The Co-Terminal Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics/Master of Science in Applied Mathematics Degree allows talented students to complete their bachelor's degree and master's degree at the same time in as few as five years. A typical M.S. degree requires two years after the B.S. degree. This program can potentially reduce the time to an M.S. degree by up to at least one year for select students with sufficient AP or transfer credits. The program requires that students complete the credit hour requirements for both degrees, but credit sharing of up to nine hours is allowed between the two degree programs and students can take advantage of advanced or transfer credits they have when entering IIT. Instead of graduating from IIT in four years with only a B.S. degree, the students can stay at IIT and take graduate-level courses that will be counted toward earning a graduate degree. The core and course requirements for each of the degree programs remain the same.
A faster and, if preferred, research oriented program can also be an option, especially for incoming students that have taken advanced courses in high school, and students who are keen on continuing for graduate studies and participating in research. A sample five-year plan is provided below. In the following sample program, students are assumed to take at most one summer course during the entire program. They may finish even earlier if they take more courses during the summer. Students can participate in the research projects being carried out in the department, possibly in MATH 491 (undergraduate independent study) and continuing in MATH 591 (M.S. thesis).
The advantages of the co-terminal degree program are:
- Provide high-quality students opportunities to obtain both B.S. and M.S. degrees within five years, cutting the length of an M.S. degree by up to at least one year.
- Offer students chances to link the advanced undergraduate course work with graduate course work.
- Provide students with research opportunities during their early years of study.
- Prepare bright students for a Ph.D. program in Applied Mathematics or Mathematics at an elite graduate school.
- Offer an enhanced academic environment with accelerated learning.
- Simplify the graduate admission procedure.
Admission
Because the program is designed for high quality students who are determined to get an advanced degree in Applied Mathematics or Mathematics, the math course loads are heavy in most semesters. The students satisfying the following requirements are eligible to apply to the B.S./M.S. combined program:
- The student must have completed four semesters of full-time study in the B.S. program, or have at least 80 credit hours (including transferred credits).
- The student must have an overall GPA of 3.25 or better for all courses.
- The student must have a GPA of 3.5 or better for math courses.
Applications must be accompanied by an official transcript and three letters of recommendation. At least two letters of recommendation are from departmental faculty members. These two letters shall attest to readiness and probable success in completing the graduate program. GRE scores are not required for this co-terminal degree program. Applications are reviewed and processed by the Graduate Director of the department.
Students must maintain a graduate GPA of 3.00 or better in order to continue the combined program.The student will obtain two degrees, one is a B.S. in Applied Mathematics and the other an M.S. in Applied Mathematics. Credit requirements of both degrees subject to credit sharing of up to nine credits as mentioned above.
The students in the program may choose to obtain a B.S. only and not complete the requirements of the M.S. Degree. The credit hours in graduate-level math courses will be counted toward the B.S. degree requirements as applied math electives or free electives. Students in the program cannot obtain an M.S. degree unless they satisfy the requirements of the B.S. degree and get a B.S. degree in applied mathematics.
Financial Assistance
Students may be offered Research Assistantships at any time during the program. Students in the program will be eligible for all scholarships and financial aid packages for undergraduates, as long as they don't have a B.S. degree. They are eligible for Dean's Fellowships when they have obtained the equivalent credit requirement for a B.S. degree and still have at least 18 credit hours to complete the combined degree program. Furthermore, students in the program can apply for external funding. For example, they can apply for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship in their fourth year and fifth year of the five-year program.
Course of Study
Five-year Sample Program
Should a student come in with AP credit for at least MATH 151 (Calculus I), then no summer courses will be required. This is a very common scenario.
Five year B.S./M.S. Co-Terminal in Applied Mathematics Sample Program
| First semester |
Credits
|
|
| MATH 100 MATH 151 CS 115 Humanities 200-level Elective Science Elective |
Intro. to the Profession Calculus I Intro. to Computer Prog. I |
3 5 2 3 3 |
| Totals | 16 | |
| Second semester | ||
| MATH 152 MATH 230 CS 116 PHYS 123 Humanities or Social Sci. |
Calculus II Intro. to Discrete Math Intro. to Computer Prog. II General Physics I: Mechanics |
5 3 2 4 3 |
| Totals | 17 | |
| 1st-year Summer | ||
| MATH 251 | Multivar & Vector Calc. | 4 |
| Totals | 4 | |
| Third semester | ||
| MATH 252 MATH 332 MATH 430 or MATH 454 Minor Subject Science Elective |
Intro. to Diff. Equations Elementary Linear Algebra Applied Algebra or Graph Theory & Applications |
4 3 3 3 3 |
| Totals | 16 | |
| Fourth semester | ||
| MATH 350 MATH 380 Applied Math Elective Minor Subject Humanities or Social Sci. Humanities or Social Sci. |
Intro. Computational Math. Intro. Mathematical Modeling |
3 3 3 3 3 3 |
| Totals | 18 | |
| Fifth semester | ||
| MATH 400 MATH 475 Applied Math Elective Minor Subject Humanities or Social Sci. Humanities or Social Sci. |
Real Analysis Probability |
3 3 3 3 3 3 |
| Totals | 18 | |
| Sixth semester | ||
| Applied Math Elective Graduate Math Course Minor Subject Science Elective IPRO 397 |
3 3 3 3 3 |
|
| Total | 15 | |
| Seventh semester | ||
| MATH 500 MATH 577 Applied Math Elective Applied Math Elective Minor Subject |
Applied Analysis I Computational Mathematics I |
3 3 3 3 3 |
| Totals | 15 | |
| Eighth semester | ||
| Graduate Math Course Graduate Math Course Free Elective Humanities or Social Sci. IPRO 497 |
3 3 3 3 3 |
|
| Totals | 15 | |
| Ninth semester | ||
| Graduate Math Course Graduate Math Course Graduate Math Course |
3 3 3 |
|
| Totals | 9 | |
| Tenth semester | ||
| Graduate Course MATH 591 |
Research and Thesis for M.S. Degree | 3 6 |
| Totals | 9 | |
| Total credit hours | 119 (Undergraduate, 100-400 level) + 33 (Graduate, 500 level) = 152 | |
Useful Links
For general questions about the co-terminal degrees, see the FAQ.
Program Contact
- Professor Igor Cialenco
- Professor Michael Pelsmajer
