Requirements For The PhD Degree
To obtain the Ph.D., the student must meet a coursework requirement, a Preliminary Examination requirement, and a Candidacy Examination requirement.
Coursework: The student must complete 48 credits of courses at the 600-level or above, exclusive of certain courses designated in the catalog, subject to these restrictions:
- A maximum of 27 credits of MATH courses at the 600-level.
- A maximum of 12 credits of MATH 868 (Research) and MATH 870 (Reading) combined.
- A maximum of six credits at the 600-level or above in non-MATH courses.
An alternative accelerated coursework requirement is available to students who arrive with an M.S. degree and complete the Preliminary Exam requirement upon arrival. For these students the requirement is 30 credits at the 600 level or above, subject to these restrictions:
- Completing the 2nd tier of the Preliminary Exam Requirement before the start of the third semester
- MATH 600 , MATH 602 , and MATH 672 may not be counted.
- A maximum of nine credits of MATH courses at the 600-level.
- A maximum of 12 credits of MATH 868 (Research) and MATH 870 (Reading) combined.
- A maximum of three credits at the 600-level or above in non-MATH courses.
Preliminary Examination Requirement: The Preliminary Exam is divided into two tiers, each of which contains two individual written exams. The first tier exams are Linear Algebra and Analysis. The second tier exams are to be chosen from the following list: Advanced Analysis (MATH 602 ), Numerical Methods (MATH 611 ), Applied Mathematics (MATH 617 ), Stochastic Processes (MATH 631 ), and Algebra (MATH 650 ). Each exam can be taken at most twice, and the maximum number of second tier exams that can be attempted overall is four. The first tier of the Preliminary Exam Requirement must be completed by the beginning of the third semester of study. The second tier of the Preliminary Exam Requirement must be completed by the beginning of the fourth semester of study.
Candidacy Examination: The Candidacy Exam is conducted by a committee of four faculty chosen by the student. The student first publicly presents a research plan or survey, after which the examiners orally assess the student’s preparation to conduct research. The Candidacy Exam may be attempted up to two times. It must be completed successfully before the start of the sixth semester of study in order to maintain eligibility for the Ph.D.
Other requirements: The student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better; complete two semesters of experience in teaching undergraduate students; select a Dissertation Committee and be admitted to candidacy; complete nine credits of MATH 969 (Doctoral Dissertation) after admission to candidacy; and complete and successfully defend a dissertation. Exceptions to the degree requirements can occur only with the permission of the Graduate Studies Committee.
Dissertation: A student must successfully defend his/her dissertation in front of a committee consisting of the dissertation advisor and no less than three additional members, one of whom must be from outside the department. The dissertation must contain original publishable results.
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