![[Department of Mathematics, West Virginia University]](image002.gif){kind=small}
Graduate Programs in Mathematics
The Department of Mathematics offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The master's degree program offers specializations in pure mathematics, applied mathematics, and mathematics for secondary educators. The Ph.D. program provides for a common core of fundamental mathematics followed by specialized studies culminating in an original research dissertation directed by a faculty advisor.
Depending on the student's program and interests, there are diverse career opportunities available in education, government, and industry.
Application and Admission information
Admission to the master's degree program requires a bachelor's degree and is based on the academic qualifications of the applicant. Students should have a mathematics background which includes core courses common to the WVU undergraduate mathematics majors. Applications for the M.S. program from students with undergraduate degrees in the natural sciences, engineering, or the mathematical sciences are welcome. Students with coursework deficiencies may be admitted provisionally, with requisite coursework made up during the first year of study.
A student applying to enter the Ph.D. program should provide undergraduate and graduate transcripts and three letters attesting to the student’s abilities to pursue advanced education in mathematics. GRE scores in the general test and subject test in mathematics are recommended but not required. Students entering the Ph.D. program should have earned a master's degree in mathematics, although promising students from other master's degree programs can be admitted provisionally. In some cases, students with a very strong background but without a masters degree can gain admission to the Ph.D. program, with a modified set of program requirements.
Most graduate students receive financial support in the form of a graduate teaching assistantship, which provides a stipend and a full tuition waiver. These are awarded on the basis of the student's record, letters of recommendation, and potential for effective teaching. A small number of research assistantships are also available. Applications from students requesting financial aid should be received no later than February 15 to ensure full consideration for the subsequent fall semester. Late applications are accepted, but students are advised to check with the graduate director as to the availability of assistantships. Applications for admission (alone) can be considered at any time, subject to University processing deadlines.
TOEFL scores are required for international students whose native language is not English, with a University requirement of a 550 minimum score for admission.
Application forms and information can be
obtained by writing to the address provided below, by sending e-mail to gradprog@math.wvu.edu , or by visiting
the mathematics department website at http://www.math.wvu.edu .
Degree Requirements
Master of Science
The Master of Science degree programs are designed either for students who intend to go on to pursue a Ph.D. in Mathematics, or for those planning to seek employment in education, government or industry. Between 30 and 33 hours of study (10-11 courses) are required, depending on the program. In any of the four degree options, the student completes either a thesis or project or comprehensive written exams. An advisory committee is appointed for each student to provide assistance in selecting a plan of study. The four options for the Masters degree are outlined below. Further details can be found in the Graduate Handbook.
Option A is designed for those who intend to concentrate in core areas of mathematics, in preparation for employment or doctoral-level studies. Requirements include completion of core courses to develop an understanding of the basic areas of algebra, analysis and topology.
Option B emphasizes mathematics useful in applications. The individual plan of study may be designed as a terminal degree in mathematics or as preparation for Ph.D. studies. Students selecting this option have the opportunity to study areas such as differential equations, discrete mathematics, mathematical modeling, numerical analysis, perturbation methods, etc.
Option C provides additional flexibility for those students who wish to specialize in applied analysis/differential equations or in discrete mathematics. Requirements include completion of core courses from among the basic areas of algebra, analysis, differential equations, topology and discrete mathematics.
The Mathematics for Secondary Educators option is specifically designed for students who are already, or intend to become, high school mathematics teachers. Coursework is taken in the areas of algebra, analysis, geometry, probability, and applications of mathematics. A comprehensive written examination is taken.
Plans of study in any of the options may include approved course work in computer science, economics, engineering, and statistics, among others.
Doctor of Philosophy
In the doctoral program, all students must first demonstrate that they are prepared to undertake doctoral-level coursework by passing an entrance examination by the end of the first year in the program. The written entrance examination is taken in two areas of mathematics chosen from algebra, analysis, differential equations and topology.
The Ph.D. is essentially a research degree in which a student produces a high quality, original research thesis in an area of mathematics. The Ph.D. program of study contains a course work component in which students are required to complete 24 credit hours beyond the master's degree. Students must pass a qualifying examination based on course work consisting of 12 hours in the major area and 6 hours in each of two approved minor areas. In addition, as a requirement of graduation, students must demonstrate (through course work or examination) a reading knowledge of French, German, Russian or another approved language, including high level computer programming languages. Further information can be obtained from the Graduate Handbook.
Doctoral-level courses are generally chosen to reflect the interests of faculty and students and recently have been primarily in the areas of graph theory and combinatorics, applied analysis, differential equations, topology, and set theory. Faculty members often supervise independent study courses for individual students or small groups.
The department anticipates the approval of the CCDM (Combinatorial Computing and Discrete Mathematics) Ph.D. program. The CCDM Ph.D. program, a joint venture with Computer Science and Statistics, provides the opportunity for students to conduct high level mathematical research in conjunction with significant work in computer sciences and statistics. Mathematics Ph.D. students in the CCDM program are required to take 35 credit hours of coursework beyond the M.S. degree, and to meet similar Ph.D. examination and course distribution requirements. They receive a Ph.D. degree in mathematics upon graduation.
Faculty Research Interests
Research in the department is concentrated in the areas of applied mathematics (differential equations, asymptotic methods, applied analysis, modeling, numerical analysis, wavelet analysis), approximation theory, topology (continuum theory), classical and set-theoretic real analysis, and discrete mathematics (combinatorics, graph theory, matroid theory, number theory). There is a weekly discrete mathematics seminar as well as colloquia by visiting mathematicians. Graduate students are encouraged to become involved in the research life of the department by participating in seminars, attending colloquia, and giving talks of their own through the Graduate Seminar.
Faculty research is currently sponsored by
grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Security Agency, the
Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Office, and the Department of Energy.
Facilities and Equipment
The Department is located in Armstrong Hall on the downtown campus. The building contains classrooms, faculty and student offices, the University Mathematics Library, and several computer laboratories for individual or classroom use. Offices are networked, with access to electronic mail and the Internet.
Also located in Armstrong Hall is the
recently-established Institute for
Mathematics Learning. Its facilities include a new state of the art
computer laboratory for teaching and computer-assisted instruction and the
The Mathematics Library , also located in Armstrong Hall, houses over 30,000 books and journals and maintains subscriptions to about two hundred journals. The Library maintains online subscriptions to Mathematical Reviews and many research journal databases. In its convenient location and in its research holdings, the library represents a major asset to mathematics faculty and students.
Faculty
Professors
Krzysztof Ciesielski, Ph.D. (
Henry W. Gould, M.A. (U. Virginia), combinatorics, Number theory, special functions.
Caulton L. Irwin, Ph.D. (
Hong-Jian Lai, Ph.D. (Wayne State U.), Graph theory, matroid theory.
Dening Li, Ph.D. (
Michael E. Mays, Ph.D. (Penn State U.), Number theory, Director, IML (Institute for Mathematics Learning)
Sam B. Nadler, Jr., Ph.D. (U.Georgia), Topology, functional analysis.
Sherman D.Riemenschneider,
Ph.D. (
William H. Simons, Ph.D. (Carnegie Mellon U.), Analysis, differential equations, applied mathematics.
Jerzy Wojciechowski, Ph.D. (
Cun-Quan Zhang, Ph.D. (Simon Fraser U.), Graph theory, combinatorics.
Associate Professors
Gary H. Ganser, Ph.D. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.), Applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, numerical analysis.
Andrzej Karwowski, Ph.D. (
James E. Moseley, Ph.D. (
Laura Pyzdrowski, Ed.D. (
Assistant Professors
Frederick Butler, Ph.D. (
Melanie Butler, Ph.D. (
Mary Ann Clarke, Ph.D. (VPI & SU),
Applied Mathematics, Fluid dynamics
Edgar Fuller, Ph.D. (
David Miller, Ph.D. (Oklahoma State U. ), Mathematics Education, Member of IML
Matthew Pascal, Ph.D. (American U. ), Mathematics Education, Member of IML
For more information, contact:
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Mathematics
P.O.
West
Telephone: (304) 293-2011
e-mail: gradprog@math.wvu.edu
http://www.math.wvu.edu