Summary of Ph.D. Degree Requirements

A detailed description of all degree requirements may be obtained from the departmental Graduate Program Director or from the department’s Web site: https://www.umass.edu/mathematics-statistics/.

Ph.D. Coursework

A doctoral candidate must successfully complete 36 credits in graduate courses. There are distribution requirements which allow students to obtain a broad knowledge of mathematics and/or statistics and its applications. After completing the Qualifying Examinations (see below), students are expected to devote most of their time to their dissertation research (18 dissertation credits are required); during this period a student will normally take courses only in his or her specialty.

Qualifying Examinations

Twice each year written examinations are offered in the week before the start of classes. Ph.D. candidates in Statistics must pass basic exams in Probability, Basic Statistics and Applied Statistics, as well as an Advanced Statistics exam. Ph.D. candidates in Mathematics must pass a basic exam in advanced calculus/linear algebra, as well as two advanced exams, chosen from Algebra, Analysis, Applied Math, Stochastics, Topology (or the Advanced Statistics exam). The advanced exams are based on material from first-year course sequences (except Advanced Statistics, which also includes material from a third-semester course).

After passing the written exams, a Ph.D. candidate must pass an oral exam. The exam is conducted by a committee of three faculty chosen by the student, one of whom is normally the prospective thesis advisor. The topics for the exam are chosen in consultation with the exam committee, and typically involve about six credits worth of material from nine credits worth of classes, either second-year classes or independent study classes. The oral exam can also involve a presentation by the student of a body of material or the results of a research project. The oral exam can be taken at most twice.