Documents on this site related to Graduate Students
Information about programs, financial support, courses, research
The doctoral dissertation should present, in a self-contained manner, the results of research which makes a new and original contribution to knowledge in mathematics or, for students specializing in mathematics education, in mathematics education. The results should have the quality of work publishable in peer-reviewed journals.
The student must take a final oral exam defending the dissertation. The advisory committee acts as the exam committee. As the date for the exam approaches, the student should periodically provide drafts of the dissertation to the committee. The student must provide a final draft of the dissertation to members of the advisory committee at least three weeks before the dissertation defense.
Doctoral Candidacy Status
Candidacy status is an important attainment for doctoral students. The student must complete at least 10 dissertation hours in candidacy status before graduation. The condition for granting candidacy status by the Graduate College is the approval of a dissertation proposal by the student's advisory committee. The Department of Mathematics requires in addition that the student pass a Qualifying Exam before approval of the dissertation proposal.
Purpose of the Qualifying Exam
The purpose of the Qualifying Exam is to test students in their area of specialization in order to determine their readiness to write a dissertation in that particular area.
Schedule and Application Procedures
The American Mathematical Society has a helpful page with resources for graduate students. In particular, guidance for Ph.D.'s applying for jobs is available here.
The current syllabus for each exam is available here. In the following list click on the subject area to see recent exams in that area.
Some of the exams administered in 2000 and earlier are available here.
Doctoral students in Mathematics Education must conduct research in Mathematics Education. Research in education, however, is by nature quite different from research in Mathematics. In education, there are several different theoretical viewpoints and research paradigms that govern the conduct of educational studies. Articles in Mathematics Education typically begin by stating the author’s research framework or theoretical paradigm. Students conducting such research might learn about the theoretical paradigms on which social research is based in one of the following:
Some helpful university resources on the web:
Students who have passed two comprehensive exams may, with the approval of their advisor, substitute a minor thesis for one of the comprehensive exams.
The minor thesis must be a creative, written work of research or exposition on a topic of mathematical content that is:
The foreign language requirement for doctoral students depends on the area of specialization.
Applied Mathematics
The advisory committee of a student in applied mathematics must be satisfied that the student has a strong working ability with a computer language or symbolic computation.
Mathematics Education
There is no foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. degree with specialization in mathematics education; however, it is expected that students in mathematics education exhibit a strong working ability of calculator and computer-assisted instruction, which is then documented in their professional development portfolio.
Pure Mathematics: Foreign Language Reading Proficiency Examination
Adopted November 15, 1999
The Department of Mathematics offers a Graduate Minor to those graduate students who complete substantial upper division or graduate work in mathematics. A Ph.D. student must take at least two graduate courses in mathematics. A statement of the precise requirements is on the following page.
The requirements should guarantee that a Master's student minoring in mathematics acquires at least as much mathematical competence as one obtaining an undergraduate degree in mathematics. However, the Department of Mathematics waives the following specific requirements.
- Math 3613 and Math 4023
- The two six hour breadth requirements for upper division hours in Computer Science, Physics or other field or courses numbered 4000 and above in Mathematics or Statistics.
Oklahoma State University • Department of Mathematics • Stillwater, OK 74078 • Phone: (405) 744-5688 • Fax: (405) 744-8275