What (preferably funded) masters programs should I aim for?

Forum for the GRE subject test in mathematics.
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chubwagon
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Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:45 pm

What (preferably funded) masters programs should I aim for?

Post by chubwagon » Sun Dec 16, 2018 2:28 am

I'm currently a senior at a decent university (US News top 60, quite a bit lower for math), majoring in Math (applied concentration) and Economics. My overall GPA is about a 3.87, and my math GPA is about a 3.84. I didn't really get into the math major until the second semester of my sophomore year, which hasn't set me up well for admission into a PhD program. I haven't done any REU's, and will have no research experience by the time I graduate. To remedy this, my hope would be to first do a masters, though money is a huge concern for me, so I would prefer a fully funded program. By graduation, I will have taken:

Calc II and III (A,A), Linear Algebra (A), Intro to Proofs (B+), ODE (A-), PDE (B+), Real Analysis I (A), Complex Analysis (A or A-), Math Modeling (A), Numerical Analysis (A), Math Logic (A).

I will be taking Real Analysis II in the spring. Just based on my grades and what I expect to be high GRE general scores, what funded masters programs could I be aiming for (off the top of my head, UVM and UCSC, though I would obviously prefer a more highly ranked program). I'm also split between pure and applied math.

ponchan
Posts: 126
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 6:30 pm

Re: What (preferably funded) masters programs should I aim for?

Post by ponchan » Sun Dec 16, 2018 11:27 am

There really aren't many funded, terminal masters programs in math. You might want to check out Miami University in Ohio or Wake Forest University.

blahquaker
Posts: 44
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:36 am

Re: What (preferably funded) masters programs should I aim for?

Post by blahquaker » Sun Dec 16, 2018 12:01 pm

Contrary to popular belief, there are lots of schools that offer terminal master's degrees in math. Many offer funding, but they don't have that many spots and will give preference to students coming from their undergraduate program.

Your best chance to get funding will be a large public school, either without a PhD program, or with a PhD program ranked 60+. These schools often need a lot of college algebra teachers, but don't get that many good domestic applicants.

You can always email the department before applying and ask if they have funding for master's students.

djysyed
Posts: 359
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:59 pm

Re: What (preferably funded) masters programs should I aim for?

Post by djysyed » Sun Dec 16, 2018 12:02 pm

University of Illinois at Chicago (Top 40)
University of Minnesota Duluth (Top 100 i think)

MathCat
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:17 am

Re: What (preferably funded) masters programs should I aim for?

Post by MathCat » Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:08 pm

I think there are a lot more funded masters programs in the US than actually advertised - for instance, my institution states that funding is only offered to PhD students, but what that actually means is that it is only guaranteed for PhD students. However, the department is in such desperate need of TAs that I am not aware of any Masters student who wants to TA but cannot (except for language issues - in which case they can almost always get a position grading homework instead). Maybe it's just my institution, but I suspect many public universities with large undergraduate math programs would be in a similar situation.



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