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MASTER
OF SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAMS
THE PROGRAMS
The Department of Statistical Sciences
and Operations Research and the Department of Mathematics and
Applied Mathematics offer programs leading to a Master of Science
degree in Mathematical Sciences. The Master of Science degree
in Mathematical Sciences offers specializations in applied
mathematics, mathematics, operations research, and statistics.
A student who has completed the requirements for one of the concentrations
may request that the transcript indicate the concentration. A
student who has not satisfied requirements for one of these concentrations,
but who has otherwise fulfilled all the requirements for a master's
degree, will be awarded a degree of Master of Science in Mathematical
Sciences without any specialty concentration designation. The
programs thus offer maximum flexibility by allowing each student,
in consultation with a faculty advisor, to design a course of
study which will best develop competence in those areas most relevant
to his or her scholarly and professional objectives. Enough freedom
is allowed in each degree program for students to take advantage
of the diversity of the departments and the university. A student
may include courses from other areas within the department, or
approved courses from the university at large. Thirty semester
credits are required for the degree. The student may choose either
a thesis or an applied project.
THE FACULTY
The Department faculty members are organized
into two groups: Operations Research and Statistics. Their interests
include such areas as simulation, statistical analysis, statistical
computing, optimization, applied statistics, Despite their diverse
interests, the faculty are unified in their commitment to provide
a strong education within each group, while fostering healthy
and vigorous interrelationships among the various disciplines.
A list of faculty members and their areas of specialization is
shown on another page of this web site.
COMPUTING FACILITIES
The University offers a wide range of
computing facilities. Three separate clusters of mini- and mainframe
computers exist, connected via the VCU Network. The University
Computer Center provides access to IBM mainframes running MVS
and VM. Academic Campus Computing Services offers access to two
DEC computers running UNIX. Health Sciences Computing Services
maintains a VAXcluster running VMS. All these computers can be
accessed from anywhere on Campus via the VCU Network. This network
also provides computer users with access to Internet. The Department
of Mathematical Sciences has a graduate computer lab that contains
networked IBM-compatible 486 computers running either DOS-Windows
or OS/2. It also contains 4 IBM PowerPC's running AIX, a 16-node
multiprocessor computer, and a multimedia workstation. Students
may also use the undergraduate labs that contain over 40 IBM-compatible
microcomputers.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Each year the department has a number
of graduate assistantships available for full-time graduate
students.
These carry a competitive stipend for
the academic year in addition to a waiver of tuition. This
is highly
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 in Adobe Acrobat PDF format
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.
PROGRAM CONCENTRATION AREAS
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
APPLIED MATHEMATICS
The Department of Mathematics and Applied
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
The Department of Mathematics and Appliec
Mathematics offers a wide range of courses in the areas of probability
theory, real and complex analysis, topology, linear algebra, number
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.
OPERATIONS RESEARCH
The Department of Statistical Sciences
and 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
The Department of Statistical Sciences
and 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.
THE UNIVERSITY
Virginia Commonwealth University is an
urban institution of higher education located in the heart of
Richmond, Virginia. It is comprised of two campuses. The Health
Sciences Center Campus is located near the financial, governmental,
and shopping areas of downtown Richmond. The Monroe Park Campus
is two miles west in a residential area that dates from the nineteenth
century. The University is committed to providing an environment
in which students of diverse ethnic, racial, and social backgrounds
can thrive.
Today the total University enrollment is
over 24,000. The University has multiple teaching hospitals
and over a dozen academic schools and colleges which offer numerous
undergraduate, first-professional degree, and graduate programs.
VCU has been included for the past several years in the top
100 universities in the U.S. in terms of research funds received
from federal agencies.
Richmond is the capital of Virginia, and
has a rich historical heritage from the Civil War and Colonial
times. Its central location is only two hours south of Washington,
D.C., two hours west of Virginia Beach, and two hours east of
the Blue Ridge mountains. It features several museums and many
galleries, a symphony orchestra, a ballet company, a performing
arts center, and other cultural attractions. Richmond is the
location of several major corporations such as Philip Morris,
Capital One, and Virginia Power; other companies have large
facilities nearby, including Dupont and Allied Chemical.
(rev. 12/95)
INFORMATION LINKS
For More Information...
Please send inquiries or requests for
application materials to:
Dr. James M. Davenport
Director of Graduate Studies
Statistical Sciences & Operations Research
P.O. Box 843083, 1001 W. Main St. (Oliver Hall)
Richmond, Virginia 23284-3083
Voice: (804) 828-1301, ext. 118
FAX: (804) 828-8785
email: jdavenpo@vcu.edu
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