Qualifying Exams Prep
The candidate must pass a preliminary examination which can be either (i) a written and oral examination over the major area and one minor area chosen by the candidate, or (ii) an oral presentation on their proposed research. This will normally be done after satisfying the research tools requirement and within 15 months of passing the qualifying examination. This examination will be prepared, administered, and evaluated by the dissertation committee. Any member of the graduate faculty may attend the oral portion of the preliminary examination and (at the discretion of the committee chair) question the candidate. The candidate will pass the preliminary examination provided that 4 members of the committee including the chair so agree. A report on the examination will be included with the candidate's official academic records. In the event that the candidate's performance is unsatisfactory, the committee as a whole shall decide on the time and content of an appropriate re-examination. A candidate who fails the re-examination will be dropped from the doctoral program.
In unusual circumstances a candidate who has passed the preliminary examination may wish to change the major area or dissertation advisor. This will be allowed if the Director of Graduate Studies and department chair so agree, in which case the dissertation committee will be reconstituted in an appropriate manner. The revised committee may then prescribe additional course work and require the candidate to retake the preliminary examination.
Old Ph.D. Qualifying Exams
Math 501: Measure and Integration
Math 505: Ordinary Differential Equations
Math 507: Partial Differential Equations
Math 519: Algebra
- Fall 2016
- Fall 2017
- Spring 2017
- Fall 2018
- Spring 2018
- Fall 2019
- Spring 2019
- Fall 2020
- Spring 2021
- Fall 2022
Math 520: Algebraic Structures II
Math 530: Geometry or Topology
- Fall 2000 (Topology)
- Fall 2004 (Topology)
- Spring 2006 (Topology)
- Fall 2008 (Topology)
- Spring 2008 (Topology)
- Spring 2011 (Geometry)