Master of Science in Mathematics

MS Degree Requirements

The Master of Science (MS) in Mathematics program is generally completed within two years. Students take up to 30 academic credits consisting of graduate coursework and research seminars. There are three paths toward the degree: (a) comprehensive examination in graduate material, (b) comprehensive examination and research project, supervised by a faculty, completed during one semester, (c) research thesis, supervised by a faculty, often organized around an effort to complete an original journal article.

• Complete 30 credit hours subject to the following restrictions:
  • At least 20 credit hours of course and seminar work must be earned in residence at Clarkson
  • At least 16 hours must be earned in the Department of Mathematics as courses and seminars numbered above MA 505, with at most one of these credits coming from seminar.
  • Among the courses, one course must be MA 521 Classical Complex Analysis, MA 522 Classical Real Analysis or MA 578 Numerical Analysis, and two other courses must be at the 500 or 600 level. The remainder of the coursework must be approved by the advisor in collaboration with the Graduate Committee Chair.
  • Have an overall grade point average of at least 3.00 in their course work.

Fulfill one of the following:

• Write a thesis under the guidance of a faculty member. The thesis is to be an original or expository study of some area or problem and shall represent 6 to 10 credit hours. The topic of the thesis must be approved by the graduate committee and thesis advisor in advance. As required by University regulations, the thesis must be examined by a committee of at least three Clarkson faculty appointed by the chair of the department.
• Pass two qualifying exams described under the requirements for the PhD degree. The choices must be approved by the student's advisor and the graduate committee.
• Pass one exam from either of the categories (I or II) listed in the PhD requirements, plus complete a special project. A description of the proposed project must be approved in advance by the student's advisor and the graduate committee. When the project is completed, it must be approved by the graduate committee. Completion will carry 3 to 9 hours at the discretion of the student's advisor.
• Typical duration of a MS program is 2 years.

PhD Degree Requirements

The PhD in Mathematics consists of 90 credits above a bachelors degree. These credits are taken in coursework, seminar and project work to fulfill the PhD requirement. The program consists of extensive coursework completed in the first 2-3 years of the program, followed by the development of the original research dissertation under the direction of one of our faculty members.

PhD candidates take at least 39 credit hours of approved course work (30 of which may be those taken for the MS degree). As required by University regulations, the course work must contain a minimum of fifteen hours in his/her major area, a minimum of nine hours in a minor area, and a minimum of six hours of work outside the department. Cross registered graduate level courses from other institutions are acceptable. The major area and minor area will be identified by the candidate's advisor and must be approved by the graduate committee.

• Have an overall grade point average of at least 3.00 in their course work.
• By the end of the second semester (not including summer) every PhD student must pass a General Comprehensive Exam. The purpose of this exam is to determine whether or not a student possesses the fundamental knowledge and skills to pursue PhD level research and course content. The topics cover Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Real Analysis, Probability, and Statistics. The exam is offered in August, January, and May. By the fourth semester (summer not included) every PhD student must pass two additional written Comprehensive Examinations. One exam will be from Category I and one from Category II below. The choices must be approved by the student's advisor and the graduate committee. In the event that a student has not satisfied these conditions within the time limit allowed, the student must petition the graduate committee in order to continue studies.
  • Category I: (Pure Math) Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Sets and Topology, Numerical Analysis.
  • Category II: Matrix Theory and Computations, Partial Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, Ordinary Differential Equations, Probability and Measure Theory, or Statistics. Acquire at least six hours of seminar credit. A seminar is a course in which the student is expected to make presentations to the class. This is in addition to the minimum of 39 credit hours of approved course work in (i) above. One hour of seminar credit may be earned by either attending a regular scheduled seminar and making one presentation, or attending all colloquia for one semester and giving one presentation at a Department of Mathematics Seminar.
• Have made a formal presentation of a proposed thesis topic to his/her Thesis Committee (see part (vi)) within one year of passing their Comprehensive Exam (part iii). The topic must be acceptable to the committee.
• Write and defend (to their Thesis Committee) a dissertation which embodies the results of their original research. In association with this work, the student must obtain at least 21, but no more than 45, hours of thesis credit. The Thesis Committee consists of at least five Clarkson faculty members of whom at least one is from another department.
• Complete a total of 90 hours graduate credit. The satisfaction of these requirements will be certified by the Thesis Committee.
• Typical duration of the PhD program is 5-6 years.

The Master of Science (MS) in Mathematics program is generally completed within two years. Students take up to 30 academic credit hours consisting of graduate coursework and research seminars. There are three paths toward the degree: (a) comprehensive examination in graduate material, (b) comprehensive examination and research project, supervised by a faculty member and completed during one semester, or (c) research thesis, supervised by a faculty member and often organized around an effort to complete an original journal article.

All candidates are required to complete 30 credit hours subject to the following restrictions:

• At least 20 credit hours of course and seminar work must be earned in residence at Clarkson.
• At least 16 credit hours must be earned in the Department of Mathematics as courses and seminars numbered above MA505, with at most one of these credits coming from a seminar.
• Among the courses, one course must be MA521 Classical Complex Analysis, MA522 Classical Real Analysis or MA578 Numerical Analysis, and two other courses must be at the 500 or 600 level. The remainder of the coursework must be approved by the advisor in collaboration with the Graduate Committee Chair.
• Candidates must maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.00 for their coursework.

Master's students must additionally fulfill one of the following:

• Write a thesis under the guidance of a faculty member. The thesis is to be an original or expository study of some area or problem and shall represent six to 10 credit hours. The topic of the thesis must be approved by the graduate committee and thesis advisor in advance. As required by University regulations, the thesis must be examined by a committee of at least three Clarkson faculty appointed by the chair of the department.
• Pass two qualifying exams described under the requirements for the PhD degree. The choices must be approved by the student's advisor and the graduate committee.
• Pass one exam from either of the categories (I or II) listed in the PhD requirements, plus complete a special project. A description of the proposed project must be approved in advance by the student's advisor and the graduate committee. When the project is completed, it must be approved by the graduate committee. Completion carries three to nine hours at the discretion of the student's advisor.
• The typical duration of the MS program is two years.

A complete application consists of the following:

• Online Application Form.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Statement of purpose.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Official transcripts.
• GRE test scores are optional for those with MS and BS degrees in mathematical sciences (mathematics, applied mathematics, and statistics); for others it is required but waivers will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 
• For international applicants, an English proficiency test is required.
  • Minimum test score requirements: TOEFL (80) and TOEFL Essentials (8.5), IELTS (6.5), PTE (56) or Duolingo English Test (115).
  • The English language-testing requirement is not waived based on language of instruction, nor do we accept university certificates. English testing is waived if an applicant has a degree from a country where English is the Native Language. Click here to see the list of these countries.

Prerequisites: Students must have a BS (or MS) or equivalent degree(s) in mathematics or a closely-related field.

Note: If you already have a certain career path in mind, e.g., using your MS degree as a stepping stone to an eventual PhD program or trying to enter a specific industry, please elaborate in your statement of purpose.

The major areas of emphasis in our department include:

• Applied math education
• Applied statistics
• Applied optimization
• Biomathematics
• Control theory
• Computational mathematics
• Data-driven science
• Dynamical and complex systems
• Image processing

As a student, you have access to Clarkson University centers like the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, the Institute for STEM Education and the Center for Complex Systems Science, where many of our faculty are involved in research projects. 

Explore Research

Select teaching or research assistantships may be open to master's candidates. Reach out to the department to discuss opportunities and how to complete an application.

Master's students additionally have access to other forms of aid. Learn more about the types of financial assistance available to graduate students.

Learn More About Financial Aid

Our faculty make significant contributions to the world of mathematics and participate in interdisciplinary research with other academics. As a student, you benefit from their mentorship and work closely with them in a collaborative and encouraging environment. Learn more about their experience and areas of specialization.

Meet Our Faculty

The annual Mathematics Colloquium is the flagship series of talks in mathematics at Clarkson University. Once a week during the Spring semester, we invite visiting speakers, faculty members and graduate students to present their most current research.

Mathematics Colloquia and Seminars

The program is held on our main campus in Potsdam, New York. Many of our full-time, research-based master's and PhD programs are housed here, as well. Students have access to research facilities, onsite laboratories and other resources.

Potsdam Campus