Graduate Students

The Mathematics Department is located in McBryde Hall, pictured above (photo credit: Mia Shu). There are roughly 70 graduate students actively engaged in the mathematics graduate programs. All graduate students have an office/study space for their own use, and are welcome in the Department's Common Room for informal discussion and conversation. 

As a new student you will be given an initial advisor appropriate for the research interests you have expressed. However, those interests will envolve, and you are free to make your own arrangements with any other faculty member to be your advisor. 

Most of our students become involved in some sort of study or research project in addition to their course work. This can range from independent study on a topic of special interest, under the direction of a faculty member, to supporting work on a faculty research project, to the doctoral dissertation of Ph.D. students. Most M.S. students complete their studies with a presentation based on a reading/study/research project that they have carried out under faculty supervision. These opportunities to study with and learn from both student and faculty colleagues is one unique privilege of graduate work in a major research department.

Each year an average of 15 or so students complete their M.S. degrees. Some of them continue into our PhD program. Other find employment in government or industry, with recent employers including Leidos, The National Security Agency, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

An average of about 5 students complete their Ph.D. each year. Recent graduates have gone on to begin research careers in academia, government an industry:

• Tenure-track positions at Carson-Newman University, Eastern Illinois University, George Fox University, James Madison University, Lehigh University, University of Texas-Rio Grand
• Postdoctoal positions at Australian National University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Florida, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wake Forest University
• Research positions at the Department of Defense, NASA Langley Research Center, Fujitsu, Raytheon, Samsung

We offer programs leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) degree, and a doctoral program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. The descriptions below of degree requirements for these programs are only summaries, intended to communicate the nature of the programs to potential students. For complete descriptions see the Policies document linked below. 

The Master of Science degree represents two years of course work and an optional thesis. This degree is intended to provide a basic foundation of graduate level work from which the student can pursue multiple options for the future. Many M.S. degree holders move on to a technically oriented job with an employer in the private sector or with a government agency. For others it is the gateway into the more intense and in-depth study of the doctoral program. There are two M.S. degree options: the nonthesis option and the thesis option. As alternatives to the standard requirements for these options, both are available under a special interdisciplinary plan.

To complete the M.S. degree requirements the student must satisfy some form of final examination requirement. Our current practice is to have the student prepare and give a lecture with written summary on the topic of a short independent study project carried out under the supervision of a faculty member. These Master's Presentations have proven valuable to students in job interviews and in developing professional communication skills, not to mention the interesting mathematical topics they have explored. A standing alternative to the Master's Presentation requirement is the passage of two Ph.D. preliminary examinations. This allows a student to complete the M.S. requirements "automatically" in the first two years of normal progress toward the Ph.D.

The thesis option requirements differ from the above mainly in that the writing of a Master's Thesis replaces some of the course work. The Master's Thesis is a written report resulting from a significant independent study or research project, conducted under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Some course requirements are replaced by Math 5994, a special course designation to account for the time spent in independent study and writing of the thesis. In addition, the thesis option allows a little more flexibility in allowing you to take courses outside the Mathematics Department that may be relevant to your work. The final examination is replaced by a presentation of the thesis and response to questions (the "thesis defense"). This option provides more opportunity for in-depth work in a specific topic or application than would be possible under the nonthesis option.

The interdisciplinary plan is intended only for students having clearly defined interdisciplinary career goals that cannot be adequately served under either the standard thesis or nonthesis options above. The student's program of study is designed by the student and an advisory committee, including at least one faculty member from the related discipline. This allows a program of study to be customized to the student's specific interdisciplinary goals, while insuring a level of quality comparable to the other master's degree options. It is important that the student interested in this option take the initiative to form the advisory committee and plan a program of courses at the very beginning of their graduate studies.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree takes the student far beyond the Master's degree in several ways. For one, a broader and more solid basis of advanced mathematical knowledge must be demonstrated. To ensure this, the student must pass Ph.D. preliminary examinations in two of the following four areas: Algebra, Analysis, Partial Differential Equations, and Computational Mathematics. With the prelims complete the student begins the preparations for his/her doctoral research project. The transition into the research phase is marked by the comprehensive exam. This exam is administered by the student's advisory committee. Its structure may vary, but the exam generally includes a discussion of the planned research project. The time required to complete the Ph.D. program is not fixed but typically involves three to five years of study after completion of the M.S..

The centerpiece of the Ph.D. is the dissertation. Under an advisor's guidance, the doctoral candidate engages in a major research project. The dissertation itself is the written document, following professional standards, resulting from this project. Through this dissertation work the doctoral student moves beyond the relatively passive role of receiving knowledge presented in courses to become an active, self-motivated scholar, making a significant contribution to their area of specialty. The work of the dissertation is expected to be of such quality as to merit publication in a scholarly journal, after appropriate revisions. For those continuing in academic research the dissertation topic may initiate a more lengthy research program that forms the beginning of a scholarly career. For those who continue in a nonacademic direction, the dissertation experience is valued because it requires the highest level of creativity and independent thinking.

Most graduate students in the Mathematics Department are supported by Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs). GTAs receive a stipend (paycheck) for the nine-month academic year, as well as a waiver of tuition. As a GTA you are an employee of the Mathematics Department with assigned duties related to teaching undergraduate courses. Students are typically supported for two years in the M.S. program. After admission to the Ph.D. program, four additional years of GTA support can be anticipated for students making satisfactory progress. There are usually a number of GTA positions available for the summer months, awarded on a competitive basis. Faculty with research grants can often provide summer support for students assisting them on their projects.

Some graduate students may find academic year support through their advisor's research grant, or through fellowships or grants. Some of the awards that our graduate students have held are: NSF Graduate Fellowship, DOD Assert grant, Albert Einstein Congressional Fellowship, Willma Lowry Teacher of the year in Mathematics, Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching. 

Our department welcomes students from across the world, and our graduate programs currently include students from nearly every continent. The accommodate international students and meet university guidelines, a few additional requirements apply. If you are an international student you will be required to submit TOEFL scores as part of your application. The University takes on a certain legal responsibility in authorizing the visa for an international student. Once admitted, the Graduate School will administer additional tests for English language skills. You will be required to take special English courses to strengthen your language skills, if necessary. International students are also required to provide evidence of health insurance coverage, or else participate in the University's optional group policy for graduate students.