Program Overview and Goals
The Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at the
University of Colorado Denver administers a graduate program which
awards M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Applied Mathematics. The M.S.
degree began in 1976, and the Ph.D. was added in 1986. Through
the end of the Spring 2010 semester, the department has awarded 239
M.S. degrees and 71 Ph.D. degrees.
In 2002, the department put into place an assessment plan for its
graduate degree programs. This plan identified learning
objectives and goals which have been measured by several different
assessment methods. Based on this assessment plan, the
department has published an assessment report at the end of each
academic year since 2002. The following conclusions can be drawn
from these reports;
- Graduates of the program have been successful in
finding employment in academia, federal research laboratories and
industry. Of the 62 Ph.D. graduates prior to FY 2009, 19 found first
positions as faculty members in a college or university, 8 took a first
position in government, 4 accepted post-doctoral positions, and 11
either accepted or resumed positions with industry. Employment
information on the remaining 20 students is unavailable. Master’s
students, many of whom are already employed, find employment in the
Denver business and research sector and Denver area community
colleges.
- The department has a respectable record for
recruiting and retaining a diverse population of students. For
example, in the Fall 2009 semester, 31% of the graduate students
enrolled were women, 2% were Arabic, 19% were Asian/Pacific Islanders,
7% were non-Asian foreigners. We had a total of 58 active students in
the Fall 2009 semester. The record of diversity in degrees awarded is
also impressive by most measures: Of the 193 Master’s degrees
awarded since 1987, 38% were earned by women and 18% were earned by
minorities or foreign students. Of the 62 Ph.D. degrees awarded
since 1987, 23% were earned by women and 27% were earned by ethnic
minorities or foreign students. These figures reflect the department’s
attention to diversity in recruiting and retention of students.
Student Learning Outcomes
Our student learning outcomes are focused around knowledge areas,
skills and attitudes. Each of three objectives is detailed below.
Student Learning Objective #1:
Students must acquire both a conceptual and operational understanding
of the following core areas of mathematics:
- Applied Analysis
- Applied Linear Algebra
Student Learning Objective #2:
Students must acquire both a conceptual and operational understanding
of at least one of the following emphasis areas of mathematics:
- Discrete Mathematics (Graph Theory and/or Finite
Geometry)
- Numerical and Computational Mathematics
- Optimization
- Probability and/or Statistics
- Mathematics of Science and Engineering
- Computer Science
- Computational Biology
Student Learning Objective #3:
Students will become proficient in the following skills and attitudes.
Students must acquire the following skills at a level commensurate with
graduate work:
- Precision and clarity in the oral and written
communication of mathematical ideas
- Effective use of non-classroom resources to gain
knowledge
- Proficiency in the formulation and construction
of proofs
- Facility in problem solving, modeling,
approximation, and mathematical exploration
- Effectiveness in reasoning with and between
concrete and abstract ideas
- Capable of using computer technologies.
Through course work and
research, students are expected to cultivate the following attitudes
and dispositions:
- Confidence in one's own mathematical skills and
knowledge
- Desire for continuous and independent learning
- Appreciation of the dynamic role of mathematics
in science, society and history
- Appreciation of teamwork
- Awareness of career opportunities in mathematics
- Understanding of the interrelations between
various areas of mathematics.