BA/BS+MS (4+1) Program in Mathematics or Statistics

The Department of Mathematical Sciences offers the opportunity for students to complete both the BA or BS in Mathematical Sciences and the MS in either Mathematical Sciences or Statistics in a five-year period. The achievement of this goal requires that the student complete 9-10 semester graduate credits beyond what is required for the undergraduate major prior to the end of his or her fourth year.

This program is particularly appropriate for students entering with advanced standing for one or two semesters of Calculus. Up to 12 semester graduate credits can be taken while a student is still enrolled as an undergraduate.

Interested students should talk to their advisor early in their undergraduate studies to make certain they are on schedule to earn the combined degrees in five years.

Application Process

Students typically apply to the 4+1 program early in their senior year. However students need to talk to their advisor and the Graduate Program Director before the end of their junior year to ensure that they have the full subsequent year to begin taking appropriate courses for graduate credit, lessening the course load they will need to carry in their fifth year.

Once a completed application has been received by the Mathematical Sciences Graduate Program Director, the student will be notified quickly, generally within 30 days, whether they have been accepted into the program. The program accepts a limited number of students each year, and applicants will be considered for admission on a competitive basis.

If accepted into the program, the student meets with their advisor as soon as possible to plan a course of study. After completing all requirements for the BA or BS degree, the student must complete a formal graduate application online and pay the graduate application fee to transition to graduate status.

Acceptance into the 4+1 program indicates a commitment by the Department of Mathematical Sciences to:

• Accept the student's graduate courses completed while an undergraduate student toward the MS degree
• Support the student's application for admission to the MS program through the graduate school

Minimum Academic Requirements for Acceptance to the 4+1 Program

• Completion of at least 60 undergraduate semester credits
• Completion of at least 24 of the mathematics/statistics semester credits required for the undergraduate degree.
• Overall GPA of 3.3 and Mathematics GPA of 3.3

A Complete Application Consists of

• Completed application form
• Unofficial transcript
• Short written statements of career goals and reasons for applying to the 4+1 program
• Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a faculty member from the Department of Mathematical Sciences (letters are to be submitted directly by recommenders)

Submit your application electronically to Professor Robert Buckingham, Mathematical Sciences Graduate Program Director.

Sample Course Sequences

A total of 120 undergraduate credits is required for the undergraduate degree and 30 graduate credits for the MS degree. Students must complete all 120 undergraduate credits and at least 6 graduate credits by the end of their fourth year. Students without advanced standing may find this goal easier if they take additional classes during the summer semester.

Below are some possible mathematics/statistics course sequences leading to both degrees, for students entering ready to take Calculus. Students entering with advanced placement in mathematics will have greater flexibility in accomplishing this goal. Some deviations from these proposed schedules are possible with the prior approval of a student's advisor. Students wishing to obtain a BS will need to take additional undergraduate mathematics credits.