Master of Arts in Mathematics

The M.A. Degree: Candidates for the M.A. degree must choose between the thesis and the non-thesis options. The options are similar. Both require that the student write a paper on an approved mathematical topic under the direction of a member of the mathematics faculty. Under the thesis option, the paper must contain original work. The student must register for 6 thesis credits and use this time for composition. The resulting thesis must be submitted to the Graduate School which checks it for form, punctuation, etc. Students must also take an oral examination on their work. In the non-thesis option, the paper may be expository in nature. No credit is given for writing the paper and so the student must take 2-3 additional courses. Under this option, the master's paper need not be approved by the Graduate School and no oral examination is required.

The Graduate School requires that all applicants have a Bachelor's degree or its equivalent before entering Penn State. The Department of Mathematics requires applicants to have completed at least 18 credits in mathematics at the advanced undergraduate level.
Electronic copies of transcripts (or equivalent documents for institutions outside the U.S.) from all post-secondary institutions attended, in the language of instruction (and official English translation if the language of instruction is not English). Applicants who accept an offer of admission will be notified by the Graduate School that official/original transcripts and documents must be sent from the originating institutions in the official language of the institution(s) attended (and if the language of instruction is not English, an official English translation must also be sent). The Graduate School will review all official documents to finalize the offer of admission. An offer of admission will be revoked if official/original documents are not received by the Graduate School within specified deadlines, or if official/original documents differ from the copies uploaded by the applicant prior to the offer of admission. For applicants whose degree conferral is in progress at the time of uploading copies, the deadline specified for receipt of official/original documents will allow for the passage of the reported date of degree conferral, and that conferral must be confirmed on the official/original documents received by the Graduate School, in order for the offer of admission to be finalized.
At least three letters of recommendation from persons who are familiar with the applicant's qualifications to study graduate mathematics. We do not require / supply forms for letters of recommendation. We request plain text letters from recommenders. On the Graduate School application, letters are requested to be uploaded electronically. The individuals that you list will receive an email from the Graduate School with the necessary information for them to upload the documents.
Personal statement of purpose.
A brief description of the junior, senior and graduate level mathematics courses which the applicant will have completed upon entering graduate school. The description should include the course name, subject matter covered, text(s), instructor and the grade received.
Resume/CV
Research document/papers. This is OPTIONAL. This is provided for those applicants who have written research documents and/or papers and would like to include them with their application packet.
International applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisaaional admission, enrollment, and, if necessary, remedial course work. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Revised TOEFL PBT July 2017 and later 60
While the Graduate School does not require a minimum GPA, it is generally expected that an applicant maintain a junior/senior GPA of 2.50 for admissions.