Accelerated B.S./M.S. Program

This program is intended to facilitate completion of both a B.S. and M.S. degree in mathematics within at most 5 years of study. Students in this program take graduate courses as undergraduates, and complete only 36 additional graduate credits to satisfy the requirements for the graduate degree.

A detailed listing of the program policies and procedures may be obtained from the Secretary of the Department of Mathematics. This summary highlights the main features of the program.

1. Eligibility. To be eligible the student must have accumulated at least 90 credits towards a major in mathematics, have a GPA of at least 3.0 and a GPA in math and math/computer science courses of at least 3.5, and pass a comprehensive exam covering Math 124, 125, 224, 226, 204 and 331. This examination should usually be taken late in the sophomore year.

2. B.S. Requirements. All the standard requirements must be satisfied, with the exception that at least 12 of the 180 credits required for graduation must be from graduate math courses. Students in the program may enroll in any graduate math courses without the restrictions usually imposed by the Graduate School. Graduate courses may be substituted for corresponding undergraduate course and upper-division credit requirements.

3. Graduate Requirements. Students must be full-time graduate students for at least 3 academic quarters. All the standard course and project requirements must be fulfilled, including passage of the Qualifying Exam, except that no undergraduate credits may be counted towards the degree, up to nine credits of 500 level courses earned as an undergraduate can be transferred towards the graduate degree provided that those credits have not previously been used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements, and only 36 graduate credits are required.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

1. Introduction
This program is intended to facilitate completion of both a B.S. and M.S. degree in mathematics within at most 5 years of study. To achieve this goal students admitted to this program are permitted to take a substantial number of graduate courses in mathematics as undergraduates, are able to transfer a significant number of those credits towards the M.S. degree, and are required to complete only 36 instead of 48 credits for the graduate degree (non-thesis option).

2. Faculty Coordinator
A math faculty coordinator will advise potential and participating students and serve as liaison between this program, the Department of Mathematics, and the Graduate School. Students seeking admission to the program should contact the faculty coordinator.

3. Eligibility / Admission
To become eligible for the program, the student must:
  a) have accumulated at least 90 credits towards a B.S. degree in mathematics, applied mathematics or mathematics/computer science;
  b) have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0;
  c) have a cumulative GPA for math and math-computer science courses of at least 3.5;
  d) pass a comprehensive examination covering Math 124, 125, 224, 226, 204 and 331.

The Graduate Committee of the Department of Mathematics will establish the eligibility of applicants for this program, and notify the Graduate School of eligible candidates. The Graduate School will, at its discretion, grant eligible students conditional admission to the graduate program, subject to completion of all requirements for the undergraduate degree.

The intention is that a student can be eligible for the program by the start of the junior year. In practice candidates should plan an appropriate course schedule prior to this point. The examination in d) may also serve as the examination required for graduation with distinction in mathematics at undergraduate level.

4. B.S. Requirements
Candidates in this program must satisfy all the requirements for the B.S. degree in mathematics, applied mathematics or math/computer science at WWU. At least 12 of the credits used towards the undergraduate degree must be from graduate (500-level) courses.

Subject to the discretion of the department, students admitted to the program may enroll in any graduate (500-level) math course. This provision implies the relaxation, for students admitted to the program, of Graduate School rules regarding undergraduate enrollment in graduate courses. General approval is given when a student is admitted to the program, with authority to approve enrollment in particular graduate courses delegated to the department. The Graduate School will be notified of each instance of a graduate course being taken by an undergraduate in terms of this provision.

Graduate courses may substitute for corresponding subject and sequence requirements for the undergraduate major, and may simultaneously satisfy graduate course distribution requirements. Graduate courses may also be substituted for upper-division credit requirements for the B.S. major and for the degree. Any courses used for undergraduate major or degree credit (as opposed to course distribution) purposes, including upper division credit requirements, whether undergraduate or graduate courses, may not also be used for credit towards the graduate degree. These provisions correspond to current practice; they are implemented by the department and the Registrar at verification of completion of graduation requirements.

5. Graduate Status
Candidates must be fully admitted full-time graduate students for at least 3 academic quarters. Candidates are conditionally admitted to graduate status at the time of admission to the program. Conversion to full graduate status is automatically granted by the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the Graduate Adviser, provided that the candidate:

  a) submits a Graduate School application form;
  b) has completed all requirements for the undergraduate degree;
  c) has a cumulative GPA >= 3.0 in the last 90 quarter credits and an overall GPA in mathematics >= 3.0 ;
  d) files a Graduate Plan of Study with the Graduate School;
  e) provides scores achieved on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), General Test.

Students pay graduate fees once they have been fully admitted as graduate students. Students admitted to full graduate status are eligible for TA positions.

6. M.S. Requirements
A student must satisfy all the usual M.S. course and project requirements in mathematics, including passage of the Qualifying Exam, except that:
  a) no 400 level credits may be counted towards the graduate degree;
  b) up to nine 500-level credits earned while in undergraduate status may be transferred into the graduate program, provided that those credits have not previously been used towards the undergraduate degree;
  c) only 36 graduate credits are required.