Frequently asked graduate program questions are answered below. For all other inquiries, please contact the Graduate Chair or Graduate Coordinator.
Graduate FAQ
Graduate FAQ
When a student enters the graduate program, they are assigned a temporary advisor, a member of Graduate Committee. A student finds a major professor (sometimes also called the advisor) when they have decided what area they want to focus in. The major professor assumes primary advising responsibility and guides the student towards the degree.
M.S./M.A. students must find a major professor by the end of their 3rd term in the graduate program. Ph.D. students should find a major professor in their second year and soon after they pass the qualifying exams. Students in the Ph.D. program who have not been successful in their first attempts in the qualifying exams should find an adviser immediately so they can guide them through alternative options. Students who complete Master’s requirements and wish to continue Ph.D. study under a different major professor should find their new major professor as soon as possible after passing the qualifying exams.
You do not need to report the name of your major professor to the Graduate School unless you have already submitted documents listing a different major professor. However, it is recommended that you inform the Mathematics Graduate Chair and Graduate Coordinator so we can update our departmental records and know whom to contact as your primary advisor. As a courtesy, you should inform your previous advisor.
The course plan is a document filed with the Mathematics department which serves as an approval from your advisor for you to register for certain courses in the current academic year. The course plan is verified to ensure your timely progress towards graduation, and it informs the department of the interest in the projected course enrollments. The program of study is a document filed with the Graduate School which defines all courses included in your degree, the members of your graduate committee, and the options/minors you will pursue with this degree. You must have a separate program of study for each degree sought (Master’s and Ph.D.).
M.S. or M.A. thesis students are required to have GCR and committee signatures on their program of study – thus, M.S./M.A. thesis students should form their committee prior to their program of study meeting. Non-thesis (exam or paper) Master's students do not need to form committees at the time of filing a program of study. Master’s programs of study are due in the Graduate School at least 15 weeks (or 1.5 terms) before the final exam.
It is recommended that Ph.D. students form committees, schedule a program meeting, and file programs of study as soon as possible, since the program of study determines the coursework that will be required for the degree. Delaying formulation of the program of study and having a program meeting, may slow down the completion of coursework and delays the preliminary oral exam. The Graduate School deadline is that Ph.D. students must form their committee (including a GCR) and file the program of study no less than 6 weeks prior to the preliminary oral exam but this deadline may come too late for Mathematics Ph.D. which typically requires substantial coursework component beyond the required core coursework.
Your advisor will help in finding committee members.
A grade of C is acceptable on the Program of Study as long as the overall GPA is at least 3.0. A grade of below C (such as C- or lower) is not acceptable. If a student received a grade of C- or less from one of the required courses, this course must be repeated until the student gets a C.
For GTAs/GRAs, a GPA of at least 3.0 is required. More generally, courses included on the Program of Study must have a grade of at least C, and the overall GPA for those courses must be at least 3.0.
No. In Spring 2016, Mathematics faculty voted to remove the foreign language proficiency requirement from the Ph.D. program. The vote was effective immediately and applied to all current and future students in the Ph.D. program. As of Fall 2016, students who nonetheless wish to take the foreign language exam may optionally do so.
You may direct your questions to the Graduate Chair or Graduate Coordinator.
The rules enacted in Fall 2014 allow the students to take each of the two parts (Real Analysis and Complex Analysis/Linear Algebra) individually. Students may take each part a maximum of three times. The exams are given twice a year – once at the beginning of Fall term and once at the beginning of Spring term – and typically the two parts are administered two days apart.
Contact the office staff Scheduling Coordinator at math_office@math.oregonstate.edu and they will submit a request to add your advisor to the schedule.
No. You should schedule your office hours in your office.
Contact the office staff Scheduling Coordinator at math_office@math.oregonstate.edu and they will reserve a room for you. Be ready to provide the date/time, maximum number of students attending, board/visual aids needed, and preferred room.
No. However, many students choose to complete the requirements for a Master’s degree on their path towards the Ph.D.. Writing a Master's thesis or paper is a great way to experience some of the steps of the process of writing a Ph.D. dissertation. In addition, getting an intermediate Master's degree is an accomplishment worthy of acknowledgement. Finally, some students complete a Master's in one area and move to a different area for their Ph.D.. It is recommended that students complete their Master's degree in a timely manner.
No. However, some students choose to complete the requirements for a Master’s degree as they complete the Ph.D. requirements.
The student is responsible for
- Forming a committee and selecting a GCR
- Scheduling the meeting at a time and location suitable for all committee members
- Creating a draft of the program of study with the major professor prior to the program meeting, and
- Bringing all necessary documents to the meeting. Documents you will need to have with you include a draft of the Ph.D. program of study, the doctoral program meeting checklist, and copies of your current transcript from OSU (and transcripts for any transfer credit from other schools that will apply to your Ph.D. program of study). Bringing additional paperwork such as a CV may be also helpful. Program meetings are run by the major professor but documented by the GCR.
M.A./M.S. students should:
Submit a M.A./M.S. program of study to the Graduate School.
- Submit a diploma application on MyOSU.
- Schedule your exam with the Graduate School online, at least two weeks prior to the exam.
- Schedule your exam in Valley Library 1420.
If you want a different room or Valley Library 1420 is unavailable, schedule your exam with the office staff Scheduling Coordinator at math_office@math.oregonstate.edu.
If you choose the thesis option: mail your pre-text pages to the Graduate School’s Thesis Editor at least two weeks prior to the exam. Contact them at graduate.school@oregonstate.edu.
If you choose the thesis option: send your thesis title to the Graduate Coordinator for advertising and departmental records. Contact them at gradinfo@math.oregonstate.edu.
Ph.D. students should:
Submit a Ph.D. program of study to the Graduate School.
- Submit a diploma application on MyOSU.
- Schedule your exam with the Graduate School online, at least two weeks prior to the exam.
- Schedule your exam in Valley Library 1420.
If you want a different room or Valley Library 1420 is unavailable, schedule your exam with the office staff Scheduling Coordinator at math_office@math.oregonstate.edu.
Mail your pre-text pages to the Graduate School’s Thesis Editor at least two weeks prior to the exam. Contact them at graduate.school@oregonstate.edu.
Send your thesis title to the Graduate Coordinator for advertising and departmental records. Contact them at gradinfo@math.oregonstate.edu.
The process of obtaining Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards is different for each such opportunity, but typically involves a recommendation by the advisor or major professor, followed by selection by the Graduate Committee. Opportunities funded by the College, Graduate School, or other entities are next reviewed. Students recommended for these additional opportunities should be (at least) in very good academic standing. Depending on the opportunity, they should show evidence or promise of excellence in their research or professional development, which may include, in particular, research publications, presentations, and other activities.
Various opportunities exist for graduate students to attend professional conferences, workshops, and summer schools, and many of them offer (at least) partial funding for graduate students. These are advertised in the department and university newsletters as well as by various professional societies such as AMS, MAA, and SIAM.
Be sure to identify the events of interest early, discuss them with your advisor, and apply by the deadlines specified. Additional support for students presenting their work may be available from the Graduate School or the College of Science; please contact your advisor for information how to be nominated for these. Some funds are available also from the department; please contact the Graduate Coordinator for information.
There are 15 credits of graduate mathematics required at the masters level and 18 credits required at the Ph.D. level. Mathematics does not have a predefined set of required courses for a graduate minor, but instead the minor advisor (a graduate faculty member in Mathematics who serves on the student’s graduate committee) works with the student to choose appropriate graduate math courses to satisfy the minor requirement. These courses will be listed on the student’s program of study. The coursework for a math minor will typically include a selection from the Mathematics M.S./Ph.D. core courses, but the selection need not be the same for all graduate minors in Math. See the current handbook or contact the Graduate Chair for more information.
