TL;DR

• Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics publishes original math research by undergraduates.

• Submissions must be original work, formatted in LaTeX, and not under review elsewhere.

• Peer review is conducted by faculty and advanced graduate students.

• There are no submission fees and no publication fees.

• Accepted papers appear online with a permanent, citable record.

You have spent months on a mathematics proof. You have checked it, revised it, and shown it to your professor. Now you want to know if it is good enough to publish. That question is harder to answer than it sounds, mostly because finding the right journal takes time that most undergraduates do not have.

The Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics is one of the few peer-reviewed venues built specifically for undergraduate mathematical research. It accepts original work across pure and applied mathematics, and it does not charge fees on either end of the process. For a student publishing for the first time, that combination is rare.

This guide walks through every stage of submitting to the Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics, from checking whether your paper qualifies to understanding what happens after you hit send.

What is the Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics?

The Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics (MJUM) is a free, peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes original mathematics research written by undergraduate students. It was founded at the University of Minnesota and accepts submissions from undergraduates at institutions worldwide. Papers are reviewed by faculty mathematicians and advanced graduate students, and accepted work is published online with a permanent digital record.

MJUM sits in a small category of journals that treat undergraduate mathematics as serious scholarship rather than a training exercise. The editorial standard is genuine. Reviewers look for original results, correct proofs, and clear exposition. A paper that rehashes known results without a new contribution will not be accepted, regardless of how well it is written.

The journal covers a broad range of mathematical areas. Number theory, combinatorics, analysis, topology, probability, and applied mathematics all fall within scope. Interdisciplinary work that uses rigorous mathematics as its foundation is also considered. What the journal does not publish is expository writing, survey papers, or work that is primarily computational without a theoretical contribution.

If you are still deciding whether MJUM is the right venue, it helps to read through the best journals for undergraduate research to compare scope, selectivity, and audience before committing to one submission target.

How to submit to the Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics: step by step

Submitting to MJUM follows a structured process. Skipping any stage creates delays. Here is the sequence in full.

1. Confirm eligibility. At least one author must be a current undergraduate student or must have been an undergraduate at the time the research was completed. Graduate students may co-author but cannot be the sole or primary author.

2. Prepare your manuscript in LaTeX. MJUM requires LaTeX formatting. Plain Word documents are not accepted. Use standard mathematical environments for theorems, proofs, lemmas, and definitions. The journal provides a style guide on its submission page.

3. Write a cover letter. Include the title of your paper, the names and institutional affiliations of all authors, a brief statement confirming the work is original and not under review elsewhere, and contact information for the corresponding author.

4. Submit through the journal portal. MJUM uses an online submission system. Upload your LaTeX source file, a compiled PDF, and your cover letter as separate files.

5. Wait for editorial screening. The editor-in-chief performs an initial check to confirm the paper is within scope and meets basic formatting requirements. This typically takes one to three weeks.

6. Peer review. Papers that pass the initial screen are sent to at least two reviewers. Review timelines vary, but most authors receive a decision within two to four months.

7. Respond to revisions. If reviewers request changes, you will receive a detailed report. Address each point in a response letter and resubmit the revised manuscript.

If you are submitting to a peer-reviewed journal for the first time, the full process from submission to publication can feel opaque. The guide on how to submit a research paper to a peer-reviewed journal covers the mechanics that apply across most journals, which is useful context before your first MJUM submission.

What makes a strong MJUM submission?

A strong submission to the Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics contains an original result, a complete and correct proof, and writing that makes the argument easy to follow. Reviewers are not looking for famous open problems solved. They are looking for work that is honest about what it contributes and precise in how it makes that contribution.

The most common reason papers are rejected at the screening stage is scope. A paper that presents known results, even clearly and correctly, does not meet the originality threshold. Before submitting, identify the specific theorem, lemma, or result that is new. If you cannot state it in one sentence, the contribution may not be sufficiently defined.

The second most common issue is proof completeness. Reviewers will read every step. Gaps that seem minor to the author often require significant revision. Have at least one faculty member read the proof in full before you submit. Their feedback at this stage is far less costly than a major revision request from a reviewer.

If you want structured feedback on your draft before submission, Publication Compass is a platform that lets you submit your paper, receive detailed editorial feedback, and identify the right journals for your work, all without a human consultant involved. You can join the waitlist at publicationcompass.ai.

Writing quality matters as much as mathematical content. A correct proof buried in unclear prose will receive revision requests focused on exposition. Use precise mathematical language. Define every variable before it appears. State your main result early, before the proof, so reviewers understand what you are proving and why it matters.

Formatting requirements for MJUM submissions

MJUM requires LaTeX. This is non-negotiable. The journal uses LaTeX to ensure consistent typesetting across all published papers. If you have not used LaTeX before, learning it before submission is part of the process. Free tools like Overleaf make it accessible without any local installation.

Key formatting points based on the journal's published guidelines include the following. Use the standard article document class unless the journal specifies otherwise. Number all theorems, lemmas, propositions, and corollaries in a single sequence throughout the paper. Place all references in a bibliography at the end, formatted consistently, and cite them by number in the text. Figures and tables should be embedded in the LaTeX source, not inserted as separate image files.

The journal does not impose a strict page limit, but most published papers fall between eight and twenty pages in compiled PDF form. Papers significantly shorter than eight pages rarely contain enough development to constitute an original contribution. Papers significantly longer than twenty pages are not disqualified, but they face a higher burden of justification for their length.

For a broader view of what undergraduate mathematics journals look for in terms of format and scope, the undergraduate research journals complete list provides a useful comparison across multiple venues.

After you submit: what to expect from peer review

After submission to the Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics, the editorial team screens your paper for scope and formatting within one to three weeks. Papers that pass screening enter peer review, where two or more reviewers read the full manuscript and submit independent assessments to the editor.

Peer review at MJUM produces one of four outcomes. The paper is accepted as submitted, which is rare for a first submission. The paper is accepted pending minor revisions, meaning small corrections to proofs, notation, or exposition. The paper requires major revisions, meaning the argument needs significant restructuring or additional results. The paper is rejected, either because it falls outside scope or because the reviewers find a fundamental flaw in the mathematics.

A major revision decision is not a rejection. Many published papers go through at least one round of major revisions. When you receive a revision request, read the reviewer reports carefully and respond to every point, even the ones you disagree with. If you believe a reviewer has misunderstood your argument, explain why clearly and respectfully. Editors read both the reports and your response when making the final decision.

One important rule applies throughout this process: do not submit the same paper to another journal while it is under review at MJUM. Simultaneous submission violates the ethical standards of academic publishing and can result in permanent rejection from both journals. The rules around submitting the same paper to two journals are worth reading before you begin any submission process.

Is MJUM the right journal for your mathematics paper?

MJUM is a strong choice if your paper contains an original mathematical result, you are a current or recent undergraduate, and your work falls within standard mathematical disciplines. It is not the right choice if your paper is primarily a literature review, a computational experiment without theoretical results, or an expository explanation of existing mathematics.

Other journals worth considering alongside MJUM include the Journal of Student Research, which accepts work across multiple disciplines including mathematics, and the STEM Fellowship Journal, which publishes undergraduate science and mathematics research with an emphasis on interdisciplinary work. Detailed submission information for the STEM Fellowship Journal is available in the guide on STEM Fellowship Journal acceptance rate, fees, and submission.

If you are publishing your first paper and want a broader view of the process before committing to a specific journal, the guide on how to publish your first paper as an undergraduate covers the decisions that come before submission.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics charge submission or publication fees?

No. MJUM charges no submission fees and no publication fees. The journal is open access and free for both authors and readers. This is confirmed on the journal's official submission page. Students do not need institutional funding or a grant to publish here.

Can international students submit to MJUM?

Yes. MJUM accepts submissions from undergraduate students at institutions worldwide. There is no restriction based on country of study or institution type. The submission and review process is conducted entirely in English, so manuscripts must be written in English regardless of the author's home country.

How long does the MJUM review process take?

Most authors receive an initial editorial decision within one to three weeks of submission. Full peer review typically takes two to four months, though timelines vary depending on reviewer availability. Revision rounds add additional time. Plan for a total process of four to eight months from submission to final acceptance in a typical case.

What if my paper is co-authored with a graduate student or faculty member?

Co-authorship with graduate students or faculty is permitted. However, at least one author must be a current undergraduate or must have been an undergraduate when the research was conducted. The undergraduate author should be listed as the primary author, and the cover letter should confirm their student status at the time of the work.

Do I need faculty approval before submitting?

MJUM does not formally require faculty endorsement as part of the submission. However, having a faculty advisor review your proof before submission is strongly advisable. Reviewers are faculty mathematicians. A paper that has not been vetted by at least one expert reader is more likely to contain errors that result in rejection.

Next steps

Submitting to the Minnesota Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics is a concrete, achievable goal for an undergraduate with original mathematical work. The process requires LaTeX formatting, a clear original result, a complete proof, and patience through peer review. None of those requirements are unreasonable. They are the same standards that govern every serious mathematics journal.

Start by confirming your paper has an original contribution. Then prepare your LaTeX manuscript, write your cover letter, and submit. If you want feedback on your draft before it reaches reviewers, explore the tools and resources available at Publication Compass to help you move from draft to submission with more confidence.