Master's Program

Description from the Graduate Catalog
The primary goal of this program is to provide the appropriate mathematical knowledge and experience for persons seeking positions in industry. The program focuses on those mathematical theories and techniques which are applicable in the industrial setting. Emphasis is on the construction of mathematical models of industrial problems and on the mathematical tools that can be applied to such models. The program has two tracks, focusing on continuous mathematics or discrete mathematics. Courses required for the program are offered in the late afternoon or evening to accommodate the part-time student. Teaching assistantships are available to full-time students on a competitive basis.

Admission
Admission is selective. All applicants who have received a baccalaureate from an accredited institution with a cumulative grade point average or 3.00 or more will be considered. The successful candidate's background should include courses in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations, and a knowledge of at least one high-level scientific programming language such as Pascal, Fortran, C, or PL/1. Students admitted without some aspects of the required background will be expected to remedy the deficiency before enrolling in many of the courses of the program.

Requirements for the Degree
To fulfill the requirements for the Master of Science in Industrial Applied Mathematics a student must successfully complete, with at least a 2.5 in each course and an overall grade point average of 3.00 or better, a 32-credit program as outlined below.

• At least 16 credits of courses that satisfy the following conditions:
  • For the continuous track, at least four courses from the following list: APM 5333 (533), APM 5334 (534), APM 5553 (553), APM 5557 (557), APM 5665 (565), APM 5666 (566), APM 6005 (605), APM 6334 (634), MOR 5554 (554). The courses selected must include at least one of APM 5333 (533) or APM 5334 (534).
  • For the discrete track, at least four courses from the following list: APM 5663 (563), APM 5664 (564), APM 5666 (566), APM 5610 (567), APM 5669 (569), APM 5777 (577), APM 5881 (581), APM 6664 (664), APM 6665 (665), APM 6773 (673), MTH 5771 (571), MOR 5554 (554). The courses selected must include at least one of APM 5610 (567), APM 5777 (577) or APM 5881 (581).
• One course from APM 5668 (568), APM 6558 (658), or MOR 5558 (558).
• A 4-credit project course APM 6996 (595). The research must be carried out under the supervision of an approved adviser. The student must prepare a written report based on the research and make an oral presentation to a group of faculty members. The student must contact the graduate coordinator for permission to enroll in this course.
• Elective courses to complete the 32-credit requirement. The set of courses must be approved by the student's adviser. At most two courses in the MTS rubric can be used.

Additional Comments
The faculty of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Oakland University designed this program in consultation with a group of individuals with strategic positions in Michigan industry. Both the Department and the industrial advisers view this program as a constructive step toward strengthening the technology of industry in Southeast Michigan.

Students with an undergraduate degree in mathematics, engineering, statistics, operations research, or the physical sciences will usually have met the prerequisites for admission. Other students with similar backgrounds also qualify. Students who do not satisfy all of the prerequisites may be admitted on a conditional basis with the stipulation that specific prerequisites be satisfied within a specified time interval. The courses in this program include numerical methods, mathematical modeling of industrial problems, statistics, mathematical programming, partial differential equations, computational geometry, and numerical methods for partial differential equations. Some courses are taught every year, while other courses are taught on an alternating basis every other year. The schedule is designed to allow the full time student to complete the course work of the program in 4 semesters of full time work. For part time students (one course per semester), the program can be completed in 8 semesters. Courses satisfying program requirements may not be available in the summer semester.

Description from the Graduate Catalog
By offering this program the department seeks to increase the number of people with broad training in statistical methodology which is suitable for application in industrial, business and governmental settings. The program's primary goal is to provide the basis for the skilled and competent application of modern statistical methods. Areas of methodology in the program, in addition to a basic theoretical foundation, include design of experiments, regression analysis, discrete data, statistical computing, statistical process control, non-parametric, multivariate, reliability, sample survey and time series methodology. All applied courses make use of and stress the importance of modern statistical computing software. Because of the wide diversity of backgrounds of entering students, course selection for completion of the program is developed in consultation with a faculty adviser. Selection of courses will reflect the goal of broad training and any special needs of the student. All courses for the program are offered in the late afternoon or evening to accommodate the part-time student who is engaged in professional development. Teaching and research assistantships are available to well qualified full-time students; internships with industry are also available.

Admission
Admission is selective. All applicants who have received a baccalaureate from an accredited institution with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or more will be considered. Previous mathematical training should include the satisfactory completion of courses in single and multivariate calculus and linear algebra, as well as at least one course in elementary statistics. Applicants should also have some scientific computing training.

Requirements for the Degree
To fulfill the degree requirements the student must:

Have completed, with at least a 2.5 in each course and an overall average of 3.00 in all courses, a program of at least 32 credits.

Have completed at least 24 credits in courses labeled STA as approved by an adviser. STA 5002 (502), STA 5113 (513) and STA 5114 (514) are required unless the student has completed the equivalent courses before admission. Students with the necessary mathematics background are encouraged to complete these courses in their first year in order to satisfy prerequisites for more advanced courses.

Have completed at most 12 credits of elective courses outside of the STA rubric. The courses selected must also be approved by the student's adviser.

Have completed an applied statistics project, demonstrating competence in applying statistical methods and theory in the solution of a practical problem or problems. The work must be carried out under the supervision of a faculty member appointed by the graduate coordinator, and the student must prepare a written report and make an oral presentation to a committee of faculty members appointed by the graduate coordinator. The committee must certify that the student has met the requirement. Please see CONSCOMP.pdf or contact the graduate coordinator for more information about this requirement.

Additional Comments
The Graduate Certificate Program in Statistical Methods and the Master of Science in Applied Statistics are designed to meet the needs of the nontraditional student working in industry, business or government, as well as those who wish to prepare for entrance into a Ph.D. program in statistics. The Graduate Certificate program, in particular, was developed as part of the Department's extensive partnership arrangement with Ford Motor Company, which began in 1985 and continued until 2003. This partnership grew to include statistical methodology courses and workshops (both for credit and noncredit) offered on campus and at various Ford locations, a cooperative scholars program for student interns, faculty consulting and a departmental computer lab.

The Department also had a partnership arrangement with General Motors. This program began in 1988 with on-site statistics courses for approximately 100 quality and productivity professionals and engineers. Graduates of this program were honored in a ceremony that took place in August, 1992 at GM's Deming Center, with Dr. Deming present. As a result of these partnership arrangements the number of master's degrees in statistics awarded in 1992 by the Department ranked among the highest in the nation. In all of this activity the Department has been a nationally recognized leader in bringing modern statistical methods to bear on the challenge of achieving quality control in the workplace.

Description from the Graduate Catalog
The program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in mathematics provides students with a sound theoretical knowledge of modern mathematical sciences and ample opportunity to learn something of the applications of the mathematical sciences, the construction of mathematical models, and the art of problem-solving. The program is designed to serve those who wish to enter a Ph.D. program in mathematical sciences or to teach at the secondary or community college level. (This program does not provide secondary education certification; contact the School of Education for information on certification.) Courses required for the program are offered in the late afternoon or evening to accommodate the part-time student. Teaching assistantships are available to full-time students on a competitive basis.

Admission
Admission is selective. The requirements for regular admission into the program include a baccalaureate from an accredited institution with a 3.00 grade point average. Exceptions to this requirement may be made if evidence of the capacity for graduate study is provided. Normally the mathematical preparation requires at least 30 semester credits in undergraduate mathematics including calculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra and differential equations. Students who have not had an undergraduate course in abstract algebra or advanced calculus may be required to complete one or both of these courses as a prerequisite to regular admission.

Requirements for the Degree
To fulfill the requirements for the Master of Arts in Mathematics a student must successfully complete, with at least a 2.5 in each course and an overall GPA of 3.00 or better, a 32-credit program as outlined below.

• At least 24 credits in the mathematical sciences, including at least four courses from the following list (This list may be expanded in the future. Check with the graduate coordinator for an up-to-date list.): MTH 5551 (551), MTH 5555 (555), MTH 5661 (561), MTH 5771 (571), MTH 5920 (590), MTH 6551 (651), APM 5553 (553), APM 5557 (557), APM 5666 (566), APM 5669 (569), APM 5777 (577), APM 5881 (581), APM 6334 (634), APM 6664 (664), APM 6773 (673). At least one of MTH 5551 (551) or MTH 5771 (571) must be among the four courses selected. All other course selections must be approved by the student's adviser.
• At most 8 credits of elective courses outside of the mathematical sciences. Course selections must be approved by the student's adviser.
• In addition, each candidate must pass a comprehensive examination devised by a committee appointed by the graduate coordinator. Details on the format of this exam can be obtained from the graduate coordinator. A student who fails this exam on the first attempt may make at most one additional attempt.

Comments for Students in the MA Program with an Interest in Teaching in High Schools or Community Colleges
The Department firmly believes that to teach mathematics at any level it is necessary to have a knowledge, understanding and facility well beyond the actual mathematics being taught. We believe that this depth of mathematical understanding leads to sound teaching methods, to an ability to understand, select and create new curricular materials and directions as well as to provide the teacher with topics for enrichment for gifted students and sources for assisting the poorer students. The teachers completing our Master of Arts in Mathematics should: (a) have an understanding and competence in mathematics consistent with two years of full time study in a broadly based graduate mathematics program; (b) be able to teach all mathematics courses in the high school and junior college curriculum; (c) be able to stimulate student interest in mathematics; (d) be competent in classroom management; (e) be able to acquaint themselves with existing and new curricular materials and be able to revise existing programs and create new ones.

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