Admission Requirements
The minimum requirements for admission to the MMath program normally include:
- an Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Mathematics with at least a B+ standing (78%) (successful applicants with insufficient background may be asked to take additional courses or a qualifying year);
- three letters of reference, at least two of which must be from academic sources;
- proof of competency in English (if applicable). A score of at least 580 (paper based), 237 (computer based), or 92-92 (Internet based) 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.)
- a one-page personal statement (please refer to these guidelines).
Deadline for applications to the Master's program is February 1st for International, Canadian/Landed Immigrant students. Please apply on-line on the following website: http://www.grad.uwaterloo.ca/students/applyingonline.asp.
Degree Requirements - MMath With Thesis Option
Course Requirement:
This program requires a minimum of four term graduate course credits with an average of at least 70% (with unit weights equal to .50 each). At least two of the courses must be PMATH graduate courses numbered in the 800's and 900's. The other two courses can include at most one graduate course that is jointly held with undergraduate courses and at most one graduate course from outside the Pure Mathematics department. The selection of courses normally requires the approval of the student’s graduate advisor. In order for a reading course to count as one of the four required courses, approval must be obtained from the departmental Graduate Committee. A reading course consisting of work done by a student in the immediate preparation for writing a thesis would not normally be counted as one of the four required courses.
Seminar - Milestone:
Regular participation in a departmental seminar is required.
MMath Thesis Requirement:
The thesis must be acceptable to a committee approved by the departmental Graduate Committee. It will consist of the student's supervisor and two other members of the Department. The nature and length of a Master's thesis can vary greatly. However, a typical thesis is roughly 50-100 typed pages. The thesis should be a synthesis of some research papers or monographs, and may also contain some original work. The student will be expected to give a talk on their thesis.
Degree Requirements - MMath With Research Paper Option
Course Requirement:
This program requires a minimum of six term graduate course credits with an average of at least 70% (with unit weights equal to .50). At least four courses must be PMATH courses. At least two of the courses must be PMATH graduate courses numbered in the 800's and 900's. At most two courses can be graduate courses that are jointly held with undergraduate courses. In order for a reading course to count as one of the six required courses, approval must be obtained from the departmental Graduate Committee. A reading course consisting of work done by a student in the immediate preparation for writing the research paper would not normally be counted as one of the six required courses. The selection of courses normally requires the approval of the student's graduate advisor.
MMath Research Paper Requirement:
The Master's Research Paper will normally be completed in the Spring term (May - August) for students who entered the program in the previous Fall term. A typical research paper is roughly 25-30 typed pages.