The Program
This program is the only graduate-level programs in the natural and physical sciences that can be taken entirely at UCCS. The breadth of the program allows students to emphasize their principal discipline of interest and also to take several courses in a related department. There is no list of courses in the degree program. Instead, each student designs his or her own program in consultation with a departmental adviser. The Master of Sciences Program is a cross disciplinary program leading to the Master of Sciences degree with various emphasis areas. It provides an opportunity for present and prospective science and mathematics professionals and others to extend and/or broaden their training in the natural and physical sciences and mathematics at advanced undergraduate and graduate levels. These professionals include teachers, industrial scientists, engineers, business persons, and others. Wide latitude is possible in the details of a degree plan so that each student may follow a course of study most pertinent to his or her interests and career goals. Each degree plan must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the student's adviser. All courses credited toward the degree after admission must be taken at the University of Colorado, on the Colorado Springs, Denver, or Boulder campuses, over a maximum of five years or six successive summers.

Requirements for Admission

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university

• At least 40 semester hours in the natural sciences and mathematics, preferably including one year of calculus. Students may be admitted to the program with a deficiency in mathematics but must remedy the deficiency within one year after admission with a grade of C or better

• GPA of 2.75 or higher. A student with an undergraduate grade point average below 2.75 must take the GRE prior to consideration for admission

Requirements for Master of Sciences Degree

• 30-36 semester hours of science and/or mathematics courses numbered 300 or above are required.

• Select Thesis or Non-Thesis option: Completion of a paper describing a research project or other specialized study on a topic is to be approved by the director and the student's adviser. Approval of the topic is given on the basis of a written explanation of precis submitted within six months of entering the program. The final paper must be approved by the student's commitee and is in lieu of the comprehensive examination. Thesis option students write a thesis on the research rather than a paper. Students give a presentation and defend their thesis before a thesis defense committee. Publication of thesis results is encouraged.

• If a thesis is written, the student will take 24-26 semester hours of coursework and four to six semester hours of thesis credit. These are to be selected from two or more departments.

• All courses must be taken from approved Graduate School faculty members.

• Fifteen or more hours in science/math must be from courses numbered 500 or above. Courses may be selected from the following departments: Biology, Chemistry, Education, Health Sciences, Geography, Mathematics, and Physics.

• Because not all courses will be appropriate for all programs, students should first consult with their advisor before enrolling. An academic plan should be completed during the student's first semester.

• Minimum grade point average: Courses at the 300 and 400 levels will be accepted toward the degree only with grades of A or B; 500 and 600 level courses will be accepted toward the degree with grades of A, B, or C. Students must have a B average in all courses taken subsequent to admission to the program, including courses not actually required for the degree.

MATHEMATICS PROGRAM OPTION

Students must (1) develop a reasonable degree of competence in the fields of analysis and algebra and (2) demonstrate a depth to their mathematical education. Towards that end, the requirements for the Mathematics Option in the Master of Sciences Program are as follows:

1. Students must complete a minimum of 15 semester hours of graduate courses offered by the Mathematics Department.

2. Students must demonstrate the successful completion (with a grade of B or better) of the following courses:

• Algebra. MATH 414 - Introduction to Modern Algebra (or its equivalent)
• Analysis. MATH 431 - Introduction to Modern Analysis (or its equivalent)
• A year-long sequence of mathematics courses, sharing a common mathematical topic, to provide depth within the student's mathematical education. The common topic of the sequence may be one of algebra, analysis, probability and statistics, or mathematical applications. The courses of this sequence must be 400-level or higher. For example, Math 414 and Math 513 constitute an acceptable sequence in algebra. The details of this requirement are to be specified in the student's program plan that is to be approved by a member of the Department of Mathematics.

The student opting for the Mathematics Option must arrange for faculty advisor during the first or second semester after admission. The student, together with the advisor, will construct an academic plan and will decide on the details for the paper or thesis option. To formally arrange for the advisor, the student should contact the Chair of the Graduate Committee of the Mathematics Department.