Admission Requirements
The minimum requirements for admission to the MMath program normally include:
- a four-year Honours Bachelor degree with a specialization in Mathematics. Students who have completed a degree in Physics or Engineering, with a strong concentration in Mathematics are also encouraged to apply;
- an overall B+ (78%) average or its equivalent for undergraduate work;
- three letters of reference, normally from academic sources;
- proof of competency in English (if applicable). A score of at least 600 (250 on the computerized version) is required in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and 4.0 on the TWE. (See Academic Regulations - English Language Proficiency Certification for other acceptable tests of English.) Since our graduate students need to be able to communicate effectively in spoken English as a part of their teaching assistantship duties, we also strongly recommend that you take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) offered by the Educational Testing Service, and achieve a score of at least 50. This (or an equivalent) can serve as a clear indication of your oral skills.
Note: Students who have a strong academic record but are lacking a few required courses in Applied Mathematics, may be admitted subject to the requirement that they take a few fourth year courses as part of their graduate program. It is possible that students may receive credit toward their graduate degrees for some or all fourth year AMATH courses taken. (This will depend on individual cases.) Note, however, that a one-term (0.50 unit) fourth year AMATH undergraduate course counts only as one-half the credit given (0.25 unit) for a one-term (0.50 unit) graduate course.
Degree Requirements
The Master's degree is available in either a Course Work or Thesis option. In both cases, candidates for the MMath degree must obtain an average of at least 70% in their courses.
MMath Course Work Option
The MMath Course Work option requires the completion of eight one-term (0.50 unit) courses, with a breadth requirement, and a Master's Research Paper. The Master's Research Paper may be thought of as a one-term review paper and is usually 25-35 pages in length. The Master's Research Paper is read by the research supervisor and one other faculty member of the AM graduate program. There is no oral examination.
Students in the MMath Course Work option are allowed to take at most three 600-level courses (including similar cross-listed courses offered by other departments) for credit.
MMath Thesis Option
The MMath Thesis option requires the completion of four one-term (0.50 unit) graduate courses, with a breadth requirement, and the writing of a thesis. It is not required that an MMath thesis contain original results. However, many of our students (for example, those who have had research experience as undergraduates) do obtain new results which may lead to publications in the research literature.
Students in the MMath (thesis) program are allowed to take at most one 600-level course (including similar cross-listed courses offered by other departments) for credit.
The Master's thesis is read by a committee which consists of the thesis supervisor and two other faculty members who are knowledgeable about the research area. The committee is approved by the Departmental Graduate Committee. There is also a thesis defence, which consists of a twenty minute presentation by the candidate, followed by detailed questioning by the committee members. The thesis should normally be submitted to the Mathematics Faculty Graduate Office at least three weeks before the date of the thesis defence. A final version of the thesis should be given to the members of the examining committee at least two weeks before the defence date.
Breadth Requirement
All Applied Mathematics Master's students will normally be required to take at least two of the following courses AMATH 731, AMATH 732 and AMATH 741.