Mathematics Home Page

Admission Requirements
A student applying for admission to the Masters of Science program is expected to have at least thirty undergraduate semester credits in the mathematical sciences or closely-related fields with at least eighteen of these credits in upper-level (junior-level or higher) courses.
Students who need to remove deficiencies in their mathematical sciences education can enroll as special students prior to seeking admission to the graduate program, or may ask to be provisionally admitted to the graduate program pending completion of the appropriate courses. The department makes an effort to structure its offerings so that a student who has majored in one area may do graduate work in another. A student changing areas may be required to take additional appropriate courses.
All applicants must submit a report of current scores achieved on the GRE. All international students must take the TOEFL. A minimum score of 550 is required for admission to the program. International students seeking graduate teaching assistantships should score well above 600.

Mathematics • Applied Mathematics • Statistics • Operations Research

APPLIED MATHEMATICS
A separate brochure describing the Applied Mathematics program in greater detail is available on request. The Department of Mathematics offers courses in methods of applied mathematics, including differential equations and dynamical systems, partial differential equations, integral equations, calculus of variations, numerical analysis, complex analysis, vector analysis, and other topics. Emphasis is placed on analytical and numerical techniques for solving mathematical equations that arise in the physical and biological sciences, engineering, and economics. Such techniques include transform methods, Fourier analysis, special functions, orthogonal polynomials, linearization, conformal mappings, and finite element methods. It is recommended that students contemplating study in applied mathematics have undergraduate training in differential equations, linear algebra, and a year of analysis or applied mathematics.

MATHEMATICS
A separate brochure describing the Mathematics program in greater detail is available on request. The Department of Mathematics offers a wide range of courses in the areas of probability theory, real and complex analysis, topology, linear algebra, number theory, graph theory, combinatorics, and abstract algebra. (For offerings in applied mathematics, see the section of this brochure dedicated to that area.) Students wishing to prepare for a Ph.D. program in mathematics can build a solid foundation through an appropriate selection of courses offered by the department.

A separate brochure describing the Operations Research program in greater detail is available on request. The Department of Mathematics in conjunction with the The Department of Statistical Sciences & Operations Research offers operations research courses which cover topics such as linear programming, network problems, integer programming, mathematical programming and queueing theory. Emphasis is placed on mathematical techniques as well as practical applications. Depending on their interests, students can take additional courses in mathematics, computer science, statistics, management science, or economics. It is recommended that students contemplating study in operations research have a background that includes multivariate calculus, linear algebra and probability.

STATISTICS
A separate brochure describing the Statistics program in greater detail is available on request. The Department of Statistical Sciences & Operations Research offers courses in both statistical theory and methodology. These include mathematical statistics, statistical methods, nonparametric statistics, Bayesian analysis, regression theory and applications, discrete multivariate analysis, sampling and statistical computing. It is recommended that students contemplating study in statistics have a background that includes three semesters of calculus, including multivariate calculus, and courses in linear algebra, probability and statistics.

MS in Mathematics
A separate brochure describing the Mathematics program in greater detail is available on request.
The Department of Mathematics offers a wide range of courses in the areas of probability theory, real and complex analysis, topology, linear algebra, number theory, graph theory, combinatorics, and abstract algebra. (For offerings in applied mathematics, see the section of this brochure dedicated to that area.)
Students wishing to prepare for a Ph.D. program in mathematics can build a solid foundation through an appropriate selection of courses offered by the department.

MS in Applied Mathemtics
A separate brochure describing the Applied Mathematics program in greater detail is available on request.
The Department of Mathematics offers courses in methods of applied mathematics, including differential equations and dynamical systems, partial differential equations, integral equations, calculus of variations, numerical analysis, complex analysis, vector analysis, and other topics.
Emphasis is placed on analytical and numerical techniques for solving mathematical equations that arise in the physical and biological sciences, engineering, and economics. Such techniques include transform methods, Fourier analysis, special functions, orthogonal polynomials, linearization, conformal mappings, and finite element methods.
It is recommended that students contemplating study in applied mathematics have undergraduate training in differential equations, linear algebra, and a year of analysis or applied mathematics.

Faculty
The Department faculty together with those in the Department of Statistical Sciences & Operations Research have interests that include such areas as mathematical biology, numerical analysis, simulation, algebra, statistical computing, analysis, graph theory, combinatorics, functional analysis, topology, integral and differential equations, optimization, applied statistics, and mathematical physics.
Despite their diverse interests, the faculty are unified in their commitment to provide a strong education within the department, while fostering healthy and vigorous interrelationships among the various disciplines. A list of faculty members and their divisional affiliations and specializations is shown in the websites of the two departments.

Financial Assistance
Each year the department has a number of graduate assistantships available for full-time graduate students. These carry a stipend and remission of tuition that are competitive with other institutions of higher education, especially given the relatively low cost of living in Richmond. Assignments may include teaching in the mathematics or computer science laboratories, assisting in the teaching of lower-level mathematics, statistics or computer science courses, or working as an assistant in the graduate engineering program.
Students who would like to be considered for financial support should apply as early as possible.
Click here to download a GTA application.