Mathematics and Statistics (MS)

Catalog Year 2025-2026

This program is designed to prepare students to pursue a Ph.D. program in either statistics or mathematics, or prepare students to work in business or industry. 

Program Requirements

Common Core

(0-16) credits

The topology of Euclidean spaces, norms, classical inequalities, local and global properties of continuous functions, preservation of compactness and connectedness, sequences in Euclidean space and sequences of functions.

Prerequisites:
MATH 223 and MATH 290 with "C" (2.0) or better or consent.

An in-depth study of linear operators and their related spaces, dimension, rank, matrix representation of linear operators, special matrices, determinants, eigenvectors, and eigenvalues.

Prerequisites:
MATH 345 with "C" (2.0) or better or consent.

This course provides an introduction to techniques and analysis involved with solving mathematical problems using technology. Topics included are errors in computation, solutions of linear and nonlinear equations, numerical differentiation and integration, and interpolation.

Prerequisites:
MATH 122 and MATH 247 with "C" (2.0) or better or consent.

Simple and multiple regression, correlation, analysis of variance and covariance.

Prerequisites:
MATH 354 or STAT 354 or (MATH 455 or MATH 555) or (STAT 455 or STAT 555) with "C" (2.0) or better or consent.

A mathematical approach to statistics with derivation of theoretical results and of basic techniques used in applications. Includes probability, continuous probability distributions, multivariate distributions, functions of random variables, central limit theorem, and statistical inference. Same as MATH 555.

Prerequisites:
MATH 223 with "C" (2.0) or better or consent.

A mathematical approach to statistics with derivation of theoretical results and of basic techniques used in applications, including sufficient statistics, additional statistical inference, theory of statistical tests, inferences about normal models, and nonparametric methods. Same as MATH 556.

Prerequisites:
(MATH 455 or MATH 555) or (STAT 455 or STAT 555) with "C" (2.0) or better or consent.

A Common Core requirement is waived if credit has been received for an equivalent course with grade of C or better at the undergraduate or graduate levels. Up to, and including, 16 credit hours of Common Core courses taken at the graduate level can be applied to a student's program. All Common Core courses, or their equivalents, must be completed before graduation. College of Graduate Study and Research Transfer policy applies.

Unrestricted Electives

A minimum of 6 credits of 600 level Mathematics and a minimum of 6 credits of 600 level statistics. Advisor approval is required.

Other Graduation Requirements

Thesis or Alternate Plan Paper: (1-4 credits) Math 694 Alternate Plan Paper (1-2) Math 699 Thesis (1-4) Comprehensive Exam: Four courses, two chosen from MATH 517, MATH 547 and MATH 570, and two chosen from STAT 550, STAT 555, STAT 556. Advisor approval is required.

Policies

Admission: Preference will be given to applicants with minimum grade point average of 3.0 and a demonstrated ability to consistently perform at a B or better level in upper division mathematics and/or statistics courses. An applicant must also meet the general admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and Research.

Financial Assistance: Approximately 30 graduate assistantships are available in the department each year. Graduate assistant duties include teaching or research.

General Program Requirements: All programs require an alternate plan paper or thesis, a comprehensive exam, and an oral defense of the alternate plan paper or thesis. At least 50% of the course work of each program must be at the 600 level. Alternate plan paper and thesis credit are not counted as course work. After completing 16 credits, the student must select an examining committee composed of a minimum of three graduate faculty members. The comprehensive exam may be attempted twice. Under certain circumstances, the third attempt may be granted by appealing to the Graduate Faculty.

Course Application Policy: No course can be used to satisfy more than one program requirement.

Degree
Master of Science

Major Credits
34

Total Credits
34

Locations
Mankato

Career Cluster
Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics