Coursework

Normally, a MS student or a PhD student who has not yet passed all exams takes 3 courses (9 credits) per semester. Taking fewer courses can be justified only under special circumstances, and requires the prior approval of the student’s academic advisor as well as the GPD. Occasionally a well-prepared student may elect to take four courses, but this should be attempted only after consulting with the academic advisor. Audited courses do not count towards the 9 credit limit.

PhD students who have passed all exams and declared a dissertation advisor may fill out their schedule by signing up for dissertation credits. In some circumstances students at this level opt instead to request overrides to full time status from the GPD. Although the department allows this in some cases, it takes no responsibility for any financial complications that may result.

Most graduate courses are numbered 600 and above: students are generally expected to take at least two courses at this level each semester in the Department. Students are encouraged to take courses in other departments, provided the level and content are appropriate: permission to do this must be obtained in advance from the GPD if the student intends to use such courses to fulfill any degree requirements.

There are a number of courses at the 500 level, which are open to both undergraduates and graduate students. Some—but not all—of these courses are normally permitted to be used as part of the graduate program (e.g., Math 523, 532, 534, 545, 563), following GAC guidelines. Such courses are typically at a lower level than the introductory graduate courses, and are useful primarily for students seeking a MS. (Please note that the degree requirements above limit the number of 500 level courses which can be used.) Statistics courses numbered 525 and below are never permitted to be used for requirements by our graduate students.

With some exceptions, 600-level courses are offered every year. Most are part of two semester sequences. There are several 700-level courses which are offered every year or every other year. In addition, every year the Department will offer some topics courses which may not recur in the near future. The most accurate resource for course offerings in a semester is the Department web page or SPIRE.

600-level courses

• Math 605/606: Probability / Stochastic Analysis
• Math 611/612: Algebra I / Algebra II
• Math 621: Complex Analysis
• Math 623/624: Analysis I / Analysis II
• Math 645/646: ODEs, Dynamical Systems / Applied Mathematics
• Math 651/652: Numerical Analysis I / Numerical Analysis II
• Math 671/672: Topology / Algebraic Topology
• Stat 607/608: Mathematical Statistics I / Mathematical Statistics II
• Stat 610: Bayesian Statistics
• Stat 625: Regression Modeling

700-level courses

• Math 703: Differential Geometry
• *Math 704: Riemannian Geometry
• *Math 705: Symplectic Topology
• Math 706: Stochastic Calculus
• *Math 707: Algebraic Geometry
• *Math 708: Complex Algebraic Geometry
• *Math 713: Algebraic Number Theory
• *Math 714: Arithmetic of Elliptic Curves
• *Math 717: Representation Theory
• *Math 718: Lie Algebras
• Math 725: Functional Analysis
• Math 731: Partial Differential Equations
• Stat 705: Linear models
• Stat 725: Estimation Theory and Hypothesis Testing I

The courses marked * are offered every other year, alternating with the course numbered one lower or one higher.

Independent Study

Students may be permitted to pursue independent study with the guidance of a faculty member (in place of 3 or 6 hours of regular courses). The student should obtain the Independent Study form from the GPM, to be approved by the supervising faculty member and the GPD.

Dissertation credits

Students in the PhD program must take a total of 18 credits of dissertation before they graduate. Dissertation credits can be taken at any time after the student has passed all exams and chosen a dissertation Adviser. Any number of dissertation credits can be taken in a semester, up to a maximum of 9 credits of dissertation and regular courses. For example, a student who is taking one 3 credit course can sign up for up to 6 credits of dissertation.

Grades

The only grades which graduate students may earn are A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, F. Grades below B are generally regarded as indicating substandard performance, as reflected in our degree requirements. According to Graduate School policy, a student whose average falls below 2.8 (where A=4, A- = 3.7, B+ =3.3, B=3, C=2) in any two semesters (consecutive or not), is subject to academic dismissal upon recommendation of the GPD to the Dean of the Graduate School. But in more down-to-earth terms, a student who is unable to maintain a B average in the first two years of graduate work cannot expect to earn even a MS in our Department. Only in exceptional circumstances will a student whose average falls below B in any semester receive financial support.

Language Requirement

English is currently the international language of mathematics and statistics, so all graduate students are expected to have a good mastery of English, both written and spoken. Students whose first language is not English must show adequate reading comprehension as measured by the TOEFL exam. But fluency in the spoken language is also essential, for participation in courses and seminars or for employment as a Teaching Assistant. Students who have difficulty with the spoken language are expected to enroll in a conversation course or the equivalent. Although the department has no formal foreign language requirement, students are encouraged to acquire, at least, a reading knowledge of other languages widely used in mathematics and statistics.

Computer Literacy Requirement

The department has no formal computer literacy requirement. However, students are encouraged to take advantage of the computing resources provided for numeric and symbolic computation, statistical data analysis, text processing, etc.