Concurrent B.S./M.S. in Mathematics

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The combined B.S./M.S. program will provide exceptional undergraduates with the opportunity to obtain both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Mathematics in 5 years, a shorter time than typically required to earn a B.S. plus M.S. if both degrees are pursued separately. The program will allow students to pursue any of the three current capstone options for the M.S. in Mathematics: a Masters Examination, a Masters Report or a Masters Thesis.

The goal of the program is to produce graduates with a broad, solid grounding in mathematics to support further study at the doctoral level or to outfit the graduate for a mathematical job in industry, government or finance.

Admission Requirements

Students may apply for the Concurrent B.S./M.S. program from the second semester of the sophomore year through the second semester of the junior year (when they have accumulated 45-90 credit hours toward the B.S. degree). Students may apply with higher credit-hour accumulation or during the first semester of their senior year with special permission from the Department Head or the Director of Graduate Studies of the Mathematics Department.

Students must have completed the Mathematics Core curriculum (MATH 220, MATH 221, MATH 222, MATH 340, MATH 511 or MATH 512, MATH 515 or MATH 551, MATH 520 or MATH 633) either at K-State or by transfer credit.

Minimum standards for admission to the concurrent program are a cumulative GPA or 3.00 and a GPA or 3.25 in the Mathematics Core courses. Retention in the program requires maintenance of a 3.00 GPA in both undergraduate and graduate coursework.

Application Process

The application process will be the same as for the traditional M.S. degree except that completion of the B.S. degree is not required. The following steps are required:

KSU graduate application form completed online before semester of enrollment. In general, applicants are only considered for fall enrollment. Application fee of $30 (personal check, money order, or cashier’s check payable to Kansas State University Graduate School) submitted with application.
Applicant’s statement of academic objectives and preferred primary advisor(s) must be submitted with the application.
Three letters of reference must be submitted with the application.
Transcript(s) of all undergraduate work must be sent directly to the Department of Mathematics.

The graduate program will process the application of the student and forward it to the Graduate School, as currently occurs for students holding a B.S. who apply to the M.S. program. Should the student meet the requirements, provisional admission to the M.S. program will be granted, pending the award of the B.S. degree. The B.S. degree may be awarded at any time following the completion of the undergraduate degree requirements. Alternatively, the B.S. and M.S. degrees may be awarded concurrently.

Program Guidelines and Formats

A maximum of 9 credit hours will count toward both the B.S. and M.S. degrees. The 9 credit hours counted toward both degrees will be courses among the following (MATH 615, MATH 810, MATH 811, MATH 821, MATH 822, MATH 875, MATH 876, or any Mathematics course numbered 700-799). These courses may be used either to fulfill the Mathematics B.S. requirement of 15 credit hours of Mathematics courses at the 400 level beyond the B.S. core curriculum or as general electives toward the B.S. Credits counting toward both degrees may be earned before the student takes the Graduate Basic Exam, which exam students in the concurrent program may take at any time once they are provisionally admitted to the M.S. program, but must attempt not later than the beginning of the second semester of their senior year.

In the first semester after acceptance into the concurrent degree program, the student will select a major professor from the Graduate Faculty in Mathematics. The student will work closely with the major professor to form a supervisory committee and file a program of study by the end of the first full semester following the student’s acceptance into the concurrent degree program, or the second semester of the student’s junior year, whichever is later. The undergraduate advisor will advise the student in the academic progress toward the B.S. degree, and the major professor will supervise the student’s academic progress and preparation for the M.S. degree capstone (examination, report or thesis).

A typical M.S. program of study for students in the concurrent program would be identical to that for students in the traditional M.S. program:

Examination Option

30 credit hours of coursework at the 700-level or above, or MATH 615 and 27 credit hours of coursework at the 700-level or above, plus successfully passing two QEI subject exams.

Report Option

28 credit-hours of coursework at the 700-level or above, or MATH 615 and 25 credit-hours of coursework at the 700-level or above, plus successfully passing one QEI exam, 2 credit-hours of MATH 898 and successful defense of a Masters report.

Thesis Option

24 credit-hours of coursework at the 700-level or above, or MATH 615 and 21 credit-hours of coursework at the 700-level or above, plus successfully passing one QEI exam, 6 credit-hours of MATH 898 and a successful defense of a Masters report.