Master's Degree Training Program in Mathematics as an Academic Discipline

Discipline Code: 0701

1. Discipline Introduction

The discipline of Mathematics at Hebei Normal University was among the first in China to be granted the right to confer master's degrees after the establishment of the degree system. It was authorized to confer doctoral degrees in Basic Mathematics in 1998 and Applied Mathematics in 2006, along with first-level master's degrees in Mathematics. In 2007, it established a postdoctoral research station and was authorized to confer first-level doctoral degrees in Mathematics in 2011. As the only Mathematics discipline in Hebei Province with doctoral degree-granting rights, it has received substantial support from the provincial government and education and science and technology departments. It was designated as a strong characteristic discipline in Hebei Province in 2005, included in the cultivation of national key disciplines by Hebei universities in 2013, and identified as a world-class discipline construction discipline in Hebei Province's "Double First-Class" initiative in 2016. Leveraging the first-level doctoral discipline in Mathematics, the Hebei Provincial Computational Mathematics and Applications Key Laboratory was established in 2011, along with the Hebei Provincial Mobile Internet of Things Research Institute and the Hebei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Digital Education, which became one of the first 15 collaborative innovation centers of the "2011 Plan" in Hebei Province. In 2016, the AR Key Laboratory was established in Hebei universities, achieving another innovative breakthrough in school-enterprise R&D cooperation. The Hebei Provincial Mathematics Research Center and the Hebei Mathematical Society are also affiliated with our university. In the fourth round of national disciplinary assessment organized by the Ministry of Education's Center for Degree and Graduate Education, our Mathematics discipline was rated as a B-class discipline, ranking in the top 30% nationally. The Mathematics discipline has formed several research teams with national and international influence, such as Operator Algebra and Operator Theory, Intelligent Computing and its Applications, Combinatorial Design and Combinatorial Geometry, Dynamical Systems and Differential Topology, Algebra and Algebraic Combinations.

2. Training Objectives and Basic Requirements

The discipline aims to cultivate high-level mathematical professionals with high political quality, strong ideological and moral character, good professional ethics, and solid professional knowledge, who can serve China's education and scientific research. Graduates are expected to have a solid foundation in mathematics, certain research capabilities, and the ability to apply mathematical methods to solve practical problems, making theoretically or practically significant achievements in a specific field. They should possess good scientific quality, a rigorous academic spirit, openness to new knowledge, and the ability to propose new ideas and explore new topics. Proficiency in a foreign language is required for reading foreign literature and writing papers in a foreign language. Graduates should be capable of conducting scientific research and teaching in research departments and higher education institutions, working in basic education institutions such as schools and publishing houses, engaging in creative research and practical work in various sectors of the national economy using their mathematical knowledge and thinking, or pursuing higher-level studies in mathematics-related disciplines.

3. Program Duration and Study Period

The academic master's program duration is 3 years, with a study period ranging from 2 to 4 years.

4. Training Methods

  (i) The training of academic master's students adopts a combination of individual guidance by mentors or mentor groups. Emphasis is placed on the leading role of mentors while making full use of the power of academic groups.

  (ii) Master's training combines coursework and thesis research. Students systematically master theoretical knowledge in their field and develop problem-solving skills.

  (iii) Graduate training follows the principle of combining theory and practice, improving the comprehensive quality of graduate students.

  (iv) Political theory learning is combined with regular political, ideological, moral, and legal education. Active participation in social activities beneficial to socialist modernization is encouraged, provided that the learning tasks are completed.

  (v) Master's students are encouraged to actively participate in research projects of the college or their mentors.

5. Course Structure and Credit Requirements

  (i) Mainland Master's Students

     1. Master's courses include degree courses, non-degree courses, and compulsory sections.

        (1) Degree courses include degree public courses, degree foundational courses, and degree professional courses, with a passing grade of 70 points.

        Degree public courses include: Research on the Theory and Practice of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics (2 credits, 36 hours); Natural Dialectics/Marxism and Scientific Methodology (1 credit, 18 hours); Comprehensive English (2 credits, 32 hours); Expanded English (4 credits, 64 hours).

        Degree foundational courses include: Basic Algebra (3 credits, 64 hours); Functional Analysis (I) (3 credits, 64 hours); Algebraic Topology (3 credits, 64 hours).

        Degree professional courses are specialized courses in the discipline, requiring at least 9 credits.

        (2) Non-degree courses are quality

expansion, tool, and directional courses for graduate students. They include elective public courses, elective directional courses, and remedial courses, with a passing grade of 60 points.

        Degree courses are generally examined, while non-degree courses can be assessed. The examination method can include written (open or closed book), oral, or a combination of both. The assessment of degree public courses is organized by the Graduate School, and the assessment method for other courses is determined by the course instructors and reported to the college for record-keeping.

        Master's students who have taken graduate courses in Mathematics before enrollment and achieved a grade of 70 or above, and whose credits were not counted towards undergraduate graduation, can apply for a waiver during their graduate studies, but must enroll and take the exams. The student must apply, with the consent of the mentor. Such courses cannot exceed 3 in total.

        (3) Compulsory sections include literature reading reports, academic activities, scientific ethics, and academic style building activities.

            ① Literature reading is conducted in the form of seminars, mainly student reports, with on-site guidance from mentors (groups). The content of reading should be a series of topics closely related to the dissertation, determined after consultation between the mentor (group) and the graduate student, and two literature reading reports signed by the mentor must be submitted before the end of the fourth semester.

            ② Master's students should attend at least 16 academic lectures in their discipline during their studies, with no less than 3 lectures per semester from the second to fifth semesters. If students participate in joint training at home or abroad, they must complete the academic lecture attendance tasks at the joint training institution. At the end of the fifth semester, written records should be submitted to the mentor for approval and then filed with the college graduate secretary for future reference.

            Students identified for the master's-to-doctoral program should attend at least 16 academic lectures in their discipline during the first four semesters of the master's phase. If students participate in joint training at home or abroad, they must complete the academic lecture attendance tasks at the joint training institution. At the end of the fourth semester, written records should be submitted to the mentor for approval and then filed with the college graduate secretary for future reference.

            ③ The college and mentors (groups) actively organize scientific ethics and academic style building lectures, guiding graduate students to master the norms of scientific research, establish rigorous academic character, and consciously resist academic misconduct. Students are required to submit a learning experience report during their studies.

     2. The graduate training program operates on a credit system.

        The total credits (including degree course credits and compulsory sections) required for master's students in Mathematics should not be less than 32 credits and not exceed 40 credits.

  (ii) International Students and Students from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan

     Follow the relevant regulations of the university.

6. Mid-term Assessment

To ensure the quality of master's training, a mid-term assessment is conducted in the fourth semester. The mid-term assessment team comprehensively assesses master's students, including ideological and moral character, course learning, research capabilities, and proposal reports. Only those who pass the mid-term assessment can proceed to the thesis writing stage.

7. Research and Dissertation

  1. Research Requirements

     Master's students generally should publish (or have accepted) at least 1 professional academic paper during their studies, with each paper only being used by one graduate student.

  2. Dissertation Requirements

     Writing a master's thesis is a comprehensive training of research capabilities for master's students and an important basis for assessing their comprehensive ability and whether they can obtain a degree.

     The master's thesis must be independently completed by graduate students under the guidance of a mentor (group). The thesis should build upon previous work with extensions, deepening, or innovations, have academic value and practical significance, present new insights into the research topic, and the main results should be publishable.

     Before writing the thesis, master's students must conduct thorough research, review relevant materials, and understand the history, current state, and trends of the research direction before determining the thesis topic. The thesis proposal report is generally arranged to be completed before the end of April in the fourth semester, and the mid-term check is arranged to be completed before the end of October in the fifth semester, organized by the mentor (group) according to the requirements of the university and college. The thesis can enter the review stage only after being approved and signed by the mentor. The writing, review, and defense of the thesis follow the relevant regulations of the Graduate School of Hebei Normal University.