Applied, Ph.D.
This plan requires a total of 64 units. Students will enroll for 12 units per quarter including research, academic, and seminar units. Each of the core courses (MAT 201ABC and MAT 207ABC) must be passed with a grade of at least B. Before advancing to candidacy for a doctoral degree, a student must have satisfied all requirements set by the graduate program, maintained a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all course work undertaken (except those courses graded S or U), passed the PhD Preliminary Examination, and passed the Qualifying Examination. A dissertation and an exit seminar are required.
- Core Courses - 24 units total
Students are required to take MAT 201ABC (Analysis) and MAT 207ABC (Methods of Applied Mathematics), a total of 24 units. - Electives - 40 units total
Numerics: 8 units of numerics selected from MAT 226ABC (Numerical Methods) and MAT 228ABC (Numerical Solutions of Differential Equations)
Field of Specialization: Minimum of 15 units in a field of specialization, such as, optimization and control, differential equations, probability and statistics, discrete mathematics, mathematical physics, mathematical biology, harmonic analysis and signal processing, etc. Out of this minimum of 15 units, at least one course of 3 or more units must be outside of Mathematics. For a list of sample curricula in sample fields, see the GGAM webpage and consult with potential thesis adviser.
Advanced Mathematics: Minimum of 16 units, in four 200-level math courses, whose course numbers are 279 or less.
GGAM Mini-conference: Attendance at the annual GGAM mini-conference is required in the first or second year, for which 1 unit of 290 will be given in order to document compliance.
MAT 390 and Teaching: Each student who accepts a TAship in the Department of Mathematics is required to complete MAT390, which is taught every Fall quarter. Most students take this in their first year, even if they are supported by a fellowship. MAT 390 does not count toward degree units (but does count for the 12-unit minimum required for registration each quarter). All PhD students are required to be teaching assistants for at least one quarter. Exceptions require approval of the GGAMEXEC. Students beyond their first year are encouraged to apply for positions as Associate-Instructors to develop and improve their lecturing skills. - Ph.D. Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination is a written examination covering MAT 201ABC and MAT 207ABC. The exam is offered at the beginning of Fall and Spring quarters every year. Ph.D. students are required to pass this examination before the end of their second year in the Applied Mathematics program (and if they entered with a Master's, by October of their second year). They may take the examination multiple times; what matters is when they pass, not how many attempts. - Qualifying Examination (QE)
Students must complete the course requirements and the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination before taking their QE. The QE should be taken by the sixth quarter and no later than the end of the ninth quarter after admission to the PhD program. Passing the QE makes the student eligible for advancement to candidacy. The QE will consist of a written research proposal and oral examination. The research proposal should first be reviewed by the Dissertation Adviser and the proposed members of the QE committee, well enough in advance of the deadline to submit to GGAMEXEC. Approximately six weeks before the date of the proposed QE, the research proposal, along with the QE Application, is submitted to GGAMEXEC for approval. Approximately six weeks before the date of the proposed QE, the research proposal, along with the QE Application, is submitted to GGAMEXEC for approval. Once approved and required signatures obtained, the QE Application will be forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies for final approval. For more details, refer to the degree requirements posted on the Office of Graduate Studies website. - Dissertation
The doctoral dissertation is an essential part of the Ph.D. program. A topic will be selected by the student, under the guidance of the Dissertation Adviser. Students are encouraged to begin their research activity as early as possible. The dissertation must contain an original contribution of publishable quality to the knowledge of applied mathematics. Acceptance of the dissertation by the dissertation committee must follow Graduate Studies guidelines (Plan B). The program does not have any program-specific requirements, such as length or presentation format. Instructions on preparation of the dissertation and a schedule of dates for filing the thesis in final form are available from Graduate Studies; the dates are also printed in the UC Davis General Catalog. - Exit Seminar
Ph.D. students are required to give a 60-minute seminar presentation, open to the public, on their dissertation subject. - Optional Final Oral Examination (at the discretion of the Dissertation Committee)
After the exit seminar, the student's dissertation committee may meet privately with the student to discuss the contents of the dissertation and ask additional questions. Satisfaction of this requirement must be verified by the Dissertation Committee Chair.
Approved by Grad Studies Fall 2010.