Degree Title: Doctor of Philosophy

Program Name and Number: Mathematics - PH3101

Department/Unit: Deaprtment of Mathematics

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Program Mission: To train students to create, apply, and disseminate mathematical knowledge and understanding.

Program Learning Objectives:

• Graduates will be able to extend the frontier of mathematical knowledge by producing quality research with original results.
• Graduates will be able to apply a range of mathematical tools to problems within mathematics and in other disciplines.
• Graduates will be able to effectively disseminate mathematical knowledge and understanding through publications, seminars, classroom teaching, or other means. 

Program Overview:
The Ph.D. in mathematics is intended for students who wish to advance mathematical knowledge itself, apply such knowledge to problems confronting society and science, and educate others in mathematical methods and ways of thinking. The Mathematics Department offers students the possibility of designing study plans to meet their individual goals and interests. In particular, we offer a broad spectrum of possible research areas for our Ph.D. students, including algebra, analysis, coding theory, computational harmonic analysis, partial and ordinary differential equations, dynamical systems, financial mathematics, mathematical biology, numerical analysis, optimal control theory, set theory, statistics, stochastic processes, and topology.

The first phase in doctoral education in Mathematics is to understand a few subjects deeply and a range of subjects in less detail. Our program accomplishes this through a system of courses and written examinations. An exceptionally well-prepared student can attempt the examinations early and spend relatively little time doing coursework.

The second phase is to become the expert on a specific problem and produce new mathematical results on it suitable for a dissertation. In our program this phase is done one-on-one with a faculty advisor or in a small research group. The dissertation is a scholarly work demonstrating the ability to understand, organize, improve, and present mathematical ideas of outstanding importance, depth, or interest. It must include original mathematical research and be worthy of publication.

Most doctoral students are trained and financially supported as teaching assistants and have the opportunity to teach classes as the primary instructor.

Opportunities for Graduates: Most graduates work in academia, teaching and/or doing research in Mathematics.

Link to Program: http://www.ohio.edu/cas/math/grad/

Graduation Requirements:

1. University requirements listed in this graduate catalog for doctoral programs such as the minimum number of credits and the dissertation. There is no scholarly discipline component.
2. The comprehensive examinations are structured as follows:
   1. Written examinations: Students are required to pass written examinations in two of the following subjects: Algebra, Analysis, Differential Equations, Statistics, and Topology. Their choices of subjects should be made in consultation with potential Ph.D. advisors. An examination in each subject will be offered twice each year, in late summer and in winter. A student may make no more than 5 total attempts at examinations, with a maximum of 3 attempts in any given subject area.
   2. Breadth requirement: Students must earn a grade of B or better in 4 MATH courses above 5999, excluding the core courses in the subjects of their two written examinations. At least one course must be a core course in an examination subject in which the student did not take a written examination. Project, seminar, and independent study courses may not be used for this requirement.
3. Adequate progress: Students must progress through the requirements to meet the following deadlines:

• Student Has M.S. from elsewhere
  • Clock Starts: Enters our doctoral program
  • Pass 1 written examination: winter of year 2
  • Pass 2 written examinations: winter of year 3
  • Find advisor and form advisory committee: 2 years
  • Breadth course requirement: 3 years
  • Advance to Candidacy: 3 years
  • Successfully defend dissertation: 7 years from entering doctoral program
• Student enters through our Master’s program:
  • Clock Starts: Entered our Master’s program.
  • Pass 1 written examination: winter of year 3
  • Pass 2 written examinations: winter of year 4
  • Find advisor and form advisory committee: 3 years
  • Breadth course requirement: 4 years
  • Advance to Candidacy: 4 years
  • Successfully defend dissertation: 7 years from entering doctoral program

Admission Requirements: Minimally, a master’s degree in Mathematics or a closely related field is required, with GPA at least 3.3. Due to capacity limitations, only the top few applicants are admitted each year. Non-native English speakers must demonstrate English proficiency as specified in this graduate catalog.