Introduction

This handbook describes general information, requirements, and regulations for graduate programs in the Department of Mathematical Sciences leading to a Purdue University degree (M.S. and Ph.D.) Additional information regarding specific policies of the Purdue University Graduate School can be found in the publication Policies and Procedures Manual for Administering Graduate Student Programs.

M.S. Program Requirements

Advisor

Each entering graduate student will be assigned a major professor (advisor) to assist in the selection of graduate courses and to give guidance in the program. The list of course offerings should be consulted in planning a program since several courses are offered only once a year or less frequently.

Students will later be assigned an advisory committee consisting of the major professor and at least two other members of the faculty whom they have had for class.

Course Requirements

Please consult the individual concentration web pages regarding specific course and program requirements. The following requirements apply to all M.S. programs:

• Course grades must be A or B, with the exception of at most two grades of C. Grades of S (satisfactory) are not acceptable, with the exception of research credits. An overall GPA of at least 3.0 is required.

• A minimum of 30 hours of course credit is required.

• At least one-half of the total credit hours used to satisfy degree requirements must be earned in residence at IUPUI.

• Any course used to meet a requirement for a bachelor's degree cannot apply towards the master's degree.

• Students may take up to 12 credits toward the degree before obtaining formal admission to the program (for example, in graduate non-degree status or at a different university).

Plan of Study

Each graduate student must file a plan of study with the Purdue University Graduate School. The form must be typed and signed by all the members of the advisory committee and the Director of Graduate Programs.

It must be filed with the Purdue Graduate School one month prior to the first day of the academic session of graduation, and students not meeting this deadline will delay their graduation by one semester. See the Purdue Graduate School's Examination/Graduation Deadlines Calendar for precise deadlines.

The plan of study will not be approved until all technical and unsatisfied academic conditions of admission have been met.
Warning: For graduate students at IUPUI, it always occurs in every semester that students do not meet all the conditions of admission when they are about to graduate. (The conditions are listed in the acceptance letter from the Dean of the Purdue Graduate School when students are accepted to the graduate program.) Students must take care of these conditions as early as possible to avoid these problems just before graduation.

Any change to the plan of study must be requested on the Request for Change to the Plan of Study form. Each change of plan of study must be accompanied by a brief rationale. Poor performance in a course is not an appropriate reason for removing a course from the plan of study.

Final Examination

All students must pass a final examination. Students in the Applied Statistics program must pass the required comprehensive examination over the program's core courses. For all other students, the final examination will consist of a conference of the student's advisory committee, held in absence of the candidate.

Candidacy

All degree candidates must register for candidacy CAND 99100 during the session of graduation. CAND 99100 is a 0-credit hour course that signals the IUPUI School of Science Dean's Office of the student's intent to graduate. Failure to register for this course may result in a delay in graduation.

A student may register for “Candidate Only” (CAND 99100 without any other course registration) if:

1. the student was registered for a minimum of one credit hour in the preceding session; and

2. the student has finished all degree requirements except for the final examination and depositing the thesis (if applicable).

Students with outstanding incomplete grades for courses listed on the plan of study will not be permitted to graduate.

Time Limits for the Completion of the M.S.

Students who are inactive for three or more consecutive academic sessions must submit a new application. Students who have been inactive for more than five years cannot use previously completed courses for the degree.

Normal Progress and Termination

Since an overall GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 is required by the department for graduation, a student is automatically considered to be on probation if at any time the cumulative index falls below 3.0. Two semesters of work under the 3.0 index will generally result in the loss of financial support such as fellowships, teaching and research assistantships. Moreover, after two semesters of work under the 3.0 index, students will not be permitted to register for additional courses without permission from the Department Chair in consultation with the Director of Graduate Programs.

Required Paperwork

Throughout the period of enrollment in the master's program, certain forms must be filled out at specified points in the program. It is the student's responsibility to complete the forms at the appropriate times, as required. Below is a list of all required forms with an explanation.

All forms are available at the Purdue University Graduate School website and must be submitted to the Graduate Programs Coordinator in the Math Department.

• Master's Plan of Study (Form 6)

  A plan of study should be filed as early as is feasible in the student's study. It must be filed with the Purdue Graduate School one month prior to the first day of the academic session of graduation, and students not meeting this deadline will delay their graduation by one semester. See the Purdue Graduate School's Examination/Graduation Deadlines Calendar for precise deadlines.
  Carefully follow the Instructions for Submitting the Plan of Study.

• Request for Change to the Plan of Study (Form 13)

  This form must be submitted if anything on the previously approved plan of study changes, such as an advisory committee member, a course not completed or completed in a different semester than originally planned, etc.

• Report of Master's Examining Committee (Form 7)

  The Graduate Programs Coordinator in the Math Department will submit this form during the student's session of graduation or upon successful passing of the final examination, whichever is first. The examining committee will consist of the individuals listed as the members on the student's advisory committee on the plan of study.

• Thesis Acceptance (Form 9)

  In addition to the electronic Form 9 required upon electronic thesis deposit, an “original” Form 9 must be printed on 100% cotton, non-acidic paper and signed by the members of the final examination committee and the Director of Graduate Programs.

Ph.D. Program Requirements

Advisor

Each entering graduate student will be assigned a major professor (advisor) to assist in the selection of graduate courses and to give guidance in the program. The list of course offerings should be consulted in planning a program since several courses are offered only once a year or less frequently.

Students who have passed the Advanced Topics Examination will arrange for a new advisory committee of three or four faculty members representative of the student's major area of interest. The chair of the advisory committee will be the student's Ph.D. Advisor.

Qualifying Examinations

The student must pass four written examinations chosen as described below. The exams are based on material covered in the courses listed and on material from undergraduate prerequisites. Credit for passing a similar examination at another university cannot be transferred.

The qualifying examinations are written examinations offered twice a year during week-long qualifier exam sessions the week before classes start in August and January. Each examination is written and graded by an IUPUI faculty member or a committee of faculty members chosen by the Graduate Committee. The exams are given grades of A, B, C, or F with B or better being pass and C or worse being fail.

All students must pass the two written exams on:

• Real Analysis (MATH 54400-54500)
• Abstract Algebra (MATH 55300)

plus two more written exams selected from the following list:

• Complex Analysis (MATH 53000)
• Linear Algebra (MATH 55400)
• Differential Geometry (MATH 56200)
• Probability (STAT 51900)
• Partial Differential Equations (MATH 52300)
• Topology (MATH 57100)

The qualifier deadline for students who enter the program with a master's degree or equivalent is August after their first year. The qualifier deadline for students without a master's degree is August after their second year. Students are expected to have completed and passed the four exams on or before the session of their qualifier deadline. If they have not passed the four exams by the session after their qualifier deadline, they will have their privileges to continue in the mathematics Ph.D. program terminated.

Each qualifier exam can be attempted a maximum of three times and students may attempt as many qualifier exams as they wish at any qualifier session on or before their qualifier deadline.

Once an exam is passed, it cannot be retaken to improve the grade from B to A.

If a student has not passed four appropriate exams on or before the session of their qualifier deadline, he/she will be allowed one more attempt at the next qualifier session to do so (provided that the student has not used up the three attempts at 54400-54500 or 55300 or the three attempts in all other possible exam combinations). At this last session, students may only sign up for the minimum number of qualifier exams that will allow them to pass (and they may not sign up for an exam that they have already failed three times).

Languages

The student must satisfy the foreign language requirement in one of French, German, or Russian. Students will prove their proficiency in the language by translating mathematical literature. The examination will be given by the Department of World Languages and Cultures or by a math faculty member who is proficient in French, German, or Russian.

Advanced Topics Examination

A student becomes eligible to take the Advanced Topics (AT) Examination after passing the qualifying examinations and satisfying the foreign language requirement.

After passing the qualifying examinations, a student must find a faculty member willing to serve as the Advanced Topics Examination Coordinator. This Coordinator, once identified, begins to serve as the student's academic advisor, counseling the student. Usually the Coordinator becomes the student's Ph.D. Advisor, provided the student passes the AT Examination.

The student must meet with the Coordinator to prepare the Advanced Topics Examination Proposal Form, which is to be submitted to the Graduate Programs Coordinator in the Math Department at least one month prior to the examination date. The form lists the AT Coordinator, two courses beyond the qualifying level on which the student is to be examined (or a body of mathematics roughly equivalent to this), and one other faculty member who, with the Coordinator, administers the AT Examination. At the discretion of the Coordinator, the examination may also cover a third subject, possibly with a third examiner.

The AT Examination is an oral exam. The conditions of the examination are specified on the AT Examination Proposal Form, which must be approved and signed by the AT Coordinator, the student, and the Director of Graduate Programs. To pass the examination requires agreement of all members of the committee and the consent of one to serve as the student's Ph.D. Advisor. While this is usually the AT Coordinator, it need not be.

A student may take the AT Examination more than once; however, the examination should be passed within 1.5 years of passing the qualifying examinations. In special cases the Graduate Committee may grant an extension of this time limit. Each time the examination is taken, a new AT Examination Proposal Form must be submitted to the Graduate Programs Coordinator in the Math Department.

Plan of Study

The plan of study should be submitted to the Purdue Graduate School by each student preparing for Ph.D. candidacy within one semester after passing the Advanced Topics Examination.

The student must arrange for an advisory committee to approve the plan of study, with the chair being the student's Ph.D. Advisor. Substitutions in course requirements and the transfer of credits from other universities may be permitted with the approval of the advisory committee and the Graduate Committee. The plan of study must include:

1. At least 42 hours of graduate coursework. A completed plan of study must list courses with at most two grades of C and all other grades of A or B. (A total of 90 credit hours are required for the Ph.D. degree, but this total includes dissertation research, which is not included on the plan of study.)
2. At least three courses (9 hours) at an advanced level in the field of specialty or closely related to it. Reading courses and seminars may be included.
3. All courses on which the student is examined in the qualifying and advanced topics examinations.

Preliminary Examination

The preliminary examination for most students will only require the completion of a form for the Graduate School. An oral or written examination may be required by the student's advisory committee for admission to candidacy. Purdue Graduate School regulations require that at least two sessions (including summer sessions) must elapse between the preliminary examination and the dissertation defense.

A request form must be submitted to the Purdue Graduate School at least three weeks prior to the examination date. This should be done by the student as soon as the student has received approval for the plan of study. If a student has an advisor who is not in the Math Department, an advisory committee must be approved by the Graduate Committee. This advisory committee must have at least half of its members with a faculty appointment over 50% in the Math Department. In this case, a preliminary examination must be held.

The purpose of this exam is to ensure that the proposed dissertation project is chiefly mathematical in nature, and that a dissertation on this topic is appropriate as a dissertation in the Math Department. A report on the preliminary examination shall be made in writing to the Graduate Committee. It must discuss the proposed project, with particular emphasis on the mathematical content. The Graduate Committee will then make the final decision whether the dissertation topic is acceptable.

Dissertation

A Ph.D. dissertation is a document authored by an individual, describing results of original research undertaken by that individual, and asserting a position which that individual is willing to defend. A dissertation must be submitted in final form presenting new results of sufficient importance to merit publication.

The dissertation must meet departmental and University format requirements. See the Purdue Thesis/Dissertation Office for guidelines.

Final Examination (Defense)

A Request for Appointment of Examining Committee (Form 8), signed by the Ph.D. Advisor and the Director of Graduate Programs, must be received by the Purdue Graduate School at least four weeks prior to the proposed examination date. The committee consists of a minimum of four members of graduate faculty, at least one of whom must be from the Purdue Math Department (West Lafayette). Final examinations must be held before the last week of classes.

The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. Advisor, and four copies must be submitted to the members of the examining committee at least three weeks before the date of the final examination. The student must present the contents of the dissertation before the examining committee in an open colloquium or seminar.

Following a successful final examination, the complete and corrected deposit copy of the dissertation, including the completed Thesis Acceptance form, must be delivered to the IUPUI Graduate School Office (UN 207) by the appropriate deadline. Doctoral candidates must submit one bound plus one unbound copy of the doctoral dissertation to the Graduate Office. (The unbound copy will be sent to University Microfilms International for microfilming.) Doctoral candidates must also submit one unbound copy to the IUPUI Math Department.

See the School of Science Graduation Deadlines for additional information.

Candidacy

All degree candidates must register for candidacy CAND 99100 during the session of graduation. CAND 99100 is a 0-credit hour course that signals the IUPUI School of Science Dean's Office of the student's intent to graduate. Failure to register for this course may result in a delay in graduation.

A student may register for “Candidate Only” (CAND 99100 without any other course registration) if:

1. the student was registered for a minimum of one credit hour in the preceding session; and

2. the student has finished all degree requirements except for the final examination and depositing the dissertation.

If the student is registered for Candidate Only and does not deposit by the required deadline, the student must revise his/her registration to include research hours (MATH 69900) as appropriate. Students with outstanding incomplete grades for courses listed on the plan of study will not be permitted to graduate.

Time Limits for the Completion of the PH.D.

Beginning the semester after passing the qualifying examinations, a student will have 14 semesters, if enrolled as a regular student, or up to 16 semesters, if doing some research in absentia, to finish the Ph.D. degree requirements. This must be done within an eight-year period starting in June of the academic year in which the qualifying examinations are passed. Research in absentia will be restricted to a total of 10 semesters of the possible 16 semesters. Research in absentia will be possible only for students who have fulfilled the requirements in the plan of study and are well into a research program. A request for permission from the Math Department to do research in absentia requires the approval of the Ph.D. Advisor and the Director of Graduate Programs. This form must be filed one month prior to the start of the session in which research in absentia registration is requested.

Extensions of these limitations may be granted by the Math Department, but may require re-approval of plans of study and/or retaking of qualifying and/or advanced topics examinations.

Normal Progress and Termination

Once students begin research, they must maintain normal progress toward their degree objective to ensure continued financial support. If, in the opinion of the Ph.D. Advisor or the Director of Graduate Programs, satisfactory research progress is not being made or if the GPA continues to be below 3.0, a meeting of the students' advisory committee may be convened. This meeting will include a brief presentation by the student on the work accomplished up to that point, and/or a discussion concerning the problems which have hampered progress. If the consensus of the committee is that the student needs to show improvement, he/she will have sixty days to demonstrate a change in performance. At the end of this time, financial support may be discontinued.

If students find it necessary to withdraw from the graduate program, then they should provide as much notice as possible to the Director of Graduate Programs. In the case of teaching assistants, students are expected to complete the semester once it has begun. Similarly, the department will provide a student with as much advance notice as possible if the student is dropped from the program for reasons of poor performance.

Required Paperwork

Throughout the period of enrollment in the Ph.D. program, certain forms must be filled out at specified points in the program. It is the student's responsibility to complete the forms at the appropriate times, as required. Below is a list of all required forms with an explanation. Except where a link to the form is provided, all forms are available at the Purdue University Graduate School website. All forms must be filed with the Graduate Programs Coordinator in the Math Department.

• Report of Foreign Language Examination

This form must be completed by both the student and the individual administering the examination, and signed by the administrator of the exam, the student's advisor, and the Director of Graduate Programs upon successful completion of the exam.

• Advanced Topics Examination Proposal Form

This form must be completed by the student and professor serving as the Advanced Topics Examination Coordinator. It should be submitted to the Graduate Programs Coordinator at least three weeks in advance of the exam. It is signed by the student, the AT Coordinator, and the Director of Graduate Programs.

• Report of Advanced Topics Examination

This form must be submitted immediately upon successful completion of the examination. It is signed by each committee member and the Director of Graduate Programs.

• Doctoral Plan of Study (Form 4)

A plan of study should be filed within one semester of passing the Advanced Topics Examination. Carefully follow the Instructions for Submitting the Plan of Study.

• Request for Change to the Plan of Study (Form 13)

This form must be submitted if anything on the previously approved plan of study changes, such as a course not completed or completed in a different semester than originally planned, etc.

• Request for Appointment of Preliminary Examination Committee (Form 8)

The Graduate Programs Coordinator in the Math Department will submit this form as soon as the plan of study has been approved. The examining committee will consist of the professors listed on the student's plan of study, unless otherwise notified. In most cases, the preliminary examination is a formality.

• Report of the Preliminary Examination (Form 10)

The Graduate Programs Coordinator in the Math Department will submit this form as soon it has been received in the department. This form must be on file with the Purdue Graduate School at least one full year in advance of the student's intended graduation session. Again, this examination is a formality in most cases.

• Request for Appointment of Final Examination Committee (Form 8)

This form must be completed by the student and Ph.D. Advisor. It should be submitted to the Graduate Programs Coordinator at least four weeks in advance of the exam. It is signed by the student, the Ph.D. Advisor, and the Director of Graduate Programs.

• Report of the Final Examination (Defense) (Form 11)

The members of the final examination committee and the Director of Graduate Programs will sign this form upon successful completion of the final examination (defense).

Transfer and Outside Elective Coursework

Transfer Coursework

Students submit the Petition for Approval of Transfer Course form in order to initiate an appeal process and receive approval to apply a course completed at a different institution towards their degree. Students must provide, at minimum, the syllabus for the course under evaluation. Other documentation may be requested, as needed. Up to 30 credit hours completed for a master's degree may apply, upon advisor approval, towards the Ph.D.

Outside Elective Coursework

Students submit the Petition for Approval of Outside Elective Course form in order to initiate an appeal process and receive approval to apply a course completed in a different department towards their degree. Students must provide, at minimum, the syllabus for the course under evaluation. Other documentation may be requested, as needed.