Mathematics
Director of Graduate Studies: Randy McCarthy
257 Altgeld Hall
1409 West Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-5749
E-mail: gradoffice@math.uiuc.edu
Major: Applied Mathematics
Degrees Offered: M.S.
Graduate Concentration: Actuarial Science (in Applied Mathematics only)
Major: Mathematics
Degrees Offered: M.S., M.A., Ph.D.
Major: Teaching of Mathematics
Degrees Offered: M.S.
Medical Scholars Program: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mathematics and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through the Medical Scholars Program
Graduate Degree Programs
The department offers graduate study leading to the Master of Science in Mathematics, the Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics, the Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, and the Master of Science in the Teaching of Mathematics. Opportunity also exists for specializing in computational science and engineering within the department's graduate programs via the Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Option.
Admission
In addition to the University requirements for admission to the Graduate College, there are a number of requirements that are specific to the Department of Mathematics.
GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores are required by the Department of Mathematics, both the general test and the subject test in mathematics, for admission from all applicants to the PhD program who live in the United States or Canada. The tests are not required from other applicants, but students' chances of admission and of receiving financial aid will be better if they submit these test scores. GRE scores are also required for all fellowship applications.
All students admitted to the PhD program must have full financial support, either from the Department of Mathematics (teaching assistantship or fellowship) or from another source (minimum 5 years).
For students whose native language is not English the University admission requirements include proof of proficiency in English, as measured by the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System). For more information on these requirements for admission see http://www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/taengprof.htm .
In addition, a minimum TOEFL iBT speak score of 20 (or TSE 42) is required to be considered for the Math Ph.D. program at Illinois. The only exceptions will be for those applicants exempt from the English requirement for admission, (see http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/admissions/instructions/04c) or those applicants with at least 5 years of fellowship support from another source.
In addition, International Teaching Assistants must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English, as measured by the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT), the IELTS, the TSE (Test of Spoken English), or the university-administered EPI (English Proficiency Interview) test. For more information on these requirements for appointment as an International TA see http://cte.illinois.edu/testing/oral_eng/main.html. Students who do not satisfy these requirements are not eligible to receive appointments as Teaching Assistants in the classroom.
International students who have studied in the United States may be exempt from the English admission requirement, but must still submit the TOEFL or equivalent to qualify as a teaching assistant.
The submission deadline for applications for Fall Semester that include a request for financial aid is December 1. The deadline for supplemental materials (including letters of recommendation and transcripts) is January 2. Only applications which are complete will be reviewed. Applications for admission only can be considered up to April 15. The deadline for all applications for spring semester is the preceding October 15. The Department of Mathematics reserves the right to close the acceptance of applications at any time.
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements refer to the department's Guide to Graduate Studies and the Graduate College Handbook.
The master's degree programs can be completed in one-and-one-half years of full-time study by students entering without deficiencies. Math 405, 406, 415, 444, 499 cannot be counted toward graduate degrees in Math.
Master of Science, Mathematics
| Required Courses: | Thesis Option- Required Hours |
Non-thesis Option-Required Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 448 or 542 or 540 | 3 or 4 | 3 or 4 |
| MATH 500 or 501 | 3 or 4 | 3 or 4 |
| Thesis Hours Required – MATH 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 32 | 32 |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
24 | 24 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
12 (in MATH) | 12 (in MATH) |
| Other Requirements:* | ||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Specific course and sequence requirements for this degree can be satisfied through study in one of four options: (1) optimization and algorithms, (2) science applications, (3) computational science and engineering, or (4) actuarial science.
Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, Optimization and Algorithms option
| Required Courses: | Thesis Option- Required Hours |
Non-thesis Option-Required Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses from at least three of the following areas: Optimization, Control Theory and Coding Theory, Combinatorics and Graph Theory, Algorithms and Theory of Computation, Statistics | 20 (including core courses listed below) | 20 (including core courses listed below) |
| 4 core courses of MATH 412, 413, 450, 473, 469, 482 or 484 | 12-16 | 12-16 |
| Thesis Hours Required – MATH 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 32 | 32 |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
24 | 24 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
12 (8 in MATH) | 12 (8 in MATH) |
| Other Requirements:* A concentration is not required. | ||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, Applications to the Sciences option
| Required Courses: | Thesis Option- Required Hours |
Non-thesis Option-Required Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 3 of MATH 489, 550, 553, 556 | 9-16 | 9-16 |
| MATH 446 or 448 or 542 | 3-4 | 3-4 |
| Thesis Hours Required – MATH 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 4 | |
| Credit hours in a department other than Mathematics, providing substantive applications of differential equations and applied mathematics. | 8 | 8 |
| Total Hours | 32 | 32 |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
20 | 20 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
12 | 12 |
| Other Requirements:*A concentration is not required. | ||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, Computational Science and Engineering option
| Required Courses: | Thesis Option- Required Hours |
Non-thesis Option-Required Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATH 550 or MATH 553 | 4 | 4 | |
|
3-4 | 3-4 | |
| 12 hours from CSE courses (see www.cse.illinois.edu/) | 12 (at least 4 in MATH, 4 not in MATH) | 12 (at least 4 in MATH, 4 not in MATH) | |
| Thesis Hours Required – MATH 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | |||
| Total Hours | 32 | 32 | |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
20 | 20 | |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
12 (8 in MATH) | 12 (8 in MATH) | |
| Other Requirements:*A concentration is not required. | |||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Master of Science in Applied Mathematics, concentration in Actuarial Science
| Required Courses: | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| Math 567 and 568 | 8 |
| Electives chosen through consultation with the faculty advisors | 24 |
| Total Hours | 32 |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
24 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
12 (8 in MATH) |
| Other Requirements:*A concentration is not required. | |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
Master of Science in Teaching Mathematics
| Required Courses: | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| A rigorous course in algebra at the level of MATH 417 or above | 3 or 4 |
| A rigorous course in analysis at the level of MATH 447 or above | 3 or 4 |
| CI 436 and 560 | 8 |
| Total Hours | 32 |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
24 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
12 (8 in MATH) |
| Other Requirements:* | |
| Two semesters of teaching under the supervision of a mentor in two categories | |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
Specific course and sequence requirements must be met.
Doctor of Philosophy
| Required Courses: | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| Students must demonstrate competence in five core courses. Two of these are required to be Math 500 (basic algebra) and Math 540 (basic analysis). Four core areas must be represented by the five courses. Students must also demonstrate proficiency in complex analysis. | |
| Master's equivalency | 32 |
| Language Requirement: demonstrated proficiency in one language chosen from French, German, and Russian | |
| Thesis Hours Required – MATH 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 0 min |
| Total Hours | 96 (64 in residence) |
Minimum Hours Required Within the Unit: |
|
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
|
| Other Requirements:* | |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
| Masters Degree Required for Admission to PhD? | No |
| Comprehensive Exam Required | Yes |
| Preliminary Exam Required | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes |
Students working toward a Ph.D. degree usually require from four to six years to complete the requirements. Each student must pass the comprehensive examinations (testing the student's knowledge of basic graduate-level mathematics in algebra, analysis, and other areas) and the preliminary examination (testing the student's ability to begin or continue research in a chosen field). Students must also write and defend a research thesis in their field of mathematics. Proficiency must be demonstrated in one language chosen from French, German or Russian.
Medical Scholars Program
The Medical Scholars Program permits highly qualified students to integrate the study of medicine with study for a graduate degree in a second discipline, including mathematics. Students may apply to the Medical Scholars Program prior to beginning graduate school or while in the graduate program. Applicants to the Medical Scholars Program must meet the admissions standards for and be accepted into both the doctoral graduate program and the College of Medicine. Students in the dual degree program must meet the specific requirements for both the medical and graduate degrees. On average, students take eight years to complete both degrees. Further information on this program is available by contacting the Medical Scholars Program, 125 Medical Sciences Building, (217) 333-8146 or at www.med.illinois.edu/msp.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in this program.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. The same application is used for decisions on admission, assistantships, and fellowships. The deadline for equal consideration for fellowships and assistantships is January 1, but later applications for assistantships will be considered if positions are available.