The Accelerated Graduate Degree Program (AGDP) gives an opportunity to undergraduate students in the Department of Mathematics to complete the requirements for the M.A. in mathematics at an accelerated pace. These undergraduate students may count up to 12 (but not fewer than 6) credit hours of 5000-level courses taken during their undergraduate studies toward an M.A. in mathematics within 24 months after the completion of their bachelor's degree in mathematics.
This program will allow an undergraduate student majoring in mathematics to complete an accelerated master's in mathematics by completing 137 combined undergraduate/graduate credit hours.
Application to the Accelerated M.A. Program
Prospective students must meet with an advisor in the Department of Mathematics to develop plans of work for the bachelor's and master's degree programs. The students are encouraged to set up this meeting as early as during their sophomore year, but no later than during their junior year. Before admission to an AGDP can be finalized, students must submit the standard application for admission to the Office of Admissions/Graduate Admissions including:
- An application.
- Application fee.
- Copy of all transcripts.
- A Plan of Graduate Work, signed by the prospective student and the department advisor.
The Plan of Graduate Work for the M.A. degree must clearly indicate:
- the 5000-level courses (a maximum of 12 graduate credit hours) that will be counted for both the bachelor's and master's degree.
- the graduation date for the master's degree that meets the time limit for the AGDP (i.e., obtaining an M.A. in mathematics within 24 months of completing the bachelor's degree). Any changes in the AGDP Plan of Graduate Work must be submitted in writing and approved by the department advisor, the mathematics department's associate chair, and the graduate dean.
Criteria for Admission to the AGDP
Permission to pursue an AGDP does not guarantee admission to the Graduate College. Admission is contingent on meeting the following eligibility requirements at the time of entering the accelerated graduate degree program:
- Students must have completed a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 96 credit hours in their undergraduate programs, including credits earned from advanced placement.
- Transfer students must have completed, as a full-time undergraduate student at WMU, a minimum of 15 WMU mathematics credit hours and a minimum of 30 WMU credit hours.
- Students must have a minimum accumulated grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 at WMU and 3.5 in mathematics classes.
- Students must receive credit or be planning to receive credit for the following undergraduate courses by the time of completing their bachelor's degree: MATH 2720, 3140, 3300, and 5700. In particular MATH 5700 may not count towards both the bachelor's degree and the master's degree.
- International students must clarify their visa status with the Office of International Students before submitting an admission application.
Requirements for Participation and Graduation
- Students must complete the bachelor's degree prior to entering the master's program. Students in the AGDP may not elect to by-pass the bachelor's degree.
- Undergraduate students admitted to the program with senior standing can take up to 12 hours of designated 5000-level courses for graduate credit which can be used in both the bachelor's degree and the master's degree. These credits should be registered as graduate credit and will be waived from their master's degree.
- Students must receive a grade of "B" (3.00/4.00) or better in the 5000-level courses taken during their undergraduate studies. Courses with a grade of "CB" or below cannot be counted toward their master's degree.
- Students who do not meet the grade criterion of 3.00 will have the earned grade applied to their undergraduate program only, assuming the earned grade meets requirements for the undergraduate program. Students who do not meet the grade criterion as part of the AGDP program must apply for readmission into the graduate program.
- Students who complete the undergraduate degree including a "B" or above in the specified 5000-level graduate courses will be admitted as graduate students (with the relevant graduate credit) in the next semester or session after receiving the bachelor's degree.
- Students must complete the master's degree within 24 months from the completion of the bachelor's degree. If the master's program is not completed within these time limits, none of the 5000-level courses specified in the Plan of Graduate Work can be counted toward the master's degree. The department graduate committee only in special circumstances may grant extension to this time-line.
Continuing Eligibility
- It is the responsibility of the student to recognize and maintain his/her eligibility status.
- A student completing the bachelor's degree requirements with an accumulated GPA of less than 3.25 is automatically terminated from the AGDP program.
- A student who does not follow the approved Plan of Graduate Work may become ineligible to participate in the AGDP program.
- A student who is ineligible to participate in (or withdraws from) the AGDP can no longer qualify for waiving any of the courses specified in the Plan of Graduate Work toward a master's degree. These courses, however, may be counted towards the student's bachelor's degree upon discretion of the undergraduate advisor.
- A student, who becomes ineligible to participate in the AGDP, shall be informed by the graduate student's advisor in writing of the ineligibility. A copy of this letter to the student shall be sent to the Graduate College.
Withdrawal
A student may at any time withdraw from an approved AGDP by informing the student's advisor or the department graduate committee in writing. A copy of this request to withdraw must be sent the Graduate College for approval.