ADVANCING TO PhD CANDIDACY
Department of Mathematics
Florida State University
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To pursue a doctorate in the department with a goal of interdisciplinary research such as in biomedical or financial mathematics, the student should consult with appropriate faculty members who direct or co-direct research in that area. Interdisciplinary research is especially amenable to co-direction of students, and the appropriate policies of the Graduate office will be followed. Thus in the narrative below “Major Professor” should be read as “Major Professor or Co-Directors”.
The departmental chair will appoint a major professor mutually agreeable to the student, major professor, and chair and then in a timely manner, a Supervisory Committee. This committee will be in charge of the work of the student until completion of all degree requirements. The committee will include at least three faculty members from the Department of Mathematics and one from another department who is not a Co-Director.
The student is responsible for compliance with the general by writing two examinations on year-long sequences approved by the Supervisory Committee and arranged through appropriate area committees or faculty. The university requirement of a preliminary examination will, in this degree option, normally be composed of two parts: I. “qualifiers” (see [I] below); II. an advanced topics examination prepared under the direction of the major professor (“ATE”, see [II], below).
To assure timely progress toward the doctorate, the student shall cooperate with the major professor and the supervisory committee in the implementation of their responsibilities:
- advise and approve the student's courses including the departmental minor area requirement;
- assess in writing the progress of the student toward the degree, and
report appropriately; the student will supply a yearly progress report to
assist their assessment;
- inform the student early in the program what qualifiers (see I.) will be
required or may be chosen;
- administer or arrange for the administration of appropriate
examinations; determine when the student is qualified, on the basis of
academic progress and examinations, to proceed to the ATE;
- announce and conduct the ATE (see II.);
- recommend if appropriate, based on the qualifiers or ATE performance,
subsequent formal or informal study;
- notify the departmental chair when the requirements for Admission to
Candidacy are satisfied (see III.).
- monitor the student's progress until completion of the doctorate.
- [I] QUALIFIERS:
- Typically the student who begins graduate work at FSU will satisfy this
requirement by writing two examinations approved by the Supervisory
Committee and arranged through appropriate area committees or faculty
examiners and completing all requirements for the related professional
master's degree. *Of the two written qualifying examinations normally required, a waiver
for the second qualifying examination may be granted by the student's PhD
Supervisory Committee based on exceptional performance by the student on
the course finals. Occasionally the committee may suggest examinations on
two one-semester courses which together count as one qualifier. Only one
of the two or three written qualifiers may be on content outside the
Department of Mathematics.
- For students coming to interdisciplinary work in this department after other significant graduate study, this requirement may be modified by the Supervisory Committee with the approval of the Associate Chair with consideration given to previous accomplishments and assuring timely progress. e.g., previous qualifiers passed at a comparable university have been accepted for some transferring students in the past.
- The examination areas should be planned early in the program and will take into account the student's background and interests and the applications needed for research directed by the major professor. Each student will typically have a limited choice of appropriate qualifiers; these may include some of but are not limited to algebra, complex analysis, numerical analysis, real analysis, partial differential equations, symbolic computation, or topology.
- For students coming to interdisciplinary work in this department after other significant graduate study, this requirement may be modified by the Supervisory Committee with the approval of the Associate Chair with consideration given to previous accomplishments and assuring timely progress. e.g., previous qualifiers passed at a comparable university have been accepted for some transferring students in the past.
- [II] ADVANCED TOPICS EXAMINATION:
- The ATE is generally an oral
presentation followed by questions and concentrates on the student's
chosen area of research. The student must demonstrate scholarly competency
and knowledge sufficient to begin work on dissertation research.
The ATE is generally an oral presentation followed by questions and
concentrates on the student's chosen area of research. The student must
demonstrate scholarly competency and knowledge sufficient to begin work
on dissertation research.
[Note: It is customary in the interdisciplinary areas, as well as pure mathematics, that a written description of the advanced study related to the proposed dissertation subject is given to committee members about 3 weeks before the date of the oral ATE. This allows for any suggestions to be considered in advance of the oral, and a more polished, though still work-in-progress version, to be available at that time.]
- [III] ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY:
- On the recommendation of the major
professor and the supervisory committee and with the agreement of the
major professor to direct dissertation research, the departmental chair
will certify Admission to Candidacy for the doctoral degree.
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Guide to Financial Mathematics at Florida State University
Guide to Biomedical Mathematics at Florida State University
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Last modified: 10 July 2007
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