (Non-thesis option)
A student choosing the non-thesis option must pass (Pass or Ph.D. Research Pass) any one of four Ph.D. preliminary exams. Details are provided in the Ph.D. Degree Requirements section of this supplement.
Each M.S. student electing the non-thesis option must submit a completed M.S. degree audit form to the graduate chair upon submitting the Candidacy Application for an Advanced Degree.
A student who fails a written preliminary exam may, in a later semester, make one and only one more attempt to satisfy this requirement. In doing so, the student may switch between the thesis and the non-thesis option of the program, or between one preliminary exam area and another. Students who fail two preliminary exams are subject to dismissal from the program.
All requirements for the M.S. degree must be completed within four years of the start of graduate studies. See the University Catalog for details.
Students may enroll in the Time Off Program through the Registrar’s Office with faculty advisor approval. Through this planned leave program, graduate students may take three to four semesters off (including summer) without reapplying to return to the University. This program guarantees students a place in the graduate program when they return and allows access to certain benefits while they are away. However, there is no guarantee of financial support upon return.
Otherwise, the graduate committee may remove an inactive student from the degree program.
Master’s degree students may request a maximum of 9 semester hours to be transferred from another institution. All transfer requests must have approval of the graduate committee and the Graduate School.
Work already applied toward a graduate degree received from CU-Boulder or another institution cannot be accepted for transfer toward another graduate degree of the same level at CU-Boulder. For example, work already applied to meet requirements for a master’s degree earned by a student cannot be used toward a second master’s degree from CU. In addition, work completed for a doctoral degree may not be applied toward a subsequent master’s degree.
Credit may not be transferred until the student has completed 6 credits of graduate-level course work as a regular, degree-seeking student on the CU-Boulder campus with a GPA of 3.0 or above.