Additional Links of Interest:

An undergraduate degree in mathematics or computer science can be the basis for a successful and rewarding career in almost any field. Many majors in mathematics or computer science also have an interest or major in another field, which they wish to pursue for graduate study and a career. You do not always need to have an undergraduate major in the area in which you wish to do graduate work. An undergraduate major in mathematics or computer science, without a double major in another area but with appropriate prerequisite courses, can form a firm foundation for graduate study in professional schools in medicine, law, and business.

An undergraduate mathematics or computer science major is often an especially good background for graduate work in other fields which use mathematics, such as statistics, medicine, economics, industrial engineering, operations research, genetics, educational psychology, meteorology, physics, and various other fields in the social, biological, and physical sciences. Of course, preparation for graduate work in one of these fields may also require a substantial number of courses more directly related to the field; however, some of these graduate programs accept mathematics majors who have very little background in the area of study.

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A master's degree in any field usually increases your employment opportunities. In particular, a master's degree in computer science is regarded as a professional degree that certifies technical proficiency. A master's degree can qualify an individual to teach at a two-year college and occasionally at a four-year college (though a permanent and promotable position in a four-year college requires a Ph.D.).

The most important reason for graduate study should be your own curiosity and desire to know more about a subject. If you are not sufficiently motivated by interest in the subject itself, it is unlikely that you will be able to withstand the rigors of graduate school.

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The Ph.D. is the key to a research career or college teaching career. Ph.D.'s in mathematics predominantly go into those two areas, while a large fraction of Ph.D.'s in computer science go into industry. In recent years, greater numbers of Ph.D.'s have been produced in the U.S. in both mathematics and computer science than in previous years. This increased production has occurred at the same time as large numbers of scientists from Eastern Europe and elsewhere are applying for permanent positions in the U.S. and Chinese in the U.S. at the time of the Tienamen Square massacre have been allowed to remain here indefinitely. The combination of factors has led in the case of mathematics to intensified competition for all positions and to anxiety and difficulty for some new Ph.D.'s in securing any position. In computer science, such a period a few years ago of some scarcity of jobs for Ph.D.'s has changed, and there are again many positions for such folk.

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Prospects for math graduate students appear to be good. There are opportunities for obtaining financial support for graduate studies and the job market for students with graduate degrees seems to be good in both academic and non-academic areas. In particular there is an increasing demand for mathematics Ph.D.'s for academic positions at the college level. If you are contemplating graduate study in mathematics, we strongly urge you to discuss your plans with your advisor before the end of your junior year.

A master's degree in a mathematical science usually leads to a career in industry or in secondary school teaching. Among the most commonly available areas of specialization for masters study are pure mathematics, applied mathematics, operations research, and statistics. Some financial aid is available to qualified masters students.

A Ph.D. prepares you to do research in either pure or applied mathematics. This degree typically leads to a career as a university educator or as a research scientist in industry. For entry into a strong doctoral program, we recommend that you elect as many upper-level courses as possible in order to reach the level of sophistication expected of an incoming Ph.D. student. We also suggest that you consider electing a special projects course to supplement the material taught in the regularly offered courses. Lastly, since most graduate programs require that you demonstrate reading proficiency in two foreign languages--usually from among French, German, Russian, and Japanese--we suggest that you consider beginning study of a second foreign language as an undergraduate. Financial support in the form of a fellowship or teaching assistantship usually is available to qualified Ph.D. students.

Some useful sources of information about graduate programs in Mathematics are:

1. An Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs in the United States: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, by the Conference Board of the Associated Research Councils, 1982. This study evaluates doctoral programs on quality of faculty, effectiveness of graduate education and some other items. The results for programs in Mathematics, Statistics/Biostatistics and Computer Sciences have been edited and interpreted in the April 1983 issue of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society, pp. 257-267. Copies of these pages are available for inspection in the Math Lounge.

2. Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Special Issue, Assistantships and Fellowships in the Mathematical Sciences. This issue is published every December and lists the assistantships and fellowships available for the following academic year. A copy of the current issue is in the Math/CS Seminar Room.

3. Some announcements about graduate programs are posted on the bulletin boards on the third floor of Chamberlin Hall.

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There are many opportunities for students interested in going on for graduate studies in Computer Science. It is no longer the case, however, that students can get into good schools based purely on good grades and mathematics courses; students need to take more CS courses than the minimum required for the Computer Science major. Most graduate schools require at least 5-6 CS courses beyond CS 200. Particularly important are CS 235, CS 230, and CS 215 (required by 59%, 36%, and 35% of graduate schools respectively). In addition, summer research projects or internships (including those in Academic Computing at Beloit) can be valuable for admissions.

In most cases, students going on to graduate school in Computer Science should expect to receive financial support, e.g. as a teaching assistant. About half of the graduate schools guarantee multi-year support to incoming graduate students; the remainder make support contingent upon satisfactory progress. Data from 1990 indicate average 9-month TA salaries were about $11,000, with about 50% of the schools including free tuition on top of that. Between 50 and 60% of graduate students continue receiving support during the summer.

Most good CS students should consider going on for at least a master's degree because of enhanced earnings. A master's degree in CS normally takes 4 semesters. Many universities offer programs for master's degree only, i.e. not intended for students going on for a Ph.D. These programs are often more application/job-oriented; more flexible (in terms of non-traditional and part-time students); have lower admission requirements; but have less of a variety of course offerings than Ph.D.-granting Universities. For example, the average minimum GRE quantitative score for master's only schools was 555 in 1990, while that for Ph.D. schools was 683. (TOEFL minimum scores averaged 542 vs. 566.) In general, students should normally apply to both types of schools. Prof. Chavey has copies of various studies evaluating the strengths of different programs, and information about financial assistance and admissions requirements for more than 100 graduate programs.

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Normally a student should apply in the late Fall of the senior year for admission the following Fall. Most mathematics or computer science departments with graduate programs offer support for graduate study on a competitive basis in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships or fellowships. Students should apply to departments of varying quality to better their chances of admission and/or support. (It is common to get accepted, but without support, at a very good school, and to be accepted with support at an only slightly weaker school.) Usually letters of recommendation and results of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) are required. Some, if not all, of these letters should be from Math/CS faculty who know the student's work in advanced mathematics and computer science courses. Normally, math students should plan to take the GRE General Test and the GRE Mathematics Subject Test in the Fall of the senior year. Computer Science students should take the GRE General Test and either the GRE Mathematics Subject Test or else the GRE Computer Science Subject Test. The Fall dates are usually in October and December. In some cases it is important to take the October test to be sure the results arrive in time for the student to get full consideration for admission and/or support. Information and application booklets for the GRE are available at the Field and Career Services Office in Pearsons Hall, 2nd floor, along with study guides for the general GRE's. The Learning Resource Center usually runs workshops on helping prepare students for the GRE's; check with them for more details. Field and Career Services has information about national competitive fellowships. Sample GRE Computer Science Tests are available from Prof. Chavey.

Students considering graduate work in mathematics or computer science should feel free to ask faculty members about various departments and graduate programs. The brochures described below should also be useful sources of information about specific graduate programs.

Some recommended links -- you should investigate these fully!

IEEE Career Planning: Graduate Studies. Good general advice on considering graduate school, preparing for it, how to decide between schools, etc.

Graduate Assistantship Directory. A listing of graduate student support available at different universities. Also includes lots of information about various programs -- what degrees do they offer, how many faculty in different areas do they have, number of grad students, application deadlines, exams required, etc.

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Available in the office of Field and Career Services is a booklet that summarizes most sources of financial support for graduate support: Graduate Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities for Beloit College Students. If you are considering graduate study, you should get a copy of this booklet.

For graduate study in the mathematical sciences and computer science, details concerning graduate departments, number of openings for students, and financial support available are provided in annual booklets published by the American Mathematical Society (the January issue of the Notices AMS) and by the Association for Computing Machinery. Copies of the current issue of both are available in the Math/CS Seminar Room.

If you are considering graduate school in a mathematical sciences or computer science, it is important that you regularly discuss your plans, intentions, and dreams with your advisor, who can steer you to appropriate schools and opportunities.

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Graduate school fairs feature one-on-one meetings with faculty representatives from graduate programs. A notable nearby fair for science and engineering is held in early October at Argonne National Laboratory, where representatives from 150 programs come. Also available are tours of Argonne research facilities.