For example, MATH 2450 above is comparable to MATH 10 Discrete Structures at Santa Monica College or MATH 272 Methods of Discrete Mathematics at ELAC.

But what is the "average" level of a MS thesis of a mathematics student? Is it usually closer to a literature review thesis or a research work thesis?

Master Mathematics and Applied Mathematics

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Targeted Audience

The programme is aimed at mathematics students who wish to deepen their previously acquired knowledge. A Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and very good grades are expected. Students with a degree in a different field can enter if they have studied an equivalent amount of mathematics. Detailed information can be found in the Download requirement profile (PDF, 220 KB) vertical_align_bottom .

Structure of the programme

The diploma requires in total 90 credit points: 60 credits from courses, seminars, and semester theses, and 30 credits from the Master’s thesis. Students usually need three or four semesters to finish our programme. More details can be found in the Download Study guide (PDF, 1.4 MB) vertical_align_bottom and the legally binding Download Programme Regulations (PDF, 361 KB) vertical_align_bottom .

Master in Mathematics

In this programme, students can choose freely from a wide range of core and elective courses. Attending at least one seminar is required, and there is the option to write a semester thesis. Both pure and applied mathematics can be studied in this programme.

Master in Applied Mathematics

In this programme, students take core and elective courses in applied mathematics and choose a specialization in one of many application areas. Writing at least one semester thesis in the field of the application area is mandatory, and there is the option to take a student seminar. A limited amount of courses in pure mathematics can also be taken.

Courses are structured into focus areas. They are no official part of the degree, but it is suggested that students focus their studies in a specific direction. These tracks should help to focus; they will not be mentioned on the diploma certificate.

For more details on the available lectures in both programmes please consult the list of courses offered by the Department and the ETH Course Catalogue (Programme: Mathematics Master).

Application

Even though students will be asked to apply for one of the two programmes, the application process is exactly the same. The admission committee will consider all applications for both programmes in the same way. An accepted application is valid for both programmes, and students can switch from one to the other during their studies.

All information about the application process can be found on the Master’s application website. This includes information about qualifying degrees, required documents, language certificates, application fees, etc. Please note that for an application in this programme, next to the common list of documents, we also ask for the programme-specific topics list. Students with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from ETH Zurich can transfer unconditionally into this programme and do not need to apply.

Scholarships

ETH offers different kinds of financial aids. Excellent students are invited to apply for the merit-based Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP).

Direct Doctorate

In exceptional cases, the Department offers the option to include the Master’s programme into a doctoral study programme. Students complete the regular course work and usually integrate their Master’s thesis into their doctoral dissertation. To apply for the Direct Doctorate, students need to find a supervisor themselves. During the application process, they will be asked to provide a written confirmation by their supervisor. For more details on the Direct Doctorate see Appendix 2 of the Download Programme Regulations (PDF, 361 KB) vertical_align_bottom .

Further questions

Most questions should be answered on one of the various pages linked on this site. For more details about required documents, language certificates, application fees etc., please contact the .

Targeted Audience

The programme is aimed at mathematics students who wish to deepen their previously acquired knowledge. A Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and very good grades are expected. Students with a degree in a different field can enter if they have studied an equivalent amount of mathematics. Detailed information can be found in the Download requirement profile (PDF, 220 KB) vertical_align_bottom .

The diploma requires in total 90 credit points: 60 credits from courses, seminars, and semester theses, and 30 credits from the Master’s thesis. Students usually need three or four semesters to finish our programme. More details can be found in the Download Study guide (PDF, 1.4 MB) vertical_align_bottom and the legally binding Download Programme Regulations (PDF, 361 KB) vertical_align_bottom .

Program Learning Outcomes

MATH 3450 Foundations of Mathematics II Mathematical Reasoning — or a similar introduction to proofs course or proof based upper-division mathematics course. I know some people s works are worthy of publications while some involve only studying some topic in detail from a book and submitting a summary since this is akin to a couple of courses, a year worth of work, in that topic in terms of content covered, I would consider this,which I believe is called a literature review thesis , as an extreme opposite of independent research work thesis.

Post-undergraduate courses taken elsewhere can count toward your MS degree. Such courses count as transfer credit and are limited to a total of 9 semester units, and no more than 6 graduate level units. You can consult with the graduate advisor to see if courses you have taken, or plan to take, can be transferred to your MS degree.

Resources:

https://www.calstatela.edu/nss/math/masters-degree-mathematics
https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/69317/what-is-expected-in-a-masters-thesis-of-a-mathematics-student
https://math.ethz.ch/studies/master-programmes/master-mathematics.html
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