# Program Details

→ Mathematics Master’s of Science Degree

→ Mathematics Doctorate Degree

## Mathematics MS Degree

The master of science is designed to prepare students for positions in business and industry. It also provides preparation for further graduate study leading to a doctoral degree.

→ Information for Degree

→ Requirements for Degree–Thesis

→ Requirements for Degree–Nonthesis

Application requirements

• Deadlines: January 15 (Spring, Summer, Fall), September 15 (Winter). Apply online. Late applications will be considered.
• $50 non-refundable application fee. • Three letters of recommendation. • Ecclesiastical endorsement: All applicants for graduate study, including international, must receive an ecclesiastical endorsement before their applications will be fully considered. Current BYU students applying to graduate school at BYU should request an endorsement from an ecclesiastical leader through endorse.byu.edu. If applicants are Non-LDS (U.S. or international), they should contact an admission specialist in Office of Graduate Studies at INTL@byu.edu so a telephone interview with the BYU Chaplain can be arranged. • Honor Code: All applicants, regardless of religion, must agree to abide by the universitiy code of conduct through the honor code commitment. • Entrance examinations: The General GRE and GRE Math Subject tests are required. Applicants must have a minimum score of 600 on the GRE Math Subject Test to be competitive. All applicants who have not received a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an educational institution in the United States or from one of the exempt countries (Canada, the U.K., the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, or Australia) are required to submit official IELTS or TOEFL scores in order to be considered for admission. Please note: The degree must not be older than 2 years at the time of enrollment to qualify for the exemption. Applicants must exceed the university’s minimum score on the TOEFL exam. BYU requires all international applicants to use a credential evaluation service for transcript and degree verification. BYU currently accepts reports from International Education Research Foundation (IERF). You may download a request form here. Prerequisites: • Undergraduate degree in mathematics or its equivalent. • One year of mathematical analysis (or advanced calculus), equivalent to our Math 341 and Math Math 342. • One year of abstract algebra (equivalent to our Math 371 and Math 372), including linear algebra (equivalent to our Math 313). If you have questions about the application process, please contact our graduate secretary, Lonette Stoddard. Return to top of page ### Requirements for Degree — Thesis Program • Credit hours (30): Minimum 24 course work hours in approved graduate mathematics with a grade of C+ or better in each, including 12 hours in courses numbered 600 or above and 6 thesis hours (Math 699R). • Examination: Each student must pass a written master’s examination consisting of two 4-hour tests, namely an algebra exam and an analysis exam, essentially covering material from Math 313; Math 371; Math 372 and Math 341; Math 342; and Math 352, respectively.The exams will be administered 3 times per year. Both exams must be passed within the first year of matriculation. This means that students will have 3 attempts as graduate students. With permission, however, undergraduates and other prospective graduate students can take and pass the exam early, prior to matriculation.Exams will typically be scheduled for the week prior to the start of classes for Fall and Winter terms, usually the last week of August and first week of January. It will also be administered in mid to late February, usually during the President’s day weekend. It is expected that exams will be graded and returned to the students within a week. Students will be encouraged to discuss the results of the exam with their advisors to decide which classes to take. If students do not pass both exams by the end of their first academic year, they will not be able to continue in the MS program, and financial support will be discontinued at the end of that semester. For example, if a student fails his third attempt in February, his last semester in the program will be that winter semester, and he will not be financially supported in the following spring and summer terms. • Graduate Program of Study Students are required to submit a program of study before the end of the third week of their second semester. The study list form may be found at https://gradstudies.byu.edu/file/adv-form-3 • Thesis • Oral Defense of thesis Return to top of page ### Requirements for Degree — Nonthesis Program • Credit hours (32): Minimum 30 course work hours in approved graduate mathematics including 18 hours in courses numbered 600 or above and 2 project hours (Math 698R). Graduate courses must be passed with a grade of C+ or better in each. No credit is given for prerequisite courses such as Math 342 or Math 372. • Examination: Each student must pass a written master’s examination consisting of two 4-hour tests, namely an algebra exam and an analysis exam, essentially covering material from Math 313; Math 371; Math 372 and Math 341; Math 342; and Math 352, respectively.The exams will be administered 3 times per year. Both exams must be passed within the first year of matriculation. This means that students will have 3 attempts as graduate students. With permission, however, undergraduates and other prospective graduate students can take and pass the exam early, prior to matriculation.Exams will typically be scheduled for the week prior to the start of classes for Fall and Winter terms, usually the last week of August and first week of January. It will also be administered in mid to late February, usually during the President’s day weekend. It is expected that exams will be graded and returned to the students within a week. Students will be encouraged to discuss the results of the exam with their advisors to decide which classes to take. If students do not pass both exams by the end of their first academic year, they will not be able to continue in the MS program, and financial support will be discontinued at the end of that semester. For example, if a student fails his third attempt in February, his last semester in the program will be that winter semester, and he will not be financially supported in the following spring and summer terms. • Graduate Program of Study Students are required to submit a program of study before the end of the third week of their second semester. The study list form may be found at https://gradstudies.byu.edu/file/adv-form-3 • Project and presentation: Write a paper about the project (Math 698R) which should focus on an area of advanced mathematics and present a 45-minute talk based on the paper. Return to top of page ## Mathematics PhD Degree The doctoral program prepares students for a career in research and teaching at the university level or in basic research in a non-academic setting. → Admission and Entry → Requirements for Degree ### Admission and Entry Application requirements • Deadlines: January 15 (Spring, Summer, Fall), September 15 (Winter). Apply online. Late applications will be considered. •$50 non-refundable application fee.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Ecclesiastical endorsement: All applicants for graduate study, including international, must receive an ecclesiastical endorsement before their applications will be fully considered. Current BYU students applying to graduate school at BYU should request an endorsement from an ecclesiastical leader through endorse.byu.edu.

If applicants are Non-LDS (U.S. or international), they should contact an admission specialist in Office of Graduate Studies at INTL@byu.edu so a telephone interview with the BYU Chaplain can be arranged.

• Honor Code: All applicants, regardless of religion, must agree to abide by the universitiy code of conduct through the honor code commitment.
• Entrance examinations: The General GRE and GRE Math Subject tests are required. Applicants must have a minimum score of 600 on the GRE Math Subject Test to be competitive.

All applicants who have not received a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an educational institution in the United States or from one of the exempt countries (Canada, the U.K., the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, or Australia) are required to submit official IELTS or TOEFL scores in order to be considered for admission. Please note: The degree must not be older than 2 years at the time of enrollment to qualify for the exemption. Applicants must exceed the university’s minimum score on the TOEFL exam.

BYU requires all international applicants to use a credential evaluation service for transcript and degree verification. BYU currently accepts reports from International Education Research Foundation (IERF). You may download a request form here.

Prerequisites:

• Undergraduate degree in mathematics or its equivalent.
• One year of mathematical analysis (or advanced calculus), equivalent to our Math 341 and Math Math 342.
• One year of abstract algebra (equivalent to our Math 371 and Math 372), including linear algebra (equivalent to our Math 313).

### Requirements for Degree

• Credit Hours (54): Minimum 36 coursework hours in mathematics courses numbered 600 or above with a grade of B or better in each plus 18 dissertation hours (Math 799R).
• Required Courses: Complete at least 3 hours each in algebra, analysis, applied mathematics, and geometry/topology.
•  Examinations:

Written Examinations: At the beginning of the second year after admission to the PhD program, the student is required to pass examinations in three of the four areas of algebra, analysis, applied mathematics, and geometry/topology. Four hours are allotted to each examination. A failed examination may be repeated once at the beginning of the winter semester of the student’s second year, after which permission must be obtained from the department graduate committee to retake the examination. Passed examinations need not be repeated. Syllabi are available for each examination.

Oral Examination: A student must pass an oral qualifying examination covering the background necessary for research in a specific area. The student, having chosen a research area and having a dissertation advisor approved, will, with the advisor, outline suitable examination topics. These topics must be approved by an examination committee of three (including advisor) appointed by the department graduate committee, which conducts the examination.