Requirements
As a Master's student, you may (but are not required to) choose a concentration in applied mathematics, pure mathematics, or statistics. The MS degree has a thesis option and a non-thesis option. Both options have the same course sequence and comprehensive exam requirements; but the non-thesis option has a higher total credit hour requirement. In addition, if you choose to have a concentration in the non-thesis option, there are specific course requirements, as indicated below.
The requirements for our Master of Science in Mathematics are described below.
Time and residency
A Master's student must successfully complete a minimum of 21 hours of degree-program credit on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. All degree regulations must be completed within six calendar years following admission to the master's program. Students who take a full load should be able to complete the master's degree at the end of two years.
Coursework
A Master's student must successfully complete thirty-six semester hours of graduate course work, of which a minimum of eighteen hours must be above the 400(G)-level. A student who selects the thesis option can use six credit hours of thesis preparation in meeting the thirty-six hour requirement. More information...
Comprehensive examinations
An MS student will be required to demonstrate a general, comprehensive knowledge of his or her field of study. This demonstration will be assessed on the basis of one or more written exams. More information...
Regular status
Some students are admitted in "conditional status"; this includes all international students who do not have a degree from an American university, and students who were admitted with low GPA and/or low GRE test scores. Students who are admitted in conditional status must file a Petition for Regular Status with the Graduate School as soon as they successfully complete 12 hours of graduate credit with a 3.0 GPA or better and no more than one grade of C; and/or they submit satisfactory standardized test results. The Petition for Regular Status form is available under the Current Graduate Students Forms tab at the Graduate School forms and resources web page.
Candidacy
Admission to candidacy for a master's degree is recognition of a stage in advancement toward the degree.
After an MS student has successfully completed 12 semester hours of graduate degree credit, he or she may apply for MS degree candidacy. This is done by filing a Application for Master's Candidacy form. The form must be filed before the student can obtain the degree. The Application for Admission to Candidacy for the Master's form is available under the Master's and Graduate Certificate Student Forms tab at the Graduate School forms and resources web page. Before submitting the application for candidacy, a plan of study must have been approved by the student's advisory committee, each member of which must sign the application for candidacy form before it is transmitted to the Graduate School.
Eligibility
A student may become "ineligible to continue in Graduate School" should the student receive two grades of C, a grade lower than a C, or if his or her GPA drops below 3.0. A student will also become ineligible if, after having successfully appealed ineligible status once, he or she receives one more grade of C or below. If this occurs, the student will be unable to enroll in courses, and will not be able to receive financial assistance from the department or university. More information...
Graduation
The Graduate School has a Master's Degree Checklist that the student should consult; it includes the steps required for graduation. The Master's Degree Checklist is available at the Graduate School "Staying on Track" Checklist web page.