What is my Swedish math degree equivalent to?

[octol]

Hello everyone,

I just graduated in Sweden doing mathematics and I’ve been thinking a bit about what my degree is equivalent to in the American system. Formally it is a 3 year undergraduate degree (in Swedish: “kandidat”) + 1 year graduate (“magister”) = 4 years. On the diploma it says that the English name is “Master of Science in technology with a major in Mathematics”, but I’m a little unsure if it really is equivalent to a BSc or an MSc degree in the US.

The courses in mathematics that I took are:

Calculus I, II, III + multivariable and vector calculus
Linear algebra I, II
Introduction to real analysis
Mathematical statistics
Linear systems
Integral transforms
Complex analysis
Mathematical physics (PDEs etc)
Introduction to numerical analysis
Point set topology
Introduction to algebraic topology
Classical differential geometry (surfaces in R^n etc)
Introduction to modern differential geometry (manifolds, forms, tensors)
Combinatorics and discrete mathematics
Abstract algebra (up to but not including Galois theory)
Symmetry methods for DEs (a little about Lie groups)
One-semester thesis in Nonlinear mathematical physics (More on Lie groups applied to DEs)

So then my question is, how does this correspond to the courses a US student majoring in mathematics takes?

 

[FrogPad]

Hello everyone,

I just graduated in Sweden doing mathematics and I’ve been thinking a bit about what my degree is equivalent to in the American system. Formally it is a 3 year undergraduate degree (in Swedish: “kandidat”) + 1 year graduate (“magister”) = 4 years. On the diploma it says that the English name is “Master of Science in technology with a major in Mathematics”, but I’m a little unsure if it really is equivalent to a BSc or an MSc degree in the US.

The courses in mathematics that I took are:

Calculus I, II, III + multivariable and vector calculus
Linear algebra I, II
Introduction to real analysis
Mathematical statistics
Linear systems
Integral transforms
Complex analysis
Mathematical physics (PDEs etc)
Introduction to numerical analysis
Point set topology
Introduction to algebraic topology
Classical differential geometry (surfaces in R^n etc)
Introduction to modern differential geometry (manifolds, forms, tensors)
Combinatorics and discrete mathematics
Abstract algebra (up to but not including Galois theory)
Symmetry methods for DEs (a little about Lie groups)
One-semester thesis in Nonlinear mathematical physics (More on Lie groups applied to DEs)

So then my question is, how does this correspond to the courses a US student majoring in mathematics takes?

I took most of those classes in high school. So you are probably a little under a BS in mathematics :rofl:

Seriously though, you have an equivalent of a BS (this is just a guess), but if I were you I would wait for a real response

 

[FrogPad]

Here's an example BS curriculum at a state school:

MAT	270	Calculus with Analytic Geometry I MA 	4
MAT	271	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II MA 	4
MAT	272	Calculus with Analytic Geometry III MA 	4
MAT	300	Mathematical Structures L 	3
MAT	342	Linear Algebra	3
 	or MAT 343 Applied Linear Algebra (3)
MAT	371	Advanced Calculus I	3

Two courses chosen from the following list of advanced courses	6
MAT 415 Introduction to Combinatorics (3)
MAT 416 Introduction to Graph Theory (3)
MAT 423 Numerical Analysis I CS (3)
MAT 425 Numerical Analysis II CS (3)
MAT 442 Advanced Linear Algebra (3)
MAT 444 Intermediate Abstract Algebra (3)
MAT 472 Intermediate Real Analysis I (3)
MAT 473 Intermediate Real Analysis II (3)
MAT 475 Differential Equations (3)
MAT 476 Partial Differential Equations (3)
STP 421 Probability (3)
STP 427 Mathematical Statistics (3)dvanced Courses in Mathematics and Statistics 1
Two courses from the following list, both preferably taken from the same grouping	6
Algebra, Topology, and Number Theory
MAT 410 Introduction to General Topology (3)
MAT 442 Advanced Linear Algebra (3)
MAT 443 Introduction to Abstract Algebra (3)
MAT 444 Intermediate Abstract Algebra (3)
MAT 445 Theory of Numbers (3)
Analysis and Applications
MAT 372 Advanced Calculus II (3)
MAT 461 Applied Complex Analysis (3)
MAT 472 Intermediate Real Analysis I (3)
Applied Mathematics and Dynamics
MAT 451 Mathematical Modeling CS (3)
MAT 452 Introduction to Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics (3)
MAT 455 Introduction to Fractals and Applications (3)
Computational Mathematics
MAT 420 Scientific Computing (3)
MAT 421 Applied Computational Methods CS (3)
MAT 423 Numerical Analysis I CS (3)
MAT 425 Numerical Analysis II CS (3)
MAT 427 Computer Arithmetic CS (3)
Differential Equations
MAT 462 Applied Partial Differential Equations (3)
MAT 475 Differential Equations (3)
MAT 476 Partial Differential Equations (3)
Discrete Mathematics
MAT 415 Introduction to Combinatorics (3)
MAT 416 Introduction to Graph Theory (3)
MAT 419 Introduction to Linear Programming CS (3)
Statistics and Probability
STP 420 Introductory Applied Statistics CS (3)
STP 421 Probability (3)
STP 425 Stochastic Processes (3)
STP 427 Mathematical Statistics (3)
STP 429 Experimental Statistics CS (3)

Additional Course Work in Mathematics and Statistics 2
Three courses in mathematics and statistics

Related Fields Course Work 3
Course work in mathematics, statistics, or related fields	10
1 Students who contemplate graduate work in mathematics should choose additional courses listed under the depth requirement to satisfy the advanced courses requirement.
2 Acceptable mathematics courses are MAT 243, 274, and upper division MAT courses, with the exception of MAT 310, 362, 485, and MAT 411. Acceptable statistics courses are 400-level STP courses.
3 For a list of related field course work, see an advisor

schools will vary,

it looks like you have taken your fair share of courses though. So you might be above a BS.

 

[Serbian.matematika]

Yes you are more than equivalent to an American BSc Degree in Mathematics. Very easy you can get your Masters Degree I am Mathematics from Canadian University and you can teach math at The Community College in Canada.

 

[octol]

So in average, what kind of courses does a typical masters-student in the US take then? This is usually for two years, right?

 

[SticksandStones]

You can try e-mailing a US university and asking them what the equivilant would be. My guess, judging by the name, is that it is similar to an MSc. Judging by the time frame, though, I would say a BS.

Again, contact a university in the US if you want to know for sure.

 

[Muzza]

Judging by the time frame, though, I would say a BS.

You have to take into consideration that Swedish universities don't require you to take any courses outside of your major.

I don't really know the answer (although I am also in a Swedish mathematics program, hoping to get a Swedish MSc), but I'd say the most important determinant is this: do American BS programs (in math) require students to write something on (or above) the level of a Swedish "magistersuppsats" (master's thesis)?

 

[Gokul43201]

So then my question is, how does this correspond to the courses a US student majoring in mathematics takes?

To my knowledge it is deeper but narrower than the math coursework completed by the average US math student graduating with an MS in math. In the US, you would typically be required to complete a basic series in Statistical methods and a basic series in Computational techniques, but you might get away without having to do as much differential geometry.

 

[Mattara]

You have to take into consideration that Swedish universities don't require you to take any courses outside of your major.

I don't really know the answer (although I am also in a Swedish mathematics program, hoping to get a Swedish MSc), but I'd say the most important determinant is this: do American BS programs (in math) require students to write something on (or above) the level of a Swedish "magistersuppsats" (master's thesis)?

I though that a magisterexamen was the same as a master degree, especially after they changed the first to be more suited to overseas (or Europe(?)) education.

I don't want to refer to wikipedia but I cannot think of anything that would be close to anything descriptive http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSc#Sweden

How about asking someone on your university?