Display Accessibility Tools

Accessibility Tools

Grayscale

Highlight Links

Change Contrast

Increase Text Size

Increase Letter Spacing

Readability Bar

Dyslexia Friendly Font

Increase Cursor Size

Master of Science in Industrial Mathematics

4 / 11
A group photo of MSIM students, Peiru Wu, Keith Promislow, and others standing together in front of a large window.
Industrial Partnerships and Strong Connections

Message from the Department Chair

Welcome to the Master of Science in Industrial Mathematics (MSIM) in the Department of Mathematics at Michigan State University!

The MSIM is a well-established Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program founded in the late 1990s with initial support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. For nearly a quarter century we have been training successful data analysts, data scientists, mathematicians, and leaders in industry.

Our comprehensive curriculum consists of two years of coursework taken in parallel with professional mentoring focused on project development, project management, and communication skills. We aim to help students pursue a PSM degree while developing an understanding of the workforce skills valued by industrial employers. Our students follow individually developed plans of study focused on mathematical and statistical tools, computer science principles, data analytics, and the basic ideas of engineering and business.

Over more than two decades we have developed strong connections with local companies through our industrial advisory board, through projects undertaken by MSIM students, and by the placement of our graduates into positions at local firms. We invite you to explore the MSIM website (math.msu.edu/msim/) to learn about over one-hundred projects undertaken by MSIM students in collaboration with local industry and to read about what graduates have to say about our program.

We look forward to the MSIM program continuing to flourish as a successful program for training generalized problem solvers of great versatility. We are here to support you and your continued success as a student in the MSIM program.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Schenker
Professor of Mathematics
Department Chair

Overview

The goal of the MSIM program is to produce generalized problem solvers of great versatility, capable of moving within an organization from task to task. The program has been successfully training data analysts/data scientists, mathematicians, and problem solvers for leadership in industry for half a century (1999–present) because

  • The graduates will have studied standard mathematical and statistical tools, as well as computer science principles, to strengthen data analytics, including data mining and machine learning.
  • They will have gained project experience by solving real-world problems proposed by local companies, including applications of data mining, machine learning, and some AI-driven methods, and they will have received training in technical writing for project reports.

The MSIM program has flourished since its inception in the late 1990s as one of the first Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Programs, gaining PSM affiliation in 1998. Supported initially by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the program has earned national recognition as one of the earliest and established Professional Science Master’s. As a STEM program, MSIM provides student rigorous training in applied mathematics and data science, with advanced quantitative skills highly valued across industries. PSM programs bridge academic theory with workplace skills, integrating mathematical modeling, computational techniques, and statistical methods. The MSIM program’s major success includes long-standing industrial partnerships, strong ties with local companies, and an exceptional graduate placement rate, supported by an industrial advisory board since 1999, consisting of representatives from renowned companies.

Program Components

The MSIM degree requires 30 credits of coursework, completion of a Certificate Course in Project Management, and a successful portfolio defense, as outlined below.

  • Core Courses in Industrial Mathematics (6 credits, MTH 843 (Fall), MTH 844 (Spring))
  • Elective and Cognate Courses (24 credits, MTH, STT, CSE/CMSE, etc.)
  • Certificate Program in Project Management (PHM 857, “not-for-credit” option, summer only)
  • Portfolio Defense (last semester)

Graduates' Employment

The PSM in Industrial Mathematics at MSU is designed to help students developing both of technical skills and soft skills to meet a growing demand in STEM fields. This is a successful model of PSM program in preparing students for their placements, for instance, since late 90s, continued preparing and producing data analysts, actuarial analysts, and generalized problem solvers in business and engineering setting moving within an organization from task to task, up to now emphasized on training and producing data analysts/data scientists to meet requirements in a new era of data science. For all of the MSIM classes from the first graduation class to the most recent one, ~100% of the graduates have obtained a job offer that were actively seeking employment.

The MSIM graduates possess the following skills (See MSIM Testimonials):

  • Applied mathematical training and statistical tools.
  • Familiarity with business environment.
  • Real-world project experience working with local industries.
  • Deeper understanding of data mining and computational issues.
  • Technical writing ability (e.g., project reports, memos).
  • Good communication skills.

Below are recent years’ placements of the MSIM graduates (See Graduate Placements Statistics for more details):

Job Title Company Location
Actuarial Analyst Accident Fund Lansing, MI
Technical Consultant I Acumen Solutions Seven Hills, OH
Software Developer Auto-Owners Insurance Lansing, MI
Data Scientist II Caterpillar Peoria, IL
Product Engineer Chrysler Auburn Hills, MI
Feature Developer Dealer Inspire Naperville, IL
Associate Discover Financial Services Riverwoods, IL
Data Analyst dunnhumby Cincinnati, OH
Data Analyst MSX Americas, Inc. Dearborn, MI
Software Engineer ForteMedia, Inc. Santa Clara, CA
Data Scientist Hello San Francisco, CA
Portfolio Analyst Loan Science Austin, TX
Statistician Marketing Associates Detroit, MI
Emerging Leaders Associate Nielsen Tampa, FL
R&D Analyst II Progressive Insurance Cleveland, OH
Analyst Rubicon International Portland, OR
Risk Analyst Transamerica Cedar Rapids, IA
Data Analyst Unum Portland, ME
Analyst Urban Science Detroit, MI
Associate Data Scientist Zuben AI Minneapolis, MN

Admission

See Admission Requirements to learn more about admission and how to apply. Read MSIM Student Handbook and Frequently Asked Questions for MSIM Applicants for more information of the program.

If you have any additional questions, please contact us at msim@math.msu.edu.

For particular information about the program, contact Dr. Peiru Wu (peiruwu@msu.edu), Director of PSM in Industrial Mathematics (or MSIM) Program.

For any additional questions regarding the program curriculum and/or the extension deadline for the application to the MSIM program, contact us at msim@math.msu.edu