Frequently asked questions

Many prospective students have asked questions about this online masters program in mathematics. Below are some of them together with the answers.

Q: How long has this distance education program been operating ?
A: Since 2000. It has graduated about 60 students, with about 55 students currently active in the program.

Q: Who can apply?
A: You must have a degree from an accredited university. A part of the application process requires the submission of a transcript. There is no restriction to residency. We can accept students worldwide.

Q: How do I get a catalogue from the graduate school?
A: You must order one from the Department of Admissions.
To apply for admission http://admissions.tamu.edu/graduate/apply.aspx
Catalog: http://www.tamu.edu/admissions/catalogs/index.html

Q: Do courses I have taken at previous institutions count toward my degree at Texas A&M?
A: Possibly. It depends on the course, its contents and where it was taken. Each case is individual and must be resolved with the Associate department head for Graduate Studies upon admission to graduate school.

Q: I enrolled last summer as a G6 student and took a course. I now want to take a course this summer, though I haven't had any courses during the regular academic year. How do I register?
A: Our university has a rule which states G6 students must maintain continuous enrollment otherwise they forfeit G6 status and can't register for further classes. Since you did not enroll in any of the subsequent semesters after last summer, you will have to apply again to be a G6 student.

Q: I need to drop a course. Since I am taking only one course, this means I must withdraw from the university. How can I get back in for the next term?
A: If G7 and is within one year of withdrawal, can contact Office of Admissions and re-apply.
If G6, must complete G6 application process for admission.

Q. Do courses I take at Texas A&M transfer to other institutions?
A: The answer depends completely upon admission policies of the other institution.

Q: I have already completed some graduate courses at another institution. How many credit hours can I transfer to apply toward a masters degree here at Texas A&M?
A: The maximum number of credit hours that a MS student can transfer in to a
MS degree plan is 12 hours.

Q: I have already completed some graduate hours toward my thesis at another institution. How many of these credit hours can I transfer to apply toward this masters degree here at Texas A&M?
A: Texas A&M cannot accept any thesis hours as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for a non thesis degree.

Q: I have been accepted into the masters degree program here at Texas A&M, but I'd like to take a couple of courses at another institution. Will those credits transfer to my program here?
A: From our graduate catalogue, we have, "Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution, or approved international institution with a final graduate of B or greater will be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the student was in degree seeking status at A&M or the student was in degree seeking status at the institution at which the courses were taken; and if the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for students in degree seeking status at the host institution."

So if a student decided to take some courses elsewhere but did so in a non degree seeking status, then those courses would not be eligible for transfer credit.

Q: How many courses can I take at one time?
A: We recommend you enroll for no more than two courses at a time, preferably one course the first time.

Q: How long should the degree take to complete? What is the maximum time it can take to complete the degree?
A: Taking one course each term and two in the summer yield a completion time of three years. However, including course you transfer into the program and courses take while in the program, only courses taken within the past seven years can count toward your degree.

Q: I think I should enroll first in the G6 classification and then transfer the the MS program later. Do I qualify for financial aide?
A: It may be possible for a G6 student to obtain financial aid - BUT only if they later intend to apply to a graduate program - AND they must file an appeal and provide accompanying letters from the Academic Advisors and the Department. See this link for Texas A&M University rules: http://rules.tamu.edu/urules/100/130301m1.htm. Check this URL for forms and more information: https://financialaid.tamu.edu/forms/0708G6SpecialConditionsAppeal.pdf

Q: I already have a degree. What I really want is to be certified as a K-12 mathematics teacher?
A: Our program does not cover certification procedures for K-12 mathematics teaching. Since regulations vary considerably from state-to-state, we cannot give any general answer to this question except to suggest that you contact your state education agency. If you are interested in post-baccalaureate certification in Texas, please follow this link, http://post-bacc.coe.tamu.edu.

Q: Is this degree program accredited?
A: All degrees issued by Texas A&M University, including the masters of mathematics, are fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, of Decatur GA.

Q: Must I take the Graduate Record Exam, i.e. the GRE?
A: The current rule is that all students must take the general GRE examination, or have taken it within five years of the application date, though in rare cases it can be waived. The general GRE examination has the three parts: verbal, quantitative, and analytical.

Q: Where can I obtain information about the GRE exam, including times and testing centers?
A: Information about the GRE examination can be found at http://www.gre.org

Q: What score must I make on the GRE to be admitted to the masters program?
A: Most admitted score>750 on quantative section. However, this is not the only criteriafor admission. Several other factors areused to decide on admission.

Q: I don't have an undergraduate degree in mathematics, computer science, engineering, or a related field. However, I like mathematics and enjoy working with it. Will I qualify for admission to graduate school in the Mathematics Department?
A: Normally, for admission to the graduate school in the Mathematics Department, an applicant should have a couple of advanced level undergraduate mathematics courses such as advanced calculus or modern algebra. The reason for this is that students without a solid mathematics background find mathematics graduate work exceptionally difficult and frustrating. However, some exceptions are made. Usually what we recommend for students with some mathematics "gaps" is that they enroll in the G6 program, take a math course or two, and then assess whether the full program is feasible. In any event the courses taken are usually transferable to other programs.

Q: How can I find out information about the Mathematics Communication and Technology Course?
A: The information about the course is located at http://distance-ed.math.tamu.edu/Math696/index.html
For additional information: send e-mail to mpilant@math.tamu.edu

Q: How is the degree listed on transcripts
A: You will get a TAMU diploma as any masters student does. Namely, you will see Masters of Science in Mathematics on your diploma. There is no indicator that the program is online.

Q: Is this a program someone could complete while maintaining a full time job that requires 100% travel, assuming an Internet connection is always available at least in the evening, of course?
A: For almost every course, the answer is yes. In some cases, it may happen that the professor of record may schedule a live class period - online, of course. The scheduling of this session will be mostly compatible with work schedules of the students.

Q: With the online courses, do you need to log on at specific times of the day or week?
A: This could depend on the professor. However, everything we are writing now is fully asynchronous. You work at your own schedule.

Q: How are exams (including finals) scheduled and administered?
A: Again, exams procedures vary by professor. Many will give projects in lieu of exams. In many graduate courses take-home exams are the norm, even for regularly enrolled students.

Q: Are summer courses in the program on a 10-week or 5-week schedule?
A: At this point, all summer courses are scheduled as 5 week session, though many professors may give you more time, upon request. However, all courses listed for the summer will specify the 5- or 10-week term. Summer session courses are highly compressed and will require your continual attention.

Q: Could you provide a sample degree plan (list of courses for the degree)?
A: This is not yet available, but you will need Math 645-646, Math 629, Math 696, plus 4 other math courses plus 4 courses from outside the department. At this time the course "pickings" are limited.

Q: How much time should I expect to spend on coursework?
A: Math 6xx are full graduate mathematics courses. You should expect to spend as much time working on the course as you would if you were enrolled in a synchronous (traditional) program. Students have indicated that they often spend more time with online courses.

Q: Is this an individualized program?
No. Students will bring their experience and interests to their work, but each course has clearly defined educational objectives.

Q: Is there an advisor specifically assigned to you like any other Texas
A&M student?
A: When you are an admitted graduate student, you will pick a committee and the chair
of that committee. None is assigned, per se. However, the graduate studies office and its chair are available for all graduate students.

Q: How will I get course materials?
A: For many courses, the materials are online. For other courses, you should order materials from bookstores. Online bookstores often give very reasonable prices.

Q: How will the classes be conducted?
A: There are no classes in the traditional sense. Your instructor assigns readings, some of which may be video-readings with a voice track. In some cases you will need to purchase a text. For other courses, all the materials will be online. The course "deliverables" will range from projects to homework problems, to proctored examinations - all depending on the course.

Q: How and where do I turn in homework?
A: Assuming you are truly at a distance and cannot drop off homework as a local student, we recommend that all deliverables be e-mailed or faxed to a faculty-designated address/number. Some faculty will permit work to be posted to the Web, and in the Math 696 course that is a requirement for certain work.

Q: How much technology experience do I need?
A: Novices should not apply for this program. If you don't already own and frequently use a computer, odds are you are not ready to succeed in an online masters degree program. You must be somewhat experienced with computers, online and off line. You should be comfortable word processing, document cut and paste, manipulating files and folders, sending and receiving e-mail, and connecting to the Internet through an ISP.

Q: Will I be able to contact my instructor?
A: You are encouraged to contact your instructor with questions that pertain to your online course. Both e-mail, fax and phone numbers will be available.

Q: What if I miss the deadline for applying for the next session?
A: As a practical matter the only deadlines are very close to the start of the term in which you plan to officially become a degree-seeking graduate student (several weeks before the start of the term). With the G6 application, there's still a reasonable chance that if you submit it 3-4 weeks before the semester starts, you can be admitted in time (this assumes that the applicant is qualified for the program). No such luck on a regular graduate application. The closest you can push it on a graduate application is about 1.5 months before the semester starts. Only very exceptional cases will be considered inside these guidelines. The Texas A&M academic calendars can be found at http://www.tamu.edu/00/academic/aaaacc.html

Q: May I start taking courses before being officially admitted to the graduate program?
A: No, all students, G6 or G7, must complete application process before being able to register for courses. But yes, up to four courses may be taken as a G6 prior to admission as a G7 student and still be counted towards the degree.

Q: What are course prerequisites?
A: All course prerequisites are listed in the university catalog of classes, located online at http://www.tamu.edu/admissions/catalogs/.

Q: How many courses can I take at one time?
A: We recommend you enroll for no more than two courses at a time, preferably just one course the first time.

Q: Can I sign up for courses at anytime?
A: No, at this time all courses are available only on a regular semester basis. CE courses are available anytime, though they do not carry college credit.

Q: OK, I've been accepted into the program. How do I actually register for a course?
A:

Register for courses at http://courses.tamu.edu To register, will need UIN# and NEO account (http://www.tamu.edu/neo/activation/new.html)

Q: Are there tips and hints on taking online courses?
A: We have a collection of tips (http://distance-ed.math.tamu.edu/tipsforonline.htm) gathered from other sources.