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Graduate Mathematics Programs
The Department of Mathematics at Drexel University offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Departmental research interests include mathematical biology, combinatorics, matrix and operator theory, geometry, optics, probability, numerical analysis and partial differential equations.
Contents
Our Graduate Degrees
How to Apply
Office of Graduate Admissions
Financial Support
Coursework
The Written Qualifying Exam
Previous Written Qualifier Problems (pdf)
PhD Candidacy Examination
Choosing an Advisor
University-wide Graduate Policies
Forms for Current Students
Mathematics Graduate Course Descriptions
Frequently Asked Questions
Note - This webpage is a department-specific supplement to the rules established
by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Please also see the University-wide rules on the Graduate Policies page, provided by the office of the Provost.
Our Graduate Degrees
The Masters Degree
To obtain a Masters degree candidates must complete the required graduate coursework in good standing. Masters candidates proceed at their own pace and are often part-time. There are no thesis, language, or special examination requirements for the master's degree.
The Doctoral Degree
Ph.D. candidates must complete the required graduate coursework in good standing. Additionally, doctoral candidates must pass a written qualifying exam and oral qualifying examinations, and write a doctoral thesis of original work.
The written qualifying examination is offered in June and in September. The examination consists of material from the courses Principles of Analysis I & II and Linear Algebra.
For the Ph.D. candidacy examination, the student is advised by a faculty member and gives a presentation to a committee, along with a written report. Ideally, the material studied will lead to work on a thesis with that faculty member. The presentation need not consist of original research. Typically this examination takes place at the end of the second year.
After completion of these requirements candidates begin work on their doctoral thesis. This consists of original work and is guided by a thesis advisor. Thesis advisors are selected from the faculty of Department of Mathematics. A typical time for the completion of a Ph.D. by a full-time student is five years.
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How to Apply
Admissions to all programs at Drexel are rolling, i.e. you can apply anytime of year. You should use the online application at Office of Graduate Admissions webpage.
It is strongly recommended that applicants seeking teaching assistantships should apply no later than January.
Questions about the program may be directed to the graduate advisor
R. Andrew Hicks
Korman Center 262
ahicks@math.drexel.edu
(215) 895-2681
Inquiries may also be directed to the graduate program assistant
Alissa R. Morris-Alexander
Korman Center 206
arm48@drexel.edu
(215) 895-2668
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Financial Support
Ph.D. candidates are eligible for support in the form of a teaching assistantship. Assistantships are not available for M.S. candidates.
An assistantship consists of tuition and a stipend. Teaching responsibilities may include instruction, grading, office hours, tutoring and proctoring examinations. These usually require 10 to 20 hours a week. Supported students must be full-time, and take a minimum of two courses per quarter until they have completed the required 45 credits.
The majority of the Ph.D. candidates are supported by teaching assistantships. Supported students must take the written qualifying examination at the end of their first year (in June). If a passing grade is not achieved in the first attempt then candidates in good standing may be allowed to take the make-up examination in the Fall of the second year. It is expected that supported candidates will take the oral examination by the end of the second year of study.
Unsupported Ph.D. candidates in good standing may proceed through the program at their own pace.
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Coursework
All Masters and Doctoral candidates must complete 45 credits (15 courses) with a grade point average of at least 3.0. Of these 15 courses, the following five are required.
Linear Algebra (Math 504)
Principles of Analysis I (Math 505)
Principles of Analysis II (Math 506)
Abstract Algebra (Math 533)
Complex Analysis I (Math 630)
Full time supported Doctoral candidates have the following schedule in the first year.
Fall Quarter
Principles of Analysis I
Linear Algebra
Elective
Winter Quarter
Principles of Analysis II
Algebra I
Elective
Spring Quarter
Complex Analysis I
Elective
Elective
The remaining 10 courses may be any graduate math courses. A full listing is available via www.math.drexel.edu. In some cases substitutions may be made with courses from other departments, such as the graduate Algorithms course offered by the Computer Science Department.
A graduate student may take at most one independent study during the duration of their graduate work.
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The Written Qualifying Exam
Each Ph.D. student will be required to pass a Qualifying Examination. The purpose of this written examination is to ensure that the student has the potential to complete the Ph.D. program. The list of topics is strictly defined (available through the Graduate Program Committee) and parallels roughly the content of MATH 504-506 sequence: Linear Algebra (one term) and Principles of Analysis, I, II (two terms). The syllabi for these courses are standardized. The examinations will be given twice a year, in June and in September.
A student is allowed no more than two attempts for this exam. Unless there are serious extenuating circumstances, the first attempt is to take place no later than June of the first year of study and the second attempt (if it is needed) should take place the next available date.
Qualifier Exam Topics (pdf)
Previous Written Qualifier Problems (pdf)
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PhD Candidacy Examination
The Ph.D. Candidacy Examination must be completed by the end of the second year of study. The examination will have a form of an oral presentation followed by a question period during which only the committee will be present. The Ph.D. Candidate will prepare a written report corresponding to the presentation, and distribute hardcopies to the members of the committee no later than 10 days prior to the exam.
The purpose of the oral section of the exam is to present the objectives and merits of the student's proposed research project and to demonstrate his/her knowledge of the methods and techniques used in the general area of the proposed research. The purpose of written part is to familiarize students with the methods of scientific writing.
This examination will be scheduled individually and is supervised by the Ph.D. Candidacy Committee. The university regulations specify composition of this committee as well as procedures for this examination and re-examination. They currently mandate that the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination take place after successful completion of at least one year of graduate work at Drexel, and prior to the end of the second year of doctoral study.
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Choosing a Thesis Advisor
The choice of thesis advisors entails a choice of specialization that can be compared to the choice of majors at the undergraduate level. The Ph.D. dissertation will be closely related to the thesis advisor�s own research. Hence it is important for students to become familiar with current research in the Department before selecting a thesis advisor. Some suggested ways to do this are:
Peruse the faculty publications. Mathscinet (available electronically through the library website) is a good place to find abstracts of mathematics publications. The papers themselves are often available online. Those that are not can be requested, either through the library or directly from the professor.
Talk to individual faculty members. What problems are they working on now? What kinds of projects would they be willing to supervise?
Attend seminars and colloquia in the department.
The final choice of a thesis advisor is not made officially until after the qualifying exam has been passed. However the appointment of a supervising professor is vital to a student's success, and the appointment of this individual should be made after much consideration and forethought. Most faculty will be happy to offer general advice. Specific questions about procedure can be answered by the Graduate Advisor.
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Any forms needed by a student should be available on the Provost's Graduate Policies page.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Drexel Graduate Mathematics Programs
- Is there extra summer teaching available ?
Sometimes, but summer teaching positions cannot be guaranteed since the number of courses being offered is variable.
- Is the (general) GRE required ?
Yes.
- Is the mathematics subject GRE required ?
No.
- Is there a minimum GRE score ?
No.
- Is TOEFL required ?
Yes, if you are a graduate of a non-U.S. institution.
- I am an applicant from a non-U.S. institution. Can I be awarded a teaching assistantship ?
Yes, but to teach at Drexel you must pass an examination of spoken english given by the university.
- I am a non-native speaker, but have an undergraduate degree from a U.S. institution. Do I need to take the examination of spoken english given by Drexel ?
Yes.
- Can I apply using unofficial transcripts ?
No.
- What research areas does Drexel have activity in ?
Our department has research activity in analysis, partial differential equations, numerical analysis, representation theory, optics, geometry, combinatorics, probability, mathematical biology and topology. You should examine the webpages of our faculty for more details.
We do not currently have faculty working in statistics.
- If I am part-time, when do I take the written and oral qualifying exams ?
Part-time and unsupported students may take the exams when they feel prepared.
- Can I see copies of the old qualifying exams ?
Yes, they are here.
- I don't have an undergraduate degree in mathematics. Does it make sense for me to apply to graduate school in mathematics ?
No, not unless you have taken equivalent courses to those required for an undergraduate degree. Generally this includes, beyond the standard 2 years of calculus and a term of linear algebra, such courses as real analysis, abstract algebra, complex variables, differential equations, and probability and statistics.
- How can I take the undergraduate courses at Drexel to prepare me for graduate school at Drexel ?
If you cannot enroll as an undergraduate, you may take courses as a non-matriculated student in the Goodwin College.
- What are the time requirements for program completion ?
Please see the policy on the Provost's webpage.
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