Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Mathematics, PhD


College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics  > Department of Mathematics  > Mathematics, PhD

The PhD in mathematics program is open to students who wish to pursue a career in academic research or teaching, as well as in industry. This program emphasizes research in pure and applied mathematics. Therefore, students with a strong background in mathematics with a major in quantitative fields such as pure and applied mathematics, economics, engineering, physics are encouraged to apply. The program aims to prepare students for positions in academia and industry which require a deep knowledge of advanced mathematical concepts. Students completing this program must demonstrate research competence by successfully defending a dissertation in one of the research areas represented in the department.

For additional information, please visit Mathematics, PhD Outline page.

Admission Requirements


A doctoral applicant will have earned a bachelor’s or a master’s degree, and submitted scores from the General GRE examination taken in the last 5 years (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing; advanced GRE is recommended but optional).  International applicants have further documentation requirements, including proof of English language proficiency, which are described at International Students. International applications require a $75 application fee. The admissions committee will evaluate the credentials of each applicant for the Ph.D. program, considering a broad range of criteria, including:

  1. Content of undergraduate program and, if applicable, graduate programs and competency in mathematics.
  2. A cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better in the last 60 hours.
  3. Letters of recommendation from three (3) individuals (preferably faculty members), who are able to judge the candidate’s academic abilities and potential for scholarly research.
  4. GRE scores (see above).
  5. Fulfilling the university’s English Language Proficiency Requirement .

The prerequisite for admission to the program is the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics as defined at the University of Houston. Prior experience with advanced undergraduate mathematical concepts is necessary. All applications are evaluated with respect to the research potential of the candidate.

Please visit the program’s Graduate Admissions and Support page for more information.

Degree Requirements


Credit hours required for this degree: 54.0

  • A minimum of 54 graduate semester hours is required for the Ph.D. degree. Of these, at least 24 hours must be formal lecture courses in mathematics. Any courses taken outside the department of mathematics will require prior approval from the director of graduate studies.
  • Completion of at least 3, but no more than 12, letter-graded semester hours of MATH 8X99 Doctoral Dissertation courses.
  • One academic year of continuous full-time enrollment (Fall/Spring or Spring/Summer/Fall).
  • Completion of preliminary examinations.
  • Completion of a successfully defended dissertation based on original research which must be submitted to the NSM Office of Academic Affairs by the deadline on the College website.

Academic Policies


Establishing a Doctoral Research (Dissertation) Committee

Students must assemble a dissertation committee. A dissertation committee must be on file with the department and College no later than the term prior to the anticipated graduating term. More details on committee composition can be found at Graduate Degree Requirements .

Preliminary examinations

PhD students must pass 3 preliminary examinations from different areas. Each exam is a 3-hour written test based on one of the graduate courses taught in the department of mathematics. Students are expected to pass all 3 preliminary examinations within the first two years of their study. Students who hold a Master’s degree are expected to pass all 3 preliminary examinations within 1 year. Further details on the preliminary examinations can be found at Preliminary Examinations.

Scholastic Requirements

Graduate students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.00 in all course work to be considered in good standing. Students not in good standing cannot receive a graduate degree and can be declared ineligible for support with a graduate assistantship (IA, TA, RA/TE or RA).