Department of Mathematics of the Pennsylvania State University starts a new pre-MASS
program (PMASS) aimed at freshman/sophomore level students, which will operate in steady state in the spring semesters. We will pilot the PMASS program in 2010-2011, recruiting students from our campus only, before opening the program to outside students beginning in spring 2012.
Participants who successfully complete PMASS program are encouraged to apply for the MASS program the following fall. PMASS program is supported by Penn State and the NSF MCTP grant. Successful applicants are awarded the Penn State PMASS Fellowship, which reduces their tuition to the in-state level. Applicants who are US citizens or permanent residents are awarded the NSF PMASS Fellowship in the form of a stipend. Decisions on the awards are made by the Selection Committee based on application materials.
The pilot scheme for PMASS in 2010-2011 will comprise of MATH 311M in the fall 2010, and MATH 312H and a newly developed course MATH 397H Introduction to modern geometry
in the spring 2011, a weekly seminar and Colloquium. Applications for the spring portion of PMASS from students who were not enrolled in MATH 311M in the fall are also welcome. Successful applicants will be awarded the Fellowships mentioned above.
Starting with spring 2012, a new honors course in discrete mathematics/combinatorics will be developed, and the entire PMASS program will take place in the spring.
Schedule for PMASS 2011
- FALL 2010
- MATH 311M — Concepts of Discrete Mathematics: Introduction to Proof
Instructor: Nathanial Brown
209 HAMMOND M W F 10:10 - 11:00 - SPRING 2011
- MATH 312H — Concepts of Real Analysis
Instructor: Svetlana Katok
M W F - MATH 312A — Recitation
R - MATH 397B — Concepts of Geometry
Instructor: Sergei Tabachnikov
M W F - MATH 397R — Recitation
R - MATH 397D — PMASS Seminar
Instructor: Svetlana Katok
weekly
T - MATH 397E — PMASS Colloquium "Initiation in Mathematics"
Instructor: Multiple invited speakers
bi-weekly
R
Enrollment
- Although the PMASS courses are open to all PSU students, the participation in the PMASS program is not. Decisions on the participation and the awards are made by the Selection Committee based on application materials: the academic record and two recommendation letters from faculty.