Degree Requirements

Requirements for the Ph.D., M.S., and M.A. degrees
Mathematics Graduate Program

Ph.D. students need a total of 72 credits beyond the B.S. or 54 credits beyond the Master's degree. They must fulfill the following requirements:

Pass two qualifying exams, usually one by the fifth term and one by the seventh: see here for details.
Pass four 2-course core sequences, in real analysis (course numbers 5310-20), complex analysis (5410-20), algebra (5520-30), and topology (5610-20). Students passing a qualifying exam in a core area before taking the sequence in that area may omit that sequence.
Pass six 6000 level seminars, two each in the areas of algebra (6310, 6510), analysis (6110/50, 6200, 6700, and 6810), and topology (6010, 6610). These courses may usually be repeated for credit.
Take at least 9 credits of 6950, doctoral dissertation. At most 12 credits of 6950 can count towards the degree. Either 3, 6, or 9 credits of 6950 can be taken in any given term, although ordinarily, at most 3 credits of reading and/or dissertation courses should be taken in any given term. Once 6950 is begun, it must take it every term until the Ph.D. is completed.
Defend the Ph.D. dissertation.

M.S. students need a total of 36 credits beyond the B.S. They must fulfill the following requirements:

Pass five 1 semester core courses (see the Ph.D. requirements for the course numbers).
Complete a Master's project and defend it in a one hour presentation.

M.A. students need a total of 30 credits beyond the B.S. They must fulfill the following requirements:

Pass five 1 semester core courses (see the Ph.D. requirements for the course numbers).
Write a thesis and take 6 credits of 5950, Master's dissertation. Either 3 or 6 credits of 5950 can be taken in any given term. Once 5950 is begun, it must take it every term until the M.A. is completed.

Only one of 5400, 5500, 5600, and 5700 can count as credit towards any of the three graduate degrees. Students may have at most one grade of "C" and no grades of "D" or "F" on their degree plans for any of the three graduate degrees.