Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Mathematics Major, PhD


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Designed to prepare students for industrial employment and for college and university teaching and research.

Concentrations (Optional)


Mathematical Biology

Campus Code


Knoxville Campus

Credit Hours Required


Minimum of 72 graduate credit hours beyond the Bachelor’s or
Minimum of 48 graduate credit hours beyond the Master’s

Required Courses


  • These requirements must be completed no later than the start of the student’s seventh year (as a mathematics graduate student at UT).
  • Demonstrate competency with a satisfactory performance on two diagnostic examinations in the areas of advanced calculus and linear algebra. (Additional requirements for GTAs can be found in the Mathematics Graduate Student Handbook.) The appropriate courses upon which the exams are based are the MATH 447-MATH 448 sequence and for linear algebra MATH 457-MATH 458 sequence or MATH 453.
  • Pass two written examinations each based on material from a course sequence in the following list:
  • Algebra

  • and
  • Analysis

  • and
  • Computational and Applied Mathematics

  • and
  • Differential Equations

  • and
  • Stochastics

  • and
  • Topology-Geometry

  • and
  • A student must pass one examination by the middle of their third year and both examinations by the middle of their fourth year.
  • Take at least two different one-semester research seminars
  • Pass an examination in the field of specialization after requirements in first three bullets have been met.
    This examination will be given by a committee appointed by the department head.
    A student may take this specialty examination no more than two times.
  • In addition to the two year-long sequences chosen for the preliminary examinations, a student must take the following:
    1. A 600-level sequence outside the student’s area of specialization.
    2. Six additional one-semester 500-600 level mathematics courses, which must include:
  • A one year-long sequence in a third area (i.e., an area different from those represented in the two preliminary examinations); and

    At least one course in a fourth area (this fourth area must be distinct from the two preliminary exam areas but may coincide with the area of the sequence used to satisfy (1).

    Students must earn a grade of B- (B minus) or better in each of these six courses.

  • (24 credit hours)

Non-Course Requirements


  • Pass an oral defense and complete a written dissertation.

Mathematical Biology Concentration


Designed to prepare students for industrial employment and for college and university teaching and research in which an emphasis on applications of mathematics to ecology and the biological sciences is desired.

Credit Hours Required


Minimum of 72 graduate credit hours beyond the Bachelor’s or
Minimum of 48 graduate credit hours beyond the Master’s

Required Courses


Non-Course Requirements


  • Pass an oral defense and complete a written dissertation.

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