Students are admitted for both the fall and spring semesters. Click here to view the latest admissions requirements for the Master of Science in Mathematics. We follow the College's deadlines for applications, found here

https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/admissions/graduate-deadlines.html

 

The MS in Mathematics program requires 32 hours and is typically completed in four semesters. Students must take at least two 2-course sequences chosen from areas such as Algebra, Analysis, and Topology.  In addition, students are required to take MA 592, the one credit graduate seminar, at least twice.  Effective Fall 2023, students who do not complete a thesis are also required to complete a project-based comprehensive examination.

Students who are considering pursuing a Ph.D. after our program are strongly encouraged to complete a thesis.  The thesis is completed under the direction of one of our faculty members. Students pursuing the thesis option are eligible to register for MA 599 for up to 6 credits. More information on writing a thesis can be found on the Graduate School Thesis/Dissertation Preparation page. 

Further program details can be found in the Bulletin and in the Department Policies and Procedures for the MS Degree Program in Mathematics document.

 

 

Department Policies and Procedures for the M.S. Degree Program in Applied Statistics

 

This document should be used as a supplement to the information contained in the Graduate Bulletin.

The master’s degree program in applied statistics at the University of South Alabama is designed to provide a solid foundation in applied statistics at the graduate level. 

Advising

New graduate students should meet with the graduate coordinator before course registration. At that meeting, an appropriate projected plan of study will be determined for the student’s educational objectives.

Returning graduate students should meet with the graduate coordinator before registering for courses. After approval by the coordinator, the advising hold is lifted, and students may register.

Students experiencing any problems or concerns should immediately communicate with the graduate coordinator. Sooner is better.

Program option

Thesis or non-thesis option is available. 

Thesis option: Students planning to continue education with a Ph.D. program are strongly encouraged to write a Thesis. They should discuss their decision with the Graduate Coordinator. A thesis committee will be appointed after the student selects a major professor to direct the thesis. Prior to enrolling in ST 599 (Thesis), a student must have a research prospectus approved by the thesis committee and Graduate School. A thesis defense is held upon the completion of the thesis. Thesis students are referred to the document Thesis/Dissertation Preparation, available at the Graduate School webpage.

Non-thesis option: Students should communicate their plans with the Graduate Coordinator.

Department Colloquia and Seminars

Graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend Department colloquium and seminar talks, which are normally announced in advance via flyers around the building and on the Department’s webpage.

Colloquium talks are given by local faculty and visitors from other universities. Some colloquium talks are particularly suited to a graduate audience, and the announcement will usually indicate it. It is important to meet visitors and hear about their research. It is also a good opportunity to meet future employers or Ph.D. program coordinators. 

The seminars are usually conducted by local faculty. They normally include material from research papers, books, or preliminary versions of the speaker’s research.

Directed Studies

The Department endeavors to offer graduate courses in a timely manner to fulfill the needs of its students. However, the need occasionally arises for a student to pursue an individual study with a faculty member by enrolling in ST 594 (Directed Studies). Students interested in an individual study should begin by discussing their need with the Graduate Coordinator. The student must find a faculty member who agrees to direct the study, and then completes the Department form Request for ST 594 which involves a brief outline of what the study will accomplish. Approval is required by the involved faculty member, the Graduate Coordinator, and the Department Chair.

Special Topics Courses

Occasionally a need arises to offer a course on topics different form the regularly scheduled courses described in the Graduate Bulletin. This can be done as a Special Topics course (MA 590). Approval is required at the college level by the Graduate Arts and Sciences Program (GASP) Committee. Faculty proposing such a course should submit appropriate documentation to the Department Graduate Committee two quarters in advance of the proposed offering to allow adequate time for review.

Grades

Graduate students are expected to maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0. Students whose GPA drops below 3.0, will be placed on academic probation. Those on academic probation get two terms to bring up the GPA or are dismissed by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Graduate Assistantship Duties

Graduate assistantships are awarded competitively. Graduate assistantships normally include a complete tuition waiver. The student is responsible for paying the associated registration fees.

Each graduate assistant will be assigned to work 20 hours per week. Any problems with duties should be reported to the Graduate Coordinator for the Department or the Department Chair. The information in this section should be used as a supplement to the Graduate Assistant Information which is available on the Graduate School webpage.

Graduate assistants are required to work in various ways for the Department. The different job assignments are described below. Occasionally, graduate assistants are assigned jobs from different categories, but the total combined work load of 20 hours per week is maintained.

1.      Work with one or two course instructor and hold recitation sessions. 
2.      Help instructors with administration, grading, and recording grades of assignments such as quizzes, exams, etc. 
3.      Hold office hours to assist students in the class. This tutoring is provided as a free service for students taking that course. 
4.      Teach a course under the guidance of a qualified faculty if SACS requirements are met.

Graduate Faculty

•  Olivia Atutey: Variable/Feature Selection, Nonparametric Statistics, and Statistical Inference
• H Frazier Bindele: Nonparametric Statistics, Robust Statistical procedures
• Chase Holcomb: Applied Statistics, Nonparametric Statistical Methods, Statistical Process Control, and Autocorrelated Integer-Valued Process Monitoring
• Mathias Muia: Stochastic Processes, Markov Chains, central limit theorems, dependence coefficients and applications, Parameter Estimation, Bayesian Analysis, Robust statistics, Statistical Models, Uncertainty Quantification, Data Science
• Madhuri Mulekar:  Selection and Ranking Procedures, Sequential Estimation and Testing Procedures, and analysis of medical data 
• Paramahansa Pramanik: Probability and Stochastic Processes, Mathematical Statistics, Mathematical Biology

The USA accelerated bachelor’s to master’s (ABM) in Mathematics provides exceptional undergraduate students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree at an accelerated pace in Mathematics. ABM students may count up to 12 credit hours of graduate course work towards both the undergraduate and graduate degrees in approved programs. ABM students typically complete the master’s degree within one academic year after completing the undergraduate degree.

Mathematics and Statistics majors are encouraged to apply for the ABM program. This program is designed to allow the student to complete both the Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics and the Master’s degree in Mathematics in five years.

To gain admission, students must complete a degree plan  (typically during their junior year) that is approved by the undergraduate coordinator and graduate coordinator. Interested students are encouraged to discuss their plans with the undergraduate coordinator and the graduate coordinator as early as possible.

A complete description of the program can be found here.

 

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics will offer a new graduate certificate in applied statistics starting Fall 2023.

The Graduate Certificate program in Applied Statistics is a four-course program that can be completed in three to four semesters alongside a graduate degree program in another discipline or as a stand-alone program by working professionals interested in expanding their knowledge in analyzing and interpreting data. It will prepare students for the job market where data analyses skills are preferred. 

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has a limited number of graduate assistantships available. Each provides a stipend of $10,000 and full tuition waiver. Applicants can indicate their interest on the admissions application.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics treats its graduate students with special care. Faculty members do their best to make sure that student experiences are rewarding. To this end, the department emphasizes excellence in teaching, and encourages the professional growth of its faculty through study, research and consulting.

Click here to meet the faculty.