Department of Mathematics

College of Arts and Sciences

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Mathematics offers graduate programs of study leading to:

Admission to Graduate Degree Programs

In order to be admitted to the Graduate Degree Program, a student must have:

  1. Met the general requirements as set forth in this catalog for admission to Lamar's College of Graduate Studies.
  2. Earned a bachelor's degree from an institution approved by a recognized accrediting agency.
  3. Achieved a minimum GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in the last sixty hours of undergraduate work. Non-native English speakers must have successfully completed the IELTS.
  4. Final approval as to what course work is acceptable toward admission to the graduate degree program lies with the graduate advisor and the department chair. 

Admission to Candidacy

In order to be admitted to candidacy a student must

  1. Successfully complete 12 semester hours of approved graduate work in mathematics.
  2. Remove all deficiencies in mathematics designated by the Graduate Advisor and the Department Chair.
  3. Satisfy the general Admission to Candidacy requirements as set forth in this catalog.

Master of Science in Mathematics

Students applying for a Masters of Science in Mathematics will take courses in Mathematics and Statistics, be engaged with faculty actively involved in research, as well as do research that will prepare them for further study in Mathematics at a doctoral level or for employment in industry.  Contact Judy Kennedy (judy.kennedy@lamar.edu) for more information.

Admission

For admission to the Master of Science in Computational and Quantitative Methods the student is expected to have courses equivalent or comparable to calculus, linear algebra, differential equations and statistics.  Applicants who do not meet this requirement may still be admitted conditionally and be required to make up missing coursework as prescribed by the department. A GPA of 3.0 for assigned deficiency/leveling courses must be maintained and grades below "C" will not be accepted.

Completion of the Program

In order to complete the Master of Science in Mathematics program, a student must

  1. Complete one of the two following programs:
    1. At least 24 hours of graduate course work, a written thesis acceptable to the student’s graduate committee, and a satisfactory oral defense of the thesis before the graduate committee.
    2. At least 36 hours of graduate course work and successfully pass an examination over the course work prepared by the student’s graduate committee.
  2. Include at least three courses from among the following : MATH 5310 Theory of Functions of Real Variables, MATH 5312 Complex Variables or 5350 Complex Variables, MATH 5320 Modern Algebra, MATH 5340 Topology.
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Master of Science in Computational and Quantitative Methods

Students applying for a Masters of Science in Computational and Quantitative Methods will take courses allowing them to use modern tools and technologies to analyze large data sets, generate possible trends, and make informed decisions based on the analysis.  Students attaining this degree will can find jobs in a variety or sectors such as technology, public health, business, insurance, and banking.  There is also the possibility of getting an internship in your course of study for this degree.  To see recommended courses for the two emphases (Predictive Analytics or Mathematical Finance) the program offers click here.  Contact José Vega-Guzman (jose.vegaguzman@lamar.edu) for more information.

Admission

For admission to the Master of Science in Computational and Quantitative Methods the student is expected to have courses equivalent or comparable to calculus, linear algebra, differential equations and statistics.  Applicants who do not meet this requirement may still be admitted conditionally and be required to make up missing coursework as prescribed by the department. A GPA of 3.0 for assigned deficiency/leveling courses must be maintained and grades below "C" will not be accepted.

Completion of the Program

In order to complete the Master of Science in Computational and Quantitative Methods program, a student must

  1. Take MATH 5300 Regression Analysis, MATH 5381 Advanced Statistical Methods, MATH 5384 Advanced Machine Learning.
  2. Include at least seven courses from among the following : MATH 5315 Numerical Analysis, MATH 5317 Probability Theory and Stochastic Processes, MATH 5319 Design of Experiments, MATH 5380 Statistical Inference, MATH 5382 Time Series Analysis, MATH 5383 Predictive Analytics, MATH 5395 Internship, COSC 5340 Database Design, COSC 5311 Data Mining, FINC 5370 Derivatives & Risk Management, ACCT 5315 Financial & Managerial Accounting Foundations.
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Support

Support is available at the level of $12,000 per nine month period with the possibility of additional summer support for highly qualified candidates. Lamar University's tuition and course fees are well below the state average and the Golden Triangle region has a low cost of living. Potential duties include working in our tutoring lab, teaching under the direction of a faculty member, and full responsibility for a class for those students who have completed eighteen hours of graduate study in mathematics.

Faculty

The department supports a wide range of courses and yet remains small enough for students to receive individual attention from faculty. Our graduate faculty members have interests in:

  • Combinatorial design
  • Graph theory
  • Applied math
  • Recreational Math
  • Analysis (real and complex)
  • Group theory
  • Lie algebras
  • Symmetric spaces
  • Physics-based modeling
  • Numerical analysis
  • Probability and statistics
  • Differential equations (numerical and theoretical)
  • Combinatorics
  • Applied Statistics
  • Matrix methods in dimensionality reduction
  • Singular Value Decomposition
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Non-negative Matrix Factorization
  • Data Science
  • Machine Learning
  • The generalized order-disorder transitions in high-dimensional dynamical in stochastic and deterministic systems
  • Quantum Sensing and Optomechanics.