Applicants will be considered for admission to the MSc program if they have a B+ average in the final year of an honours Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, or in a related area. They may apply to follow one of three options:
A. Thesis Option
The candidate must complete a minimum of six one-term graduate courses and submit a thesis written under the
supervision of a faculty member and based on original research. The thesis is defended in an oral examination. The duration of this option is normally 20 months.
B. Project Option
The candidate must complete a minimum of seven one-term graduate courses, one of which is required to be Mathematics *790 (Major Research Project). The duration of this option is normally 10-12 months.
C. Transfer Option
A candidate may transfer directly to the PhD program without completing an MSc by first registering for the thesis option and then submitting an application for transfer after 12 to 20 months. This option requires completion of six one-term graduate courses, one written comprehensive exam, submission of a research proposal, and a statement from the supervisor. Successful applicants may apply all accumulated credits to the PhD degree, but are still required to complete two one-term courses beyond the MSc once registered in the PhD program. Unsuccessful applicants must choose one of the other options.
Each candidate for the MSc is required to choose no fewer than four 700-level courses in Mathematics, and the remaining courses may include up to two one-term courses at the graduate level from a cognate subject, with the entire programme of coursework subject to departmental approval. In all options, at most two one-term 600-level courses may be used to fulfill the course requirement. Students intending to do doctoral work are advised to complete two of the two-term course sequences from Algebra *701/*702, Analysis *721/*722, and Applied Math *741/*742.
The training offered by the M.Sc. degree in Mathematics is not only relevant if you intend to go on to doctoral studies in mathematics, but also if you are contemplating a career in which mathematics is an important analytical tool, e.g., some areas of engineering, theoretical physics or chemistry, economic forecasting, finance, computer science, actuarial science, high school or community college teaching.