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The Mathematical, Computing and Information Sciences Department offers courses leading to the Master of Science (MS) with a major in mathematics. Students pursuing graduate degrees in secondary education who meet Mathematical, Computing, and Information Sciences Department admission requirements (described below) may take mathematics courses as their teaching field.

Required Application Materials

Applicants for the MS with a major in mathematics may be permitted to enroll for one semester of graduate course work while completing all other general application requirements.

Applicants for the MS with a major in mathematics must submit all of the following documentation to the College of Graduate Studies, Jacksonville State University, 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602, to be considered for admission:

Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission (http://www.jsu.edu/graduate/grad_app.html)
Non-refundable $30.00 application processing fee
Official transcripts(s) from all postsecondary institutions attended. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the University.)
Official tests scores on the General Test of the GRE or the MAT (please refer to page 18 of this Bulletin).
Three “Graduate Reference Forms” completed by individuals who can provide qualitative assessment of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate course work. This form is available in the office of the College of Graduate Studies or online at http://www.jsu.edu/graduate/forms.html or http://www.jsu.edu/graduate/docs/ref_form.pdf.
If English is not the applicant’s native language, the applicant is required to submit an official TOEFL score report, an IELTS score report or a PTE score report.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting general admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies, an applicant must have completed at least 12 semester hours, or equivalent, beyond the three course JSU calculus series or equivalent, including at least one course equivalent to MS 415, Advanced Calculus I, and one course equivalent to MS 441, Abstract Algebra I.

Applicants must meet one of the following admission formula requirements. For purposes of computing the undergraduate GPA, a 4.0 grade-point scale is used. The plus (+) and minus (-) grades from undergraduate transcripts are not used in calculating the GPA.

Unconditional Admission

450 times the undergraduate GPA plus the total score of verbal and quantitative sections of the General Test of the GRE is equal to or greater than a total of 1600 points;

15 times the undergraduate GPA plus the MAT score is equal to or greater than a total of 60 points;

Conditional Admission

Any applicant failing to meet the requirements for unconditional admission may be conditionally admitted with the recommendation of the graduate faculty in the applicant’s major and approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicants who are granted conditional admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 on the first 12 graduate hours attempted within a twelve-month time frame. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student being dropped from graduate studies.

Non-Thesis Option

Total of 30 graduate semester hours in approved mathematics courses including four of the following five courses:

MS 451G
515
516
541
542.

Only two of the following courses can be counted toward the 30 hours of course work:

MS 523
526
528
530
533
535
537
549

Thesis Option

Total of 30 graduate semester hours.

Minimum of 24 hours in approved mathematics courses including four of the following five courses:

MS 451G
515
516
541
542
six hours of approved thesis

Only two of the following courses can be counted toward the 24 hours of course work:

MS 523
526
528
530
533
535
537
549

A maximum of six hours of graduate credit may be transferred; however, courses transferred must be applicable to the student’s program of study.

Mathematics Courses

Prefix MS

NOTE: Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses

Graduate courses in mathematics are open only to students who (1) are admitted to a graduate program of study in mathematics, or (2) are admitted to a graduate program of study in secondary education with a teaching field of mathematics, and with all undergraduate deficiencies in mathematics removed, or (3) have completed 32 semester hours in mathematics with at least 19 upper division hours. Some individual courses have further prerequisites; see the course descriptions below. Exemptions from course prerequisites require permission of the department head.

403G.		Vector Analysis (3). Prerequisite: MS 227 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Algebra and calculus of vectors, Stokes theorem, and divergence theorem; applications to geometry, mass potential functions, electricity, and fluid flow.
404G.		Mathematical Statistics II (3). Prerequisites: MS 227 and MS 304, and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Continuation of MS 304; selected topics from multivariate probability distributions, functions of random variables, approximations to probability distributions, methods of estimation, linear models and least squares estimators, analysis of variance, and nonparametric statistics.
416G.		Advanced Calculus II (3). Prerequisite: MS 415 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Selected topics from advanced calculus; elements of partial differentiation including the general theorems, Jacobians; topics on theory of integration.
423G.		Survey of Geometries (3). Prerequisite: MS 323 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Selected topics from advanced Euclidean geometry, finite geometries, non-Euclidean geometry, and other geometries.
451G.		Functions of a Complex Variable (3). Prerequisites: MS 227 and MS 300 and MS 415, and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Fundamental operations with complex numbers, differentiation and integration theorems, mapping, series, and residues.
480G.		Introductory Topology (3). Prerequisite: MS 415 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Basic topological concepts to include topological spaces, mapping, compactness, connectedness, and separation axioms.
484G.		Partial Differential Equations (3). Prerequisites: MS 227 and MS 344, and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Standard methods of solution; separation of variables, Fourier Series, Laplace Transforms; selected applications.
504.		Applied Statistical Methods (3). Prerequisite: See “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Fundamental concepts of descriptive and inferential statistics, probability distributions, estimation, and hypothesis testing; statistical software packages are used to facilitate valid analysis and interpretation of results; emphasis is on method and selection of proper statistical techniques for analyzing real situations.
505.		Basic Logic and Set Theory (3). Prerequisite: MS 415 or MS 441, and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Basic topics in symbolic logic and naive set theory, including sets and set operations, symbolic logic, the language of set theory, and applications of set theory.
515.		Real Variables I (3). Prerequisite: MS 416 or permission of the instructor, and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Selected topics from real analysis with emphasis on functions of one and several variables, measure, and the Riemann and/or Darboux integral.
516.		Real Variables II (3). Prerequisite: MS 515 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Selected topics from real analysis emphasizing Lebesgue integration, sequences and series of functions.
517.		Introduction to Functional Analysis (3). Prerequisites: MS 352 and MS 415 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Introduction to the fundamental topics of functional analysis. Topics include metric spaces, completeness, linear operators, normed spaces and Banach spaces, inner product spaces, and Hilbert spaces. Objectives include the Riesz Representation Theorem, the Hahn-Banach Theorem, and the Contraction Mapping Theorem.
523.		Topics in Geometry for Teachers (3). Prerequisite: See “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Classical theorems, ideas, and constructions of Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry in theorems of Ceva, Menalaus, Pappus, and Feuerbach; homothetic transformations, inversion, harmonic sets of points, and cevians.
526.		Topics in Analytic Geometry for Teachers (3). Prerequisite: See “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Applications of Euclidean and homogeneous coordinates, geometric transformations, trigonometric, and vector techniques to geometric problems.
528.		Theory of Equations and Functions for Teachers (3). Prerequisite: See “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Topics in the theory of polynomial and other equations, and in the properties of transcendental functions. (The goal is the development of a deeper understanding of the equations and functions commonly encountered in precalculus mathematics.) May require the use of computer software.
530.		Foundations in Calculus for Teachers (3). Prerequisite: See “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Theory, problem-solving techniques, and applications of differential and integral calculus, including the use of graphing calculators and computer software. (Recommended for students who are teaching or planning to teach Advanced Placement Calculus.)
533.		Topics in Modern Analysis for Teachers (3). Prerequisite: See “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Logic and set theory, functions and sequences, structure and development of the real number system including completeness.
535.		Topics in Finite Mathematics for Teachers (3). Prerequisite: See “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Elementary combinatorial analysis, probability, vectors and matrices, game theory, linear programming, and model building in the social and physical sciences.
537.		Foundations in Algebra for the Secondary Teacher (3). Prerequisite: MS 441 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Concepts of high school algebra from the perspective of ring theory.
541.		Abstract Algebra I (3). Prerequisite: MS 441 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” General group theory including cyclic groups and permutation groups, homomorphism and isomorphism theorems.
542.		Abstract Algebra II (3). Prerequisite: MS 441 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Theory of rings, ideals, fields, and integral domains.
549.		Selected Topics in Mathematics for the Secondary Teacher (3). Prerequisite: See “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Selected topics suitable for the secondary teacher; problem solving; secondary school mathematics from an advanced standpoint.
552.		Linear Algebra (3). Prerequisites: MS 352 and MS 441 and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Abstract treatment of finite dimensional vector spaces. Linear transformations, determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, invariant subspaces, Rational and Jordan Canonical Forms, inner product spaces, unitary and normal operators, bilinear forms.
591.		Seminar in Algebra (3,3). Prerequisites: MS 541 and MS 542 or permission of instructor and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Selected topics in modern algebra beyond the scope of the graduate algebra sequence. Topics may be chosen from the theory of groups, rings, fields, or modules; linear algebra; homological algebra; or other topics, depending on student and instructor interests.
595.		Seminar in Analysis (3,3). Prerequisites: MS 515 and MS 516 or permission of instructor and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Selected topics in modern analysis beyond the scope of the graduate analysis sequence. Topics may be chosen from the fields of real analysis (measure theory and integration, special functions, finite differences, functional equations, sequences and series), complex variables, Fourier and harmonic analysis, integral transforms, operator theory, or other topics, depending on student and instructor interests.
598.		Directed Readings (3,3). Prerequisites: Students must have two courses in the topical area chosen and approval by the faculty advisor in mathematics and the instructor and see “Prerequisite for all Mathematics Courses.” Algebra, analysis, geometry, and topology.
599.		Thesis (3,3). (Grade of Pass or Fail only.) Prerequisite: Approval of Application for Thesis Option. See “Thesis Options and Procedures on page 45 of this Bulletin.

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