Comprehensive Exam Description

All students are required to complete a Capstone Experience in order to receive the M.S. degree in mathematics. 

There are two Exams taken during Math 692.  Collectively, these exams have questions that cover the four core courses.  

Exam ONE

  • Offered on the Friday of Week 12 of the the semester.
  • Material is from Math 630 (Applied Analysis) and Math 670 (Numerical Analysis)
  • Six questions offered, three per subject. FOUR questions must be answered, TWO from each subject area. 

Exam TWO

  • Offered on the Friday of the last week of classes. 
  • Material is from Math 620 (Applied Linear Algebra) and Math 675 (Differential Equations). ,e of your choosing. 
  • Six questions offered, three per subject. FOUR questions must be answered, TWO from each subject area. 

Grading:  Each question/response receives a score based on the following scale

  • 4 (Good) - mostly correct but possibly some minor errors, mostly complete
  • 3 (Satisfactory +) - has some errors or omissions but demonstrates a satisfactory degree of understanding
  • 2 (Satisfactory -) - has some substantial errors or omissions but demonstrates a satisfactory degree of understanding
  • 1 (Needs improvement) - has some substantial errors or omissions and does not demonstrate a satisfactory degree of understanding
  • 0 (Missing) - nothing relevant is submitted

Total possible points = 32

Passing Score = 20 points (an average of 2.5 points per question)

Enrollment in Math 692 requires:

  • Permission of the Graduate Coordinator
  • Completion of at least three of the four core courses (Math 620, Math 630, Math 670 and Math 675) 
  • You may enroll concurrently in Math 692 while taking the 4th of the four required classes.

For those students who entered the Masters program on a catalog prior to Fall 2025, please see the Graduate Coordinator (Dr. Jesús Oliver) for a specially tailored set of Comprehensive Exams.