Master’s Program
Master’s Program Requirements
The following requirements are required and must be completed for students to complete their program and obtain their degrees. This page was last updated on March 19th, 2025. For the latest program requirements, please see the Mathematics Master’s Program Catalog.
- Complete course requirements, including MATH 288A, 4 core courses, and 5 additional graduate courses in mathematics.
- Complete either the Preliminary Exam or Thesis Track Requirements
We are dedicated to supporting students experiencing academic difficulty. You may read more about academic difficulty on the Graduate Division website regarding academic progress. When these requirements are not met in the defined timeline, student will be encourage to develop an academic support plan in collaboration with the the graduate vice chair, the graduate advisor, and their faculty advisor if applicable.
Master’s Students have the option to transfer to the Ph.D. Program upon completion of Ph.D. Program requirements up to the second year, plus an established relationship with a faculty advisor.
Course Requirements
Students are required to complete MATH 288A – Pedagogy of Mathematics, four core courses, and 5 additional graduate courses in Mathematics. Graduate courses that qualify for this requirement can be found on the Mathematics Graduate Course Catalog. Current course offering can be found on the Schedule of Classes.
Math 288A – Pedagogy of Mathematics
Four core courses included in the three levels of Algebra, Analysis, or Manifolds.
- MATH 200, Algebra I
- MATH 201, Algebra II
- MATH 202, Algebra III
- MATH 204, Analysis I
- MATH 205, Analysis II
- MATH 206, Analysis III
- MATH 208, Manifolds I
- MATH 209, Manifolds II
- MATH 210, Manifolds III
The five additional courses required can include no more than three quarters of Independent Study (MATH 297). Independent Studies must be approved by the graduate vice chair. To submit a course for approval towards this requirement, please complete the Independent Study Course Requirement Application Form
Preliminary Exam Track
Preliminary exams are comprehensive exams in the subject areas of Algebra, Analysis, and Geometry / Topology. Students are required to obtain a second-level pass on at least one of the three written preliminary examinations.
UCSC affiliates can visit the preliminary exam archive for to access previous exams as study material. UC Santa Cruz’s chapter of Association of Women in Mathematics (AWM) facilitates preliminary exam study sessions in the Spring and Summer quarters. For a list of preliminary exam topics, please see the preliminary exam overview page.
The preliminary exam requirements and graduation should be completed by the end of student’s 2nd year.
Thesis Track
Students are required to complete a Master’s thesis. A master’s thesis does not have to consist of original research results. At the minimum, it should show mastery of a specific subject area that goes beyond the knowledge taught in the core sequences in algebra, analysis, or geometry. This track is recommended for students that want to transfer into a top Ph.D. program.
The student, in consultation with the Graduate Vice Chair, is responsible for selecting a master’s thesis reading committee. The majority of the membership of a thesis reading committee shall be members of the Santa Cruz Division of the Academic Senate. The Graduate Division must approve the committee.
The Nominations for Master’s Thesis Reading Committee Form must be completed and submitted by the end of the second week of the quarter in which the degree will be granted. The form can be found on the Graduate Division website or can be provided by the Mathematics Department. The form should be turned in to the Graduate Advisor and Program Coordinator for review and submission to the Graduate Division.
More information about thesis submission can be found at the Graduate Division website.
Transferring to the Ph.D. Program
Masters students may transfer to the PhD Program upon completion of the following requirements:
- Completion of the Master’s degree
- Established research relationship and endorsement from a faculty advisor
- On track according to the Ph.D. program requirements
Transfer requests are processed for the Fall of the following academic year and should be initiated before the admission deadline.
Student should have completed their masters degree requirements and also be on track according to the Ph.D. program requirements. For example, if a student intends to transfer to the Ph.D. program at the end of their 2nd year, they should have completed the Ph.D. requirements up to the second year, which includes the Ph.D. Preliminary Exam requirements of a 1st pass in one subject, a 2nd pass in at least one other, and the core sequence courses completed of all topics that did not receive a 1st pass.
Time spent in the Master’s program is included in the six year timeline spent in the Ph.D. program. To apply for the Ph.D. program as a Master’s transfer, schedule an advising appointment with the graduate program coordinator.
Graduate Program Contacts
Longzhi Lin, Graduate Vice Chair
lzlin@ucsc.edu | 831-459-4180
Lyss Melton, Graduate Advisor and Program Coordinator
mathgradadvising@ucsc.edu | 831-459-5461