math ku phd thesis

2024-25 Academic Catalog

Doctor of philosophy in mathematics, why study mathematics.

Because mathematics is a framework upon which humanity builds an understanding of the world.

Mission of the Graduate Program:

The mission of the Graduate Program of the Department of Mathematics is to prepare students for leadership roles in meeting the mathematical needs of our society and to produce professional mathematicians for positions in universities, colleges, industry, governmental agencies, and research centers.

Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics:

The Mathematics Department offers the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mathematics.  The Ph.D. program provides broad and deep expertise in mathematics, culminating in a dissertation that includes significant original work.  It is intended for students with a strong mathematical background who plan a career in research in academia or industry. A broad range of specialties is possible; research interests of department faculty include algebra, analysis, combinatorics, control theory, dynamical systems, geometry, numerical analysis, partial differential equations, probability, and statistics. There are two tracks: Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. The requirements for each track are listed in the section Degree Requirements. College-wide requirements for graduate students may be found in the  Graduate School Catalog .

Admission to Graduate Studies

An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Admission to the Ph.D. in Mathematics

The minimum prerequisites for admission are:

• an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with a program of study in mathematics;
• a record of achievement that shows strong promise of success in graduate school, including a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average in undergraduate studies and a 3.0 grade-point average in mathematics (department requirement);
• course work in abstract algebra, linear algebra, and advanced calculus or introduction to analysis (comparable to KU courses  MATH 500 , MATH 558 , and MATH 590 ).

It is beneficial to have preparation in probability/statistics (comparable to  MATH 627 / MATH 628 ) and/or numerical analysis (comparable to  MATH 581 ). Although not required, it is also helpful to have taken introductory courses in complex analysis ( comparable to  MATH 646 ), partial  differential equations (comparable to  MATH 647 ), geometry (comparable to MATH 660 / MATH 661 ),  and/or topology.

The Mathematics Department currently does not require the general or subject Graduate Record Examination (GRE), although applicants may submit scores if they wish.  International students whose native language is not English must fulfill English language requirements specified by university policies.

Applicants must submit a graduate application online , including the following required materials:

• Transcript from each college or university the applicant has attended (an official transcript must be sent upon acceptance and completion of degree).
• Applicant’s résumé/curriculum vitae.
• A list of the textbooks used in mathematics courses beyond calculus.
• A statement of purpose indicating the applicant’s mathematical preferences and interests.
• 3 letters of reference.
• International applicants must fulfill the University's requirements for English proficiency .

Incomplete applications will not be considered. The minimum admission requirements do not guarantee admission. The Department of Mathematics evaluates candidates and makes recommendations to the Office of Graduate Studies regarding admission. The number of students admitted to the program changes from year to year, and admissions are competitive based on all application materials.

There are no additional application forms for financial support. Students are considered for support based on merit. Most Ph.D. students accepted by the program receive an offer of financial support in the form of a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. The number of GTAs available is limited. Further information about applications and admissions is available from the  Department of Mathematics .

Contact the department:

Michelle Morrison Graduate Program Coordinator Department of Mathematics 433 Snow Hall [email protected]

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

The department requires the student to meet the following requirements before taking the comprehensive examination.

• Pass two written qualifying examinations: one exam in either algebra or analysis and a second exam in either numerical analysis or probability/statistics.  Both qualifying examinations must be completed by the beginning of the student’s fifth semester.
• Complete the required qualifying exam coursework: MATH 727 (Probability), MATH 765 (Analysis I), MATH 781 (Numerical Analysis I), MATH 791 (Abstract Algebra I).  Passing a qualifying exam exempts a student from the corresponding course. This coursework must be completed before the preliminary examination.
• Pass a preliminary examination in an area close to the focus of the eventual doctoral dissertation. The preliminary examination must be completed by the beginning of the student’s eighth semester.
• To meet the Research Skills requirement, students must complete an introductory programming language course approved by the Graduate Committee. The course may have been taken at KU or at another university, either as a graduate or undergraduate. Students may meet the Research Skills requirement by passing EECS 138 or EECS 168 .  Alternatively, students may complete a computing project approved by their advisor and the Graduate Committee demonstrating competence in either a programming language or the use of specialized software that supports the student’s research.
• The Responsible Scholarship requirement must be met by completing the departmental training in responsible scholarship for mathematicians.  The training is offered every spring semester.  Students must have passed the qualifying exams and be working with an advisor in order to participate.
• Complete the course requirements for a track in either Pure Mathematics or Applied Mathematics, as outlined below.

Note:  Contact your department or program for more information about the qualifying exam coursework requirement, the research skills and responsible scholarship, and the current requirements for doctoral students. Current policies on Doctoral Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship are listed in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog and in the KU Policy Library.

Pure Mathematics

This track requires:

In addition, the pure-track student must complete four additional MATH courses at the 800 level or above before the final examination. MATH 896 , MATH 899 , MATH 993 and MATH 999 may not be used to satisfy this requirement. MATH 990 may be used to satisfy this requirement only with Graduate Committee approval. Courses outside Mathematics may be used to satisfy this requirement only with Graduate Committee approval.

Applied Mathematics

In addition, the applied-track student must complete four additional MATH courses at the 800 level or above before the final examination. MATH 896 , MATH 899 , MATH 993 and MATH 999 may not be used to satisfy this requirement. MATH 990 may be used to satisfy this requirement only with Graduate Committee approval. Courses outside Mathematics may be used to satisfy this requirement only with Graduate Committee approval.

Examination Preparation

Normally the work required to prepare a student for the oral comprehensive examination (and to do research) includes one or more semesters of advanced courses, directed readings, and seminars. In the oral comprehensive examination, a student must show proficiency in the chosen area of mathematics. Precise areas of responsibility on this examination are discussed in detail with the advisory committee (the student’s advisor and two other members of the department’s Graduate Faculty).

In addition to meeting general requirements, the Ph.D. candidate in mathematics must complete a minimum of 28 credit hours of mathematics coursework (this number includes 1 credit hour of MATH 999 ). The minimum amount of credit hours is possible only if a student passes all Ph.D. qualifying exams in lieu of the preparatory coursework ( MATH 727 , MATH 765 , MATH 781 , MATH 791 ). The program routinely takes 12 semesters to complete when factoring in research and milestone exams. A typical student completes 72 or more credit hours when enrolled full-time.

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KU ScholarWorks

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Dissertations and Theses

Search within this community and its collections:

About these collections

These collections contain dissertations and theses authored by University of Kansas students. Current works are posted here in fulfillment of graduation requirements.

At the author's request, staff at the KU Libraries are happy to digitize and make available in KU ScholarWorks any thesis or dissertation. Please contact Marianne Reed at [email protected] for more information.

Historical Context

Collections in this community, dissertations [4889], pre-1929 dissertations and theses [923], theses [4088], recent submissions.

The RNA-binding Protein HuR in Cancer Immune Evasion: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications 

Integrated Modular Microfluidic Systems for the Affinity Selection and Comprehensive Analysis of Rare Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers 

Development of Electrophoretic Methods for Monitoring Small Molecule Neuroactive Compounds in Brain Microdialysis Samples 

Essays in Applied Microeconomics 

Randomized Algorithms for Solving Singular Value Decomposition Problems with Matlab Toolbox 

Evaluating the Effects of Technology-Based Self-Monitoring in Group Homes 

Petrographic and Geochemical Constraints on Regionally Extensive Hydrothermal Dolomites in Jurassic Carbonates of Saudi Arabia 

The Landscape of the Longmen Grottoes: Practices, Repentance, Jeweled Buddhas, and Burials under Emperor Wu Zhao (r. 690–705 CE) 

Envisioning Antiquity: Yi Bingshou and the Politics of Memory in the Qing Dynasty 

The Relationship Between Parenting Stress and Child Abilities in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Minimal Verbal Abilities: Evidence from a Cross-national Study 

The "jayhawk nazi" of kansas: gerald winrod, antisemitism, and the evangelical far right, 1925-1944 .

Methodology and Microfoundations: A New Argument for an Autonomous Macroeconomics 

Social Fallout: Ukrainian Society and Geopolitics in the Shadow of Chornobyl 

A Global Climatology of Tropical Easterly Wave Diabatic Heating Using Satellite and Reanalysis Data 

Redox Chemistry, Bimetallic Effects, and Ligand Design for Rhodium, Chromium, and Cerium Complexes 

CONTROLS ON BIOTURBATION AND SEDIMENT DISTRIBUTION WITHIN CARBONATE SHOREFACE DEPOSITS: INSIGHTS FROM HETEROGENEITY IN PLEISTOCENE AND RECENT STRATA 

Mapping Intermediates in Hydrogen Evolution with [Cp*Rh] Catalysts and Carbon Monoxide Release from [Mn(CO)3] Complexes 

Two Sides of the Same COIN: A History of the United States and Counterinsurgency During Operation Iraqi Freedom 

Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Responses to Interability Communication Styles in the Workplace: Perspectives of People with Disabilities 

Detrital zircon U-Pb fingerprinting of the Appalachian signature: Early Pennsylvanian sediment routing from highlands to deep-sea fans and the persistence of recycled Appalachian-affiliated zircons 

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Theses & Dissertations

Graduate students preparing to complete a thesis or dissertation should review the following dates and guidelines to ensure their work is properly submitted and meets all requirements for graduation.

Formatting & Submission

Formatting requirements.

All theses and dissertations completed at KU must meet KU's requirements for formatting specific components, including Title and Acceptance pages.

Submission Deadlines

Find out when to submit your thesis or dissertation and other required items.

How to Submit Your Thesis or Dissertation Electronically

The University of Kansas requires that all students whose degree programs require defense of a thesis or dissertation must publish their research in order to fulfill degree requirements.

Thesis and Dissertation Binding Instructions

Departments or advisors may require submission of a printed copy of every thesis and dissertation.

Additional Resources

Thesis and dissertation workshop.

This workshop covers what you need to know as soon as you get ready to submit your thesis or dissertation. It is offered once in the Fall and once in the Spring.

Previously Published Theses and Dissertations

We encourage you to explore theses and dissertations previously published by KU students from your department and related fields.

Embargoing Your Electronic Thesis or Dissertation

Embargo is the term used to describe a delayed release or delayed availability of scholarly work. Under certain circumstances, scholars may need to embargo their work.

Still Have Questions?

Remember to check with your department or school for questions about bibliographic style, including styles for citations, illustrations, tables, charts, etc.

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Graduate Program

The mathematics department offers two graduate degrees, an MA and a PhD, as well as a Certificate in Applied Mathematics. Full details of the requirements for each degree are listed in the Mathematics Department Handbook and are summarized below. College-wide requirements for graduate students may be found in the Graduate School Catalog. Students who are interested in enrolling in graduate level coursework in the Department of Mathematics without formal admission to a graduate program at KU are encouraged to apply as non-degree seeking.

Find out more details about our graduate program

• MA Requirements
• PhD Requirements
• Certificate/Applied Math
• Teaching Assistantships
• Fellowships/Scholarships
• PhD Research

Features of our program

Our faculty, our diverse community, our interdisciplinary activities, our graduates' success, long tradition of excellence.

The first PhD granted at KU was in Mathematics to Arnold Emch in the year 1895.

Since then, our graduate program has been a central part of the research and teaching mission of our department, and is an important component of our long term planning.

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Graduate Resources

These are resources that are useful for the math department's graduate students.

The qualifying exams archive has been moved to a Sharepoint folder, Math Department Resources . The exams are given in August and January. The quals sign-up sheet will be available around four weeks before the exams.

Also in our Sharepoint resource folder, we have a TeX thesis template that was developed by one of our former graduate students (Aaron Barrett, MA '22).  This may be a more useful thesis/dissertation template than the formatting guide posted at KU Libraries.  We have also posted the College's electronic thesis formatting self-checklist.

GTA evaluation forms are in Department Resources.

Resources for Math Graduate Students

• Math Graduate Scholarships
• Graduate Student Funding
• Summer Activities Report Form
• Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Process
• KU Mathematics Dissertation Collection
• KU Writing Center

• KU Libraries
• Subject & Course Guides
• KU Thesis and Dissertation Formatting

KU Thesis and Dissertation Formatting: Templates

• Formatting Specifics
• Title and Acceptance Pages
• Fonts and Spacing
• Page Numbering
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• Rotating Charts or Tables
• Working with Footnotes
• Converting to PDF
• Embedding Fonts
• Completed KU Dissertations & Theses
• About: Survey of Earned Doctorates
• Copyright and ETD Release Form
• Resources for KUMC Students
• Thesis/Dissertation Filenames
• LaTeX/BibTeX Support

Office of Graduate Studies Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Guidelines

These rules are taken from the KU Office of Graduate Studies Thesis or Dissertation Formatting Guidelines. To see the full thesis or dissertation formatting requirements, visit https://graduate.ku.edu/submitting

The templates below conform, as much as possible, to KU and ProQuest requirements as well as APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian, with regard to heading styles and page numbering. They also include place-holder figures, tables and headings, which allow for automatic table of contents, list of figures and list of tables to be generated as well. These documents are also already set up to embed fonts for you (as required by ProQuest).

For all of the documents, click Enable Editing to get started adding your own text.

KU Lawrence Thesis and Dissertation Templates

• APA 7th-style A thesis/dissertation template for those following APA (7th ed.)
• MLA 9th-style A thesis/dissertation template for those following MLA (9th ed.)
• Chicago 17th/Turabian-style A thesis/dissertation template for those following the Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) or Turabian

KUMC Thesis and Dissertation Templates

• KUMC Thesis Template
• KUMC Dissertation Template

Library Specialist

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• Last Updated: May 9, 2024 9:48 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.ku.edu/etd

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July 23 – PhD Thesis Defence – Gregory Foran

Tuesday, July 16, 2024 | By jsteepe

Gregory Foran, a PhD in Biological Sciences candidate, will defend his thesis titled “Mechanistic Insights into the Notch signalling pathway through Molecular Condensation” on Tuesday, July 23rd at 1 p.m.

The examination committee members are Elizabeth Vlossak, Chair; Aleksandar Necakov, Supervisor; Rhett A. Kovall, External Examiner (University of Cincinnati); Thad Harroun, Internal Examiner; and Jeff Stuart and Gaynor Spencer, Committee Members.

Tags: Biological Sciences , FMS , Thesis defence Categories: Events

FMS News and Events

• July 23 – PhD Thesis Defence – Gregory Foran
• July 15 – Master of Science thesis defence – Abhishek Kumar
• May 31 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Pierre Simiganoschi
• May 29 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Quanjian Li
• May 21 – Doctor of Philosophy Thesis Defence – Frank Betancourt
• May 16 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Georgina Louise Gardner
• May 15 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Jessica Graham
• May 14 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Diana Tosato
• May 1 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Mariana Garrido de Gastro
• April 26 – Master of Science Thesis Defence – Aaron Alderson

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