Information for Prospective AMSC Graduate Students

Minimum requirements and procedures for admission to graduate study are summarized on the webpage of the Graduate School at http://www.vprgs.umd.edu where you can also either apply on-line, request an application packet, or check the status of your application file.

The Dean for Graduate Study, acting with the advice from the Admissions Committee for the AMSC Program, grants admission to AMSC students.

The Admissions Committee for the AMSC Program makes its evaluation based on the student's academic record, letters of recommendation, and other components of the application. At a minimum, the following guidelines apply:

• Applicants should have at least a B average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in an undergraduate curriculum which includes a strong emphasis on mathematics. A mathematics preparation at least through advanced calculus in a school of good academic standing will normally be sufficient.
• A previous education in some part of an applications area, and/or basic competence in computational techniques is helpful, although this is not a prerequisite.

A student who merely meets these minimum guidelines will not be admitted into the AMSC Program. Rather, the AMSC Program will admit students who have best made a clear case that they have the ability and desire to succeed. In order to prepare an application that best does this, a students should understand how the various components of an application are evaluated.

Provisional Admission

An applicant whose past record is inconclusive may in some exceptional cases be offered provisional admission. The student is expected to fulfill the conditions of the provision within the specified time limit, usually one year, and must maintain a B average in all coursework.

Courses taken to satisfy provisional admission requirements may or may not be counted toward the degree at the discretion of the AMSC Graduate Committee. Students unable to meet the specified conditions may have their admission terminated.

An applicant may be provisionally admitted before completion of an undergraduate and/or master's degree with the understanding that he/she will file a supplementary transcript after the degree has been awarded. Admission may be canceled if this is not done within three months following the award of the degree.

For more details about Provisional Graduate Status see the Graduate School webpage: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/admission_status_new.htm.

Admission to Advanced Special Student Status

Qualified students who wish to pursue graduate work in applied mathematics or scientific computation without enrolling in a degree program may apply for Advanced Special Student status. For details and requirements see the Graduate School webpage http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/admission_status_new.htm.

This is an ideal option for those who want to pursue a graduate degree but would like to strengthen their background before applying to a degree program. However, successful completion of Advanced Special Student courses does not guarantee admission to a graduate degree or certificate program. For consideration of admission to the AMSC Program at a later time, the student must submit a new application. The AMSC program may accept Advanced Special Student courses in satisfaction of program requirements up to a maximum of twelve (12) credits. This is contingent on admission to a degree program and on the approval of the AMSC Graduate Committee.