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This document provides information about admissions, financial
aid, and degree requirements both in Pure and Applied Mathematics
and in Probability and Statistics at Boston University. Please browse
the other items available on the Math Department home page for the
list of faculty and their research interests, the list of select
faculty publications, the list of recent books by faculty members,
and the lists of graduate courses in mathematics and in statistics.
Prospective students should have the equivalent of an undergraduate
degree in Pure or Applied Mathematics and prospective Statistics
students should have a substantial undergraduate background in statistics;
certain intermediate-level courses may be taken at Boston University
before the student enrolls in graduate courses. The Graduate School
requires at least three letters of recommendation from faculty members
familiar with the student's ability in mathematics, as well as scores
from both the aptitude and advanced mathematics Graduate Record
Exams.
At the end of this document please find the address to which prospective
students should write to obtain official admissions material and
the Graduate School Bulletin, which contains more detailed information
about admission procedures and degree requirements.
Financial Aid
The main source of financial aid for graduate students in the
Department is the Teaching Fellowship. These awards carry a stipend
as well as tuition remission for six courses per year. Teaching
Fellows are required to assist a faculty member who is teaching
a large lecture section of an introductory mathematics course. Generally,
the Teaching Fellow is responsible for conducting a number of discussion
sections consisting of approximately twenty-five students each,
as well as for holding office hours and assisting with grading.
The Teaching Fellowship usually entails about twenty hours of work
per week. For that reason, Teaching Fellows enroll in at most three
courses per semester. A Teaching Fellow Seminar is conducted each
semester to help new Teaching Fellows develop as instructors and
to promote the continuing development of experienced Teaching Fellows.
Other sources of financial aid include University Fellowships
and Graduate Assistantships. The University Fellowships are one-year
awards for outstanding students and are service-free. They carry
stipends plus full tuition remission. Students do not apply for
these fellowships; rather, the Department submits several nominations
each year to the Graduate School, who makes the final selections.
A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are also available in
the Department. These involve some service to the Department and
carry full tuition remission.
Regular reviews of the performance of Teaching Fellows and Graduate
Assistants in their duties as well as their course work are conducted
by members of the Graduate Committee.
Requirements for the M.A. Degree
Course Work.
Ordinarily, eight semester courses in mathematics are required
for the M.A. degree. At most two courses may be transferred from
another institution; in this case, the courses should correspond
to Boston University courses.
Only courses at the 500-level or above count for the M.A. degree.
Courses numbered 500-599 are aimed at both advanced undergraduate
and beginning graduate students, while courses numbered above 700
are designed primarily for graduate students. While there is no
formal requirement concerning the number of 700-level courses a
graduate student must take, the qualifying examination requirement
(see below) necessitates a certain amount of advanced course work.
Foreign Languages.
Each student who has not previously completed at least two years
of study in one foreign language at the undergraduate level or the
equivalent must make up the deficiency through course work or examination.
The Department offers language examinations in both French and German
at various times during the academic year.
Examinations.
The examination requirements differ for students in Pure and Applied
Mathematics and for students in Probability and Statistics. Students
must fulfill the requirements for the program they are admitted
to, although students in Probability may elect either system.
For students in Pure and Applied Mathematics, a preliminary
exam is given in the spring of each year.
Some sample exams are available:
The exam tests the student's knowledge of core material in undergraduate
mathematics, and it is expected that every student will take the
exam during the first year. The exam consists of two three-hour
sections, one covering advanced calculus, differential equations,
and analysis, and the other covering linear algebra and abstract
algebra. Students must demonstrate a thorough understanding of these
topics to pass this exam at the M.A. level. Sample exams are available
in the department.
Students in Probability and Statistics take a qualifying examination
which consists of a Theory part and an
Applied part.. Each qualifying examination is three hours long and
is intended to measure a student's breadth of knowledge in a particular
area of probability and statistics. Usually, these examinations
are based on at least a full year of course work in the graduate
program. The examinations are offered each year in October and May
and are administered by a committee composed of several faculty
members. These examinations are graded M.A. pass, Ph.D. pass, and
fail. M.A. students must pass two of these examinations at the M.A.
level.
Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
Course Work.
A Ph.D. student must complete sixteen courses for the Ph.D. At
most four of the courses may be transferred from other institutions.
If the Ph.D. student enters with an M.A., then eight courses are
usually required, although this may vary.
Foreign Languages.
Ph.D. students must give evidence of sufficient mastery of at
least one foreign language (usually French or German) to enable
them to use that language effectively in their areas of special
study. Consult with the Director of Graduate Studies for dates and
times at which the language examination is offered.
Preliminary Examination.
Ph.D. students in Pure and Applied Mathematics must also take
the M.A. Preliminary Exam and pass
it at the Ph.D level.
This means the student is able to solve the harder problems on the
exam.
Qualifying Examinations.
The Qualifying Examination system differs for students in Pure
and Applied Mathematics and for students in Probability and Statistics.
In any case, each student must pass a Qualifying Examination to
certify that he/she is ready to begin work on a dissertation.
For students in Pure and Applied Mathematics, the examination
is three hours long, and covers two areas of graduate study as well
as a specialized topic within one of these areas. Usually, the examination
in the two main areas is based on at least a full year of 700-level
course work. Currently, the Department offers examinations in the
following areas: algebra, algebraic geometry, applied mathematics,
analysis, differential equations, differential geometry, differential
and algebraic topology, dynamical systems, functional analysis,
number theory, probability, logic, operations research, partial
differential equations, and numerical analysis. To organize a Qualifying
Examination, the student is assigned a committee of three faculty
members who work in the two chosen areas to be on his/her examination
committee; the student and the committee then decide on a specialized
topic. The Qualifying Examination must be completed within three
years of the student's graduate-level studies.
A detailed handout on the Qun alifying Examination is given to
entering graduate students.
For students in Probability and Statistics, the qualifying examination
for the Ph.D. is similar to that for an M.A. student, except that
a Ph.D. student must pass two examinations based on material at
the Ph.D. level, one in theoretical statistics and one in applied
statistics.
Dissertation.
The dissertation is the major requirement for a Ph.D. student.
After the student has completed all course work, the Director of
Graduate Studies, in consultation with the student, selects a three-member
dissertation committee. One member of this committee is designated
by the Director of Graduate Studies as the Major Advisor for the
student. Once completed, the dissertation must be defended in an
oral examination conducted by at least five members of the Department.
Satisfactory Progress Toward the Degree.
Upon entering the Graduate Program, each student should consult
the Director of Graduate Studies. An advisor will be assigned to
each student depending on his/her initial interests; this choice
can be changed later. The graduate advisor, who will be able to
guide the student through the course selection and possible directed
study, should be consulted often. Indeed, the Department considers
it important that each student progress in a timely manner toward
the degree. Each M.A. student must have completed the examination
by the end of his/her second year in the program, while a Ph.D.
student must have completed the qualifying examination by the third
year. Students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. degree must
have completed the qualifying examination by October of the second
year. Failure to meet these deadlines may jeopardize financial aid.
Some flexibility in the deadlines is possible upon petition to the
graduate committee in cases of inadequate preparation.
Residency.
Students must complete all of the requirements for a Ph.D. within
seven years of enrolling in the Department. This total time limit
is set by the Graduate School. Students needing extra time must
petition the Graduate School. Also, financial aid cannot be guaranteed
after the seven-year time limt expires.
Application Materials and Further Information
For application materials for the Graduate Program, the Graduate
School Bulletin, and an application for admission, write to:
- Graduate School (Arts and Sciences)
- Boston University
- 705 Commonwealth Avenue
- Boston, MA 02215
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- These can also be downloaded
from Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences site.
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If you would like to send an electronic message, write to the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Please send comments or suggestions to webmaster@math.bu.edu
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