Mathematics
Explore the world of mathematics and gain a deep knowledge for diverse careers. Join a growing field with high demand.
Mathematics, Pure and Applied Mathematics Concentration, M.S.
Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space, and change. Exploring and understanding the world in which we live is increasingly a matter of mathematical inquiry and discovery. Laptops, smartphones, and video game consoles rely on mathematics, as do the techniques engineers and empirical scientists use to probe nature. Consequently, there is growing need for individuals capable of "speaking the language" of mathematics.
Mathematics provides a broad range of career options; students can find employment in many industries including government, technology, insurance, healthcare, statistics, science, manufacturing, research, finance, and academia.
Students develop advanced problem-solving and critical thinking skills that can be used to find new solutions to very complex problems. These skills are in high demand; and mathematicians may find themselves in analytical modeling, finance, cryptography, data science, research and development, or other career sectors. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects that employment for mathematicians and statisticians will grow 33% from now to 2030—much faster than the average employment growth rate for other occupations.
The Pure and Applied Mathematics Concentration of the Master of Science in Mathematics in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences provides students with a deep and comprehensive foundation in advanced mathematics at the Masters' level. Coursework is tailored to meet the individual needs of students and provides preparation for pursuing additional graduate study and/or pursuing employment in diverse quantitative fields.
MTSU's Master of Science in Mathematics gets students involved in both the understanding and creation of advanced mathematics through quality instruction, opportunities for research, and close faculty-student interaction. A high percentage of program graduates enter Ph.D. programs across the country.
News Briefs
Weekly seminars help grad find passion for graph theory
Hays Whitlatch earned his M.S. in Mathematics at MTSU following a recommendation from a co-worker and began work on his doctorate at the University of South Carolina in fall 2014. Whitlatch had moved to the Nashville area for a job following his undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa. "It was a great recommendation," he says. "One thing that I really liked about MTSU is that professors are willing to invest much time into curious students such as myself." One of these curious moments led him to the weekly Discrete Mathematics seminars where he discovered a passion for graph theory. Whitlatch, who wrote his thesis on "Isoperimetric Constants in Planar Graphs with Hyperbolic Properties," ultimately wants to teach and research in a university environment. His graduate teaching assistantship helped him both financially and in his development as an educator.
Zhang award-winning thesis focuses on cancer, imaging data
MTSU alum Fengqing "Zoe" Zhang (M.S. in Mathematics, 2010) joined Drexel University as assistant professor in fall 2014 after finishing her Ph.D. in Statistics at Northwestern University. She completed her MTSU master's thesis on "Imaging Mass Spectrometry Data Analysis with Applications in Cancer Study" under the supervision of Dr. Don Hong. The work led to three journal publications and earned the 2011 Master's Thesis Award for Digital Scholarship from the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools. Reviewers called it "cutting-edge" because linking spectroscopy technology and the applied-statistical method is relatively new work. "During my master's study, I had the chance to attend various seminars and to present my work at regional and national conferences," Zhang says. "My training in mathematics, statistics, and teaching at MTSU provided a foundation for my later study and research." She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
News Briefs
Weekly seminars help grad find passion for graph theory
Hays Whitlatch earned his M.S. in Mathematics at MTSU following a recommendation from a co-worker and began work on his doctorate at the University of South Carolina in fall 2014. Whitlatch had moved to the Nashville area for a job following his undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa. "It was a great recommendation," he says. "One thing that I really liked about MTSU is that professors are willing to invest much time into curious students such as myself." One of these curious moments led him to the weekly Discrete Mathematics seminars where he discovered a passion for graph theory. Whitlatch, who wrote his thesis on "Isoperimetric Constants in Planar Graphs with Hyperbolic Properties," ultimately wants to teach and research in a university environment. His graduate teaching assistantship helped him both financially and in his development as an educator.
Zhang award-winning thesis focuses on cancer, imaging data
MTSU alum Fengqing "Zoe" Zhang (M.S. in Mathematics, 2010) joined Drexel University as assistant professor in fall 2014 after finishing her Ph.D. in Statistics at Northwestern University. She completed her MTSU master's thesis on "Imaging Mass Spectrometry Data Analysis with Applications in Cancer Study" under the supervision of Dr. Don Hong. The work led to three journal publications and earned the 2011 Master's Thesis Award for Digital Scholarship from the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools. Reviewers called it "cutting-edge" because linking spectroscopy technology and the applied-statistical method is relatively new work. "During my master's study, I had the chance to attend various seminars and to present my work at regional and national conferences," Zhang says. "My training in mathematics, statistics, and teaching at MTSU provided a foundation for my later study and research." She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
A majority of M.S. in Mathematics graduates pursue doctoral degrees. Many of our graduates go on to obtain a Ph.D. in mathematics; others enter MTSU’s Computational and Data Science (COMS) or Mathematics and Science Education (MSE) Ph.D. programs.
Pure and Applied Mathematics concentration graduates pursue a variety of career paths. Many of these graduates go on to obtain doctoral degrees and a majority build careers in academics and/or mathematical research. Other graduates pursue careers in applied industry where they often work as data analyst. Finally, some graduates build careers in seemingly unrelated fields where they heavily utilize the advanced problem-solving skills they learned as mathematicians.
Mathematics Education concentration graduates often continue teaching at secondary and early tertiary levels. The advanced credentials and subject knowledge gained through this program enable these graduates to teach high school courses with increased mathematical rigor, transition to community college teaching, and teach dual enrollment courses. Other graduates of this concentration go on to pursue doctoral degrees in mathematics education and build careers in academia and research.
Actuarial and Financial Mathematics concentration graduates often begin careers as actuaries immediately upon graduation. Indeed, these students typically pass multiple actuarial exams prior to graduation and frequently find employment at their internship site. Other graduates from this concentration go on to pursue doctoral degrees in financial/actuarial mathematics and related fields such as computational and data science.
Select doctoral programs accepting our recent M.S. in Mathematics graduates:
- Middle Tennessee State University
- University of Wisconsin
- University of South Carolina
- Baylor University
- University of Denver
- Iowa State
- University of Toronto
- Virginia Tech
- University of Florida
- Central University China
- Binghampton University
- University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- Northwestern University
- Waterloo University
- University of Auckland
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