Department of Mathematics
Graduate Studies in Mathematics or Statistics
Director of Graduate Programs and Graduate Advisor:
| Robert Fitzgerald Office: Neckers 379 Phone: (618) 453-6575 E-mail: rfitzg@math.siu.edu |
Application materials may be printed from the link below. For more graduate
information, you may contact
gradinfo@math.siu.edu
General Information
The Department of Mathematics offers graduate degree programs leading to the Master of Arts or Master of Science degree in mathematics and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mathematics. Students in the master's program can choose from a rich variety of courses in both pure and applied mathematics and statistics. Each master's degree candidate works closely with a professor in writing a research paper or thesis in an area of interest to the student. A double major at the master's level between mathematics and a related discipline is also an option. At the doctoral level, a student may specialize in any one of a large number of fields such as algebra, applied mathematics, combinatorics, differential equations, geometry, numerical analysis, probability, or statistics. Interdisciplinary programs are also available.
The department will be very happy to provide further information. Questions or inquiries may be directed to: Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Mathematics, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-4408 (phone: 618-453-5302; email: gradinfo@math.siu.edu ). Additional information is also available on the department web site at http://www.math.siu.edu.
Faculty and Facilities
The department is committed to providing a challenging and rewarding experience for its graduate students. With over 30 graduate faculty and approximately 33 full-time graduate students, the department offers individual attention and mentoring, strives to establish a friendly, supportive environment, and assists students as much as possible to achieve their professional goals. Graduate students have 24 hour access to the departmental computer lab which has thirty state of the art PCs, all with internet connections. For more computing needs, students can access the university Unix computer servers from the lab. Prospective students are encouraged to visit the department in order to meet the faculty and talk with students currently in the program.
Financial Aid
Nearly all students in the program receive financial assistance, primarily in the form of teaching assistantships which can be extended through the summer. Several fellowships are also available. In order to be considered for a fellowship the applicant must take the GRE exam, and all applicants are strongly encouraged to take the GRE General Test. Teaching assistantships and fellowships both include a tuition waiver. Information on other forms of financial aid such as student loans or work-study programs is available from the Financial Aid Office (phone: 618-453-4334; email: fao@siu.edu).
Location
Carbondale is a small city located in the heart of Southern Illinois. With a population of around 30,000, Carbondale serves as a focal point for many of the region's business, educational, and recreational activities. The university and community host a wide variety of cultural events, including the University Celebrity Series. The Shawnee National Forest, which extends southeast from Carbondale and encompasses over 175,000 acres, affords beautiful scenery and ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. Natural areas in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and Giant City State Park are in close proximity to Carbondale. City life in St. Louis is also easily accessible by car, with normal driving time around two hours.
Program Information
In addition to general rules, regulations, and requirements of the Graduate School, the following specific requirements pertain to the degrees available in mathematics.
Master of Science Degree in Mathematics
Students will be considered for acceptance into the M.S. degree program in mathematics if they have completed an undergraduate major in mathematics or a strong undergraduate minor in mathematics together with a major in a closely related discipline.
Once accepted, the requirements are as follows:
- The candidate must complete a total of at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit approved by the Director of Graduate Studies of which 15 hours must be at the 500 level and at least 21 hours must be in courses (exclusive of 400, 458, 511) offered by the Department of Mathematics. A minor concentration may be taken outside of the department if approved by the Director of Graduate Studies during the student's first semester in the master's program.
- The candidate's program must include (a) Math 452 and Math 419, AND (b) at least one 400- or 500-level course from two of the following three areas: (i) algebra and analysis (excluding Math 452 and Math 419); (ii) geometry and topology; (iii) probability and statistics. These requirements may be met in whole or in part by means of equivalent courses taken here or elsewhere prior to acceptance for graduate study in the department.
- The candidate must prepare a research paper or thesis (3 hours credit in MATH 595 or 599) under the supervision of a research advisor and two other faculty members from the department. This committee will be appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies after consultation with all those involved.
- The candidate must demonstrate satisfactory performance on a final oral examination covering the graduate course work and the research paper or thesis. This examination will be conducted by the 3 members of the candidate's committee and moderated by the research advisor. The student will pass the examination if the research advisor and at least 1 of the other 2 committee members so agree.
A Sample Schedule
Master of Arts Degree in Mathematics
Students will be considered for acceptance into the M.A. degree program in mathematics if they have completed with distinction the equivalent of a strong undergraduate major in mathematics.
Once accepted, the requirements are as follows:
- The candidate must complete a total of 30 semester hours of graduate level mathematics courses of which at least 15 must be at the 500 level.
- The candidate must complete with a grade of B or better each of the courses MATH 419, 421, 430, 452, 455, and at least 2 of the courses MATH 501, 519, 530. This requirement may be met in whole or in part by means of equivalent courses taken elsewhere.
- The candidate must demonstrate the ability to read mathematical literature in French, German, or Russian. This may be certified by passing with a grade of B or better the research tool course 488 offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, by passing with a score of 465 or better an examination given by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, NJ, or by passing a suitable examination given by a faculty member from the Department of Mathematics who has been approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
- The candidate must prepare a thesis (3 hours credit in MATH 599) under the supervision of a thesis advisor and 2 other faculty members from the department. This committee will be appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies after consultation with all those involved.
- The candidate must demonstrate satisfactory performance on a final oral examination covering the graduate course work and the thesis. This examination will be given by the 3 members of the candidate's committee and chaired by the thesis advisor. The student will pass the examination if the thesis advisor and at least 1 of the other 2 committee members so agree.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Students will be considered for acceptance into the doctoral program if they have completed with distinction a graduate program comparable to that required for a master's degree in mathematics, statistics, or computer science at SIUC. Additional evidence of outstanding scholarly ability or achievement (e.g., a high score on the advanced section of the Graduate Record Examination or published research papers of high quality) will lend strength to the application. Students must have completed 419, 421, 430, 452, and 455 or their equivalent before entering the doctoral program.
Once admitted, the requirements are as follows:
- The candidate must pass the departmental qualifying examination by the end of the January following the second fall semester in the doctoral program. This qualifying examination, which is given twice annually in January and August, covers 3 areas each of which is commensurate with a regularly scheduled 500 level graduate course at SIUC. After consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, candidates will choose the 3 areas over which they are to be examined, with 2 of 3 chosen from MATH 501, 519, 530, 580 including at least one of 501 and 519. The coursework in two courses chosen from the list of four above will not be counted toward completing the major area discussed in 3, below. The third area normally corresponds to another regularly scheduled 500 level mathematics course, but with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies the third area may be chosen from a related field outside the department. A candidate who fails to pass the qualifying examination within the allotted time will be dropped from the doctoral program.
- The candidate must demonstrate competence with two research tools, one of which is a foreign language and the other computer programming. The foreign language research tool requirement will be met by exhibiting the ability to read mathematics in any one of the languages French, German, or Russian. This may be certified by passing with a grade of B or better the research tool course 488 offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, by passing with a score of 465 or better an examination given by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, NJ, or by passing a suitable examination given by a faculty member from the Department of Mathematics who has been appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies. The computer programming research tool requirement will be met by passing with a grade of B or better CS 202 and CS 220 or their equivalent, or by passing a suitable examination given by a faculty member from the Department of Mathematics who has been appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies.
- Mathematics 501 and 519 or their equivalent are required courses for all doctoral students. The candidate must complete a major area (12 hours) and two minor areas (6 hours each). The course work in the major and minor areas must be at the 500 level and must be exclusive of the courses used to satisfy the qualifying examination. Normally the major and minor areas will be based on courses currently taught in the department. However, one of the minor areas may be taken outside the department, subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. With regard to the major and two minor areas, at least one of the three must be an applied area. The final definition of "applied" will be determined by the dissertation advisor.
- The candidate must file a request with the Director of Graduate Studies to appoint a dissertation committee to supervise the remaining doctoral work. This committee shall consist of 5 members with the candidate's dissertation advisor as chair. At least one member of the committee must represent each of the minor areas, and the dissertation advisor and one other member will represent the major area. One member of the committee will be chosen from outside of the department. This committee will be appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies after consultation with the candidate, the proposed dissertation advisor, the department chair, and the other faculty members involved.
- The candidate must pass a preliminary examination over the major area and one minor area chosen by the candidate. This examination will normally be given after satisfying the research tools requirement and within 18 months after passing the qualifying examination. The preliminary examination will consist of a written examination over the major area and an oral examination over the major area and the chosen minor area. This examination will be prepared, administered, and evaluated by the dissertation committee. Any member of the graduate faculty may attend the oral portion of the preliminary examination and (at the discretion of the committee chair) question the candidate. The candidate will pass the preliminary examination provided that 4 members of the committee including the chair so agree. A report on the examination will be included with the candidate's official academic records. In the event that the candidate's performance is unsatisfactory, the committee as a whole shall decide on the time and content of an appropriate re-examination. A candidate who fails the re-examination will be dropped from the doctoral program.
In unusual circumstances a candidate who has passed the preliminary examination may wish to change the major area or dissertation advisor. This will be allowed if the Director of Graduate Studies and department chair so agree, in which case the dissertation committee will be reconstituted in an appropriate manner. The revised committee may then prescribe additional course work and require the candidate to retake the preliminary examination. - The candidate must be officially admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. This will be done after all of the above requirements have been met.
- The candidate must complete a dissertation (representing at least 24 hours in MATH 600) under the supervision of the candidate's dissertation advisor. The dissertation advisor and the other 4 members of the dissertation committee will evaluate the quality of the completed work which must conform to high literary and scholastic standards and constitute an original and publishable contribution to mathematics. A final oral examination will be conducted by the dissertation committee. During this examination the candidate will first present the major results of the dissertation and then respond to questions. Any member of the University graduate faculty may attend and (at the discretion of the dissertation advisor) ask related questions. The dissertation will be accepted provided the dissertation advisor and at least 3 of the other 4 members of the committee so agree.
For students interested in the doctoral degree program with an emphasis in computational mathematics, the entrance requirements are 419, 421, 452, and CS 451. Once students are admitted, the preceding paragraphs 1 through 7 apply except for the following. Courses for the qualifying exam are CS 555, one from 501 or 519, and one other 500 level mathematics course (preferably 549 or 575). For the preliminary examination, computer science should be a minor area. The program must also include mathematics 501, 519, and 549 or their equivalents.
As a matter of policy, the Department of Mathematics does not provide any student working for a master's degree financial support for more than two years nor a Ph.D. student more than four years past the master's or master's equivalent.
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Department of Mathematics home page: http://www.math.siu.edu/