Mathematics (Master of Science)

Application Deadlines

Deadline dates for applications and receipt of all required application materials are:

Date Event
May 1 Fall Admission
November 1 Spring Admission
April 1 Summer Admission

Any exceptions to these deadlines must be granted by the graduate program chair.

Application Materials Required for the MS with a Major in Mathematics

Applicants for the MS with a major in mathematics may be permitted to enroll for one semester of graduate coursework (only after degree posted transcripts have been received) while completing all other general application requirements.

Applicants for the MS with a major in mathematics must submit all of the following documentation to Graduate Admissions to be considered for admission:

Graduate Admissions
Jacksonville State University
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602

  1. Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission.
  2. Non-refundable $35.00 application processing fee.
  3. Official transcripts from the baccalaureate degree awarding institution and all transcripts from institutions where post-baccalaureate work has been completed. To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a degree from an institutionally accredited institution or its foreign equivalent. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the university.)
  4. Three Graduate Reference Forms completed by individuals who can provide qualitative assessment of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate coursework. Reference forms will be submitted electronically. Instructions for submission will be sent through email to the applicant upon submission of the online graduate application.
  5. International student applicants must see the International Student Applicants section of this catalog for other application and enrollment requirements.

Admission Requirements for the MS with a Major in Mathematics

In addition to meeting general admission requirements of graduate studies, an applicant must have completed at least 12 semester hours, or equivalent, beyond the three course JSU calculus series, or equivalent, including at least one course equivalent to MS 415 Advanced Calculus I (WI) (3) and one course equivalent to MS 441 Abstract Algebra I (WI) (3).

Unconditional Admission

Unconditional admission is determined by the graduate faculty. An applicant must have an undergraduate GPA equal to or greater than 3.25 with completion of at least 12 credit hours on 300+ level courses in mathematics major for consideration of unconditional admission.
 

Conditional Admission

Any applicant failing to meet the requirements for unconditional admission may be conditionally admitted with the recommendation of the graduate faculty in the applicant’s major and approval of the Dean of the Graduate School.
 

Applicants who are granted conditional admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.00 on the first 12 graduate hours attempted. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student being dropped from graduate studies.

Minimum Requirements for the MS with a Major in Mathematics

An overall 3.00 GPA is required on all coursework attempted for the master’s degree. A maximum number of six hours of graduate credit from other regionally accredited institutions may be transferred; however, transfer credit cannot be used to raise the GPA to the required 3.00. In addition to (MS) prefix courses, up to 6 hours may be taken from courses with a computer science (CS) prefix at the 500-level. Exemptions from course prerequisites require permission of the department head.  This program supports the Faster Master's option -- see https://www.jsu.edu/graduate/fastermasters/index.html for information.

Non-Thesis Option

Total of 30 graduate semester hours in approved courses. At least 15 hours must be from approved courses numbered 500 or above.

Thesis Option

Total of 30 graduate semester hours with a minimum of 24 hours in approved courses and six hours of approved thesis. At least 15 hours must be from approved courses numbered 500 or above.

Thesis students should contact the Graduate School to receive an orientation to the thesis process prior to enrolling in the first three semester hours of thesis, MS 599. This orientation can be completed either in person or via email. The purpose of the orientation is to provide the thesis student with information concerning required forms, due dates, and to answer any questions concerning thesis options and/or procedures. For further information, concerning this orientation, please contact Ashlee Hanvey, ahanvey@jsu.edu, 321 Angle Hall, (256) 782-5348. See Thesis Options and Procedures in the Graduate catalog for more information.

Internship Option

Total of 30 graduate semester hours with a minimum of 24 hours in approved courses and six hours of approved internship. At least 15 hours must be from approved courses numbered 500 or above. The student must obtain a faculty recommendation and meet with Career Services to obtain approval for the internship agreement.

Graduation and Comprehensive Exam

A comprehensive exam is required for the Non-Thesis Option and Internship Option of this degree; please see the graduate advisor for full details. For students choosing the Thesis Option, the thesis defense serves as the comprehensive exam. All students must apply for graduation by the given deadline of the semester in which they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation and Comprehensive Exam section of this catalog for more information.