Department of Mathematics and Statistics
368 Mathematics and Science Center (map)
(248) 370-3430 • Fax (248) 370-4184
http://www.oakland.edu/math/

Graduate Coordinator:
Li Li
350 Mathematics and Science Center
(248) 370-3447
li2345@oakland.edu

Program Description

The Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Mathematical Sciences degree program is designed with three specialization areas in applied mathematical sciences: applied continuous mathematics, applied discrete mathematics, and applied statistics. The program prepares students for employment in business, industry, or government, as well as traditional academic positions.

Admission Terms and Application Deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Oakland University Graduate School by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review. However, the applicant is encouraged to contact the Graduate Coordinator to discuss the application.

February 15 (early), April 15 (regular), and July 15 (late) for fall semester
October 1 (early) and November 15 (regular) for winter semester
March 1 for summer semester
International applicants

Application Requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

Graduate application requirements
Additional department application requirements

Recommendation requirements:
Three recommendation forms are required. All must be from individuals who are capable of evaluating scholarly achievements and potential for independent research.
A brief personal statement (not more than 500 words) describing their goals in pursuing the Ph.D. Applicants who wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship should also describe any prior teaching experience or other potentially relevant background. All application materials must be received no later than February 15 in order to be considered for a teaching assistantship appointment for the following academic year.
A bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution with at least a 3.0 grade-point average, with a major in one of the mathematical and statistical sciences, engineering, computer science, the physical sciences, the biological sciences, or the health sciences.
Knowledge of a scientific programming language is strongly recommended.

Admission Review and Assessment

Admission to graduate school at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Oakland University Graduate School, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.

Specific course prerequisites for regular admission into the program (with relevant Oakland University course numbers) include:

Multivariable Calculus (MTH 2554)
Linear Algebra (MTH 2775)
Advanced Calculus (MTH 4552)

In addition, there are specialization prerequisites (with relevant Oakland University course numbers):

a. Applied Continuous Mathematics

Differential Equations (required prerequisite) (APM 2555)
Complex Variables (recommended prerequisite) (MTH 3552)

b. Applied Discrete Mathematics

Abstract Algebra (recommended prerequisite) (MTH 4775)
Discrete Mathematics (required prerequisite) (APM 2663)

c. Applied Statistics

Twelve credits in statistics are required. Example:

STA 2226, Applied Probability and Statistics (4 credits)
STA 4002, Applied Linear Models I (4 credits)
STA 4003, Applied Linear Models II (4 credits)

Students who lack the necessary background may need to complete a few prerequisite undergraduate courses prior to regular admission into the program.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 80 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree is required for the Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Mathematical Sciences degree consisting of 60 credits (15 courses) of coursework, 20 credits of course or course (Dissertation Research). Up to 3 credits of course or course (Problem Solving Seminar) may be counted in the 20 dissertation credits.

Students who have earned a master’s degree may petition to have prior coursework applied toward the 60 credits. The Committee on Graduate Programs will evaluate the student’s prior master’s degree work and allow Ph.D. credits for courses judged to be relevant to the proposed Ph.D. course of study. A maximum of 32 credits may be applied; all candidates must complete at least 28 credits of additional coursework exclusively at Oakland University.

In the Ph.D. program, courses awarded a grade of less than B will not count toward the degree: however, all numerical grades earned are used in computing a student’s GPA, and an overall 3.00 GPA or better must be maintained.

Course Requirements (80 credits)

The course requirements and options for each specialization are as follows:

1. Applied Statistics Specialization (60 credits)

a. Specialization requirements (36 credits)

Required courses:

course Mathematical Statistics I (4 credits)
course Mathematical Statistics II (4 credits)
course Linear Statistical Models (4 credits)

Choose six courses from the following list; it is recommended that these six courses include one of the following sets of courses: (course, course), (course, course), (course, course), (course, course)

course Applied Linear Models II (4 credits)
course Discrete Data Analysis (4 credits)
course Statistical Computing (4 credits)
course Stochastic Processes I (4 credits)
course Multivariate Statistical Methods I (4 credits)
course Nonparametric Methods (4 credits)
course Reliability and Life Data Analysis I (4 credits)
course Statistical Methods in Sample Surveys (4 credits)
course Time Series I (4 credits)
course Bayesian Data Analysis (4 credits)
course Advanced Design of Experiments (4 credits)
course Probability Theory (4 credits)
course Stochastic Processes II (4 credits)
course Multivariate Statistical Methods II (4 credits)
course Reliability and Life Data Analysis II (4 credits)
course Time Series II (4 credits)

b. Distribution Requirements (24 credits)

Required course :

course Real Analysis (4 credits)
and one other course selected from the applied continuous mathematics specialization list (4 credits).

Required course:

course Applied Mathematics: Discrete Methods I (4 credits)
and one other course selected from the applied discrete mathematics specialization list (4 credits).
In addition, there are two free elective courses for a total of fifteen courses to satisfy the 60-credit course requirement, exclusive of dissertation research credit.

c. Exit *

course Doctoral Dissertation Research (1 to 12 credits)
* Up to 3 credits of course or course may be included in the 20 credits.

2. Applied Discrete Mathematics Specialization (60 credits)

a. Specialization Requirements (36 credits)

Required courses:

Choose four courses from the following:

course Applied Mathematics: Discrete Methods I (4 credits)
course Applied Mathematics: Discrete Methods II (4 credits)
course Algorithms and Complexity (4 credits)
course Computer Algebra (4 credits)
course The Theory of Computation (4 credits)
course Approximation and Randomized Discrete Algorithms (4 credits)
course Coding Theory (4 credits)
course Linear and Integer Optimization (4 credits)
course Nonlinear Optimization (4 credits)
course Algebraic Number Theory (4 credits)
course Commutative Algebra (4 credits)
course Algebraic Geometry (4 credits)

b. Distribution Requirements (24 credits)

Required course:

course Mathematical Statistics I (4 credits)
and one other course selected from the Applied Statistics specialization list (4 credits)

Required course:

course Real Analysis (4 credits)
and one other course selected from the applied continuous specialization list (4 credits)
In addition, there are two free elective courses for a total of fifteen courses to satisfy the 60-credit course requirement, exclusive of dissertation research credit.

c. Exit *

course Doctoral Dissertation Research (20 credits)

* Up to 3 credits of APM 6945 or STA 6945 may be included in the 20 credits.

3. Applied Continuous Mathematics Specialization (60 credits)

a. Specialization Requirements (36 credits)

Required courses:

course Numerical Methods (4 credits)
course Advanced Partial Differential Equations (4 credits)
course Mathematical Modeling in Industry: Continuous Models (4 credits)
course Real Analysis (4 credits)
course Functional Analysis (4 credits)

Choose four courses from the following:

course Applied Numerical Methods: Matrix Methods (4 credits)
course Advanced Ordinary Differential Equations (4 credits)
course Computational Geometry (4 credits)
course Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations (4 credits)
course Applied Continuous Mathematics: Selected Topics (4 credits)
course Mathematical Modeling in Industry: Operations Research Models (4 credits)
course Complex Analysis (4 credits)

b. Distribution Requirements (24 credits)

Required course:

course Mathematical Statistics I (4 credits)
and one other course selected from the applied statistics specialization list (4 credits)

Required course:

course Applied Mathematics: Discrete Methods I (4 credits)
and one other course selected from the applied discrete mathematics specialization list (4 credits)
In addition, there are two free elective courses for a total of fifteen courses to satisfy the 60-credit course requirement, exclusive of dissertation research credit.

c. Exit *

course Doctoral Dissertation Research (20 credits)

* Up to 3 credits of course or course may be included in the 20 credits.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good Academic Standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in Good Academic Standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.00.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements: In the Ph.D. program, courses awarded a grade of less than B will not count toward the degree: however, all grades earned are used in computing a student’s GPA, and an overall 3.00 GPA or better must be maintained.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related Program Information

Plan of Study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted to Oakland University Graduate School.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)

General Examination and Dissertation

The General Examination is intended to assess the student’s overall knowledge of mathematical sciences at the graduate level and the student’s ability to pursue the doctoral degree in his or her selected specialization. The General Examination is administered by the Committee on Graduate Programs and consists of two parts:

Part I consists of three written section exams, each one covers material in one of the areas of continuous mathematics, discrete mathematics, and statistics. It is offered once near the beginning of the fall term (usually in September) and once near the beginning of the winter term (usually in January). The student must pass two out of the three exams.

Part II of the General Examination may only be attempted after passage of Part I. Part II consists of a single written exam. The material covered in this single exam involves only the area of the student’s perspective specialization and will be decided upon by the Committee on Graduate Programs and the student’s dissertation adviser in consultation with the student.

A student must have completed at least 12 credits of graduate coursework at Oakland with a GPA of 3.00 or better before taking the General Examination. No student with a GPA below 3.00 will be permitted to take the General Examination. It is expected that the student has passed Part I of the General Examination to be eligible to register for Doctoral Dissertation Research.

Dissertation Committee

Each student who has passed the General Examination will have a dissertation committee prior to registration for doctoral research credit.

The dissertation committee will be appointed by the Committee on Graduate Programs, with the approval of Oakland University Graduate School. The dissertation committee will consist of at least four faculty members, at least three of whom will be in the specialization area of the student. Prior to the formation of the committee, the student will suggest one faculty member from the student’s area of specialization with the concurrence of the faculty member to be the adviser and chair or co-chair of the dissertation committee. At least one member of the committee will be selected by the Committee on Graduate Programs from faculty in the department but outside the student’s area of specialization. The chair of the dissertation committee will be the intended supervisor of the doctoral dissertation for the student and is normally the faculty member nominated by the student. The membership of the committee may be changed by action of the Committee on Graduate Programs, with the approval of Oakland University Graduate School.

Final Oral Examination and Dissertation Defense

The chair of the dissertation committee is responsible for keeping the committee members informed about the progress of the dissertation research and making preliminary drafts of the dissertation available to all members of the dissertation committee in a manner that permits timely suggestions for improvements. When the chair of the committee determines that the dissertation is ready for oral presentation, the chair will request that a colloquium talk be scheduled where the student presents the dissertation. Immediately following the colloquium, the committee will continue an oral examination of the candidate. Others are welcome to attend this portion of the final examination, with the consent of the candidate and the committee. When this oral examination is concluded, the committee will meet privately and decide whether the candidate, with possible modifications in the dissertation, will be recommended by the committee to receive the Ph.D. Every member of the committee must be present, possibly electronically, at the oral examination and be willing to sign the dissertation (after suitable and specified modifications, if any) for the student to pass this final oral examination.

Continuous Enrollment

The continuous enrollment policy for doctoral students requires continuous registration of graduate students for at least 1 credit each semester in the academic year to maintain an active graduate student status. This includes semesters in which the comprehensive, preliminary, or qualifying examination is taken, defense, and each subsequent term (fall and winter) until the degree requirements are met and the dissertation is submitted to Oakland University Graduate School.

Some agency and graduate assistantship eligibility may have course-load requirements that exceed the minimum registration requirements of the Continuous Enrollment Policy (e.g., Veterans Affairs, Immigration and Naturalization for international students, and federal financial aid programs). Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to register for the appropriate number of credits that are required for funding eligibility and/or compliance as outlined by specific agency regulations under which they are governed.

Time to Degree

The maximum time limit for completing a Ph.D. degree program is no more than ten years from the term of the first course enrollment in the doctoral program.

The time limit for completing a Ph.D. degree requires a student to achieve candidacy within six years from the first course enrollment in the doctoral program. After being advanced to candidacy, after passing Part II of the General examination, a student is expected to complete the remaining degree requirements within four years (including the dissertation defense).

Applied Mathematical Sciences

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