THE PH.D DEGREE PROGRAM
This degree program requires a minimum of 60 graduate credits
beyond the B.S. degree or a minimum of 36 graduate credits beyond
the M.S. degree in course work. In addition 12 graduate credits
are required for the Ph.D. dissertation.
Course Requirements
The courses for the Ph.D. degree presented by a candidate must
include at most one course from Group 1, all courses from Group
2, at least two courses from Group 3 and a course on topics in
History of Mathematics. Additional courses to cover the areas
of qualifying examinations as well as topics courses will be
on subjects corresponding to the research interests of the faculty.
Ph.D. Degree: Admission and Examination Requirements
To be admitted to the Ph.D. program, students must pass a screening
examination or obtain an exemption from the faculty. To obtain
a Ph.D. degree, a student admitted to the program must
- pass two qualifying examinations on subjects, not closely
related to each other, chosen from two of the following six
groups:
- Real Analysis or Complex Analysis or Functional Analysis
or Harmonic Analysis
- Algebra or Number Theory
- Combinatorics
- Geometry or Topology
- Dynamical Systems or Ordinary Differential Equations
or Partial Differential Equations
- Probability or Mathematical Statistics.
- take a third qualifying examination in an area of the student's
choice, that may include one from the above six groups, and
- write a Ph.D. dissertation and defend it satisfactorily.
Financial Support
Financial support from the university is contingent upon the
student making satisfactory progress. Those students who are
required to take a screening examination must successfully pass
that examination by the end of their first year in order to be
guaranteed continuing university support. Students in the Ph.D.
degree program are expected to have successfully completed six
graduate courses in the first year in the Ph.D. program and to
have passed at least two of the qualifying examinations by the
end of their second year in the Ph.D. program in order to obtain
continuing university support.
Language Requirement
Students must exhibit proficiency in two of the following languages:
Chinese, French, German, Russian. In exceptional cases, other
languages may be accepted by the Department. In lieu of one language
and upon approval of the Chairman of the Department, students
may take suitable graduate level courses from one of the following
departments or schools: Computer Science, Sociology, Economics,
Biology or Education.
Requirements for Admission to Candidacy for the Ph.D.degree:
- Candidates must have passed two of the Qualifying Examinations.
- Candidates must satisfy the language requirement and the
writing skills requirement.
Residence Requirements
At least four semesters of residence and full-time study or
the equivalent, shall be in the Department of Mathematics of
Howard University.
Other Requirements
- A minimum of 18 credits of work toward the Ph.D. degree
shall be pursued after admission to candidacy.
- Doctoral candidates shall participate actively in at least
two seminars during their candidacy.
- Only courses in which students earn grades of "A" or "B" may
be counted toward the Ph.D. degree.
- A student in the Ph.D. program who accumulates more than
two courses of grades below "B" shall be dropped from the
Mathematics Graduate Program.
