APPLIED MATHEMATICS, PHD
Mathematics
Applied Mathematics
Prospective students that want to apply for admission have to provide academic records, three letters of recommendation, a CV, an Essay, and scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), General Test. There are more requirements for international students. UAB charges an application fee, for details please see the admissions page of the Graduate School. The Graduate School requires that all applications are submitted online here via the TargetX application portal, required recommendation letters must also be submitted using this application portal.
Program Information
Mathematics has always been divided into a pure and an applied branch. However, these have never been strictly separated. The Ph.D. program in applied mathematics stresses the interconnection between pure mathematics and its diverse applications.
Admission
Only students with a firm foundation in advanced calculus, algebra, and topology are considered for immediate admission to the Ph.D. program. A student lacking this background will be considered for admission to the M.S. program. Upon passing the qualifying examination, a student may transfer to the Ph.D. program. We expect at least a B average in a student's previous work and a score above 158 on each section of the Graduate Record Examination General Test.
Program of Study
Each student in the Ph.D. program has to take the following steps:
- Passing the Joint Program Exam (JPE), also called the Qualifying Exam. The Joint Program Examinations in Real Analysis and Linear Algebra are given during two periods each year (one in May and one in September). During each period a student may take one or both of the exams but subject to the following restrictions: (1) either exam may be attempted at most twice and (2) a student may participate in exams during no more than three periods.
- Completing 54 semester hours of graduate courses. The grade of each course has to be at least a B. The student's supervisory committee and the Joint Program Committee must approve the selection of courses. At least 18 hours must be in a major area of concentration, selected so that the student will be prepared to conduct research in an area of applied mathematics, while at least 12 hours have to be in a minor area of study, which is a subject outside mathematics. No courses counted towards an MS degree can be used. There are additional requirements by the UAB Graduate School, see "Minimum Course Requirements" in the Graduate Catalog.
- Passing a language or tool of research exam.
- Passing the Comprehensive Exam, which consists of a written part and an oral part.
- Preparing a dissertation, which must be a genuine contribution to mathematics.
- Passing the Final Examination (thesis defense).
Additional Information
For detailed information, contact Dr. Ioulia Karpechina, Mathematics Graduate Program Director, UAB Department of Mathematics, UH 4005, 1402 10th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1241.
Telephone: 205-934-2154
