Department of Mathematics - NC State University

Students can follow the Interdisciplinary Track in either Mathematics or Applied Mathematics. Upon completion of the program they will receive either a Ph.D. in Mathematics with a concentration in Interdisciplinary Mathematics or a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics with a concentration in Interdisciplinary Mathematics. This page completely describes the program.

Interdisciplinary Mathematics Requirements

1. Students are required to take and successfully pass a minimum of at least 8 graduate level
mathematics courses (MAXXX) at the 500 or higher level. This is actual courses and not research
hours. As with the standard AMA and MA tracks, the courses could be part of previous study at
another institution. Unlike the standard tracks, there are no specific required courses for the interdisciplinary tracks.

2. Students are required to pass 3 written qualifying examinations. At least 2 of the written
qualifiers must be in mathematics and taken from the Mathematics Department list of qualifying
examinations. The third qualifying examination can either be a different Mathematics written
qualifying examination or it can be a written qualifying examination in the other discipline. The
substitution of an examination from the other discipline requires prior approval of the Director of
Graduate Programs (DGP) or Graduate Program Administrator (GPA), and the student’s Ph.D
adviser, and must be part of a clearly defined research plan. The examination substitution must
be approved by the DGP prior to the date by which an MA or AMA student would be required
to have attempted the written qualifiers for the first time. The substituted exam does not have to
be on the same date as the two mathematics written qualifying examinations but the date must
be approved by the DGP or GPA. The taking of the two math qualifying examinations and the
substituted exam will be considered as one set of examinations and the usual departmental written
Ph.D. qualifying examination retest policies from the standard track will hold.

3. Students are required to take at least 2 graduate level courses in the other discipline, at least
one of which is not cross-listed with mathematics. The grades in each course must be B or higher.
The choice of courses requires DGP or GPA approval.

4. Students are required to have a member of their Ph.D. committee from the other discipline.

5. Students are required to pass an oral preliminary examination (this is the same as currently requiredfor the standard track).

6. A formal written research proposal is to be given to the DGP or GPA prior to the preliminary oral
exam. The proposal must clearly explain the interdisciplinary research plan and state how program
requirements will be met. Once approved by the DGP or GPA, a copy would be filed with the
Math Dept Graduate Program Office.

7. Students are required to do at least two of the following.
(a) Attend and present at a conference in the other discipline.
(b) Publish in the literature of the other discipline.
(c) Have a Summer internship related to the interdisciplinary area.
(d) Pass a Preliminary written Ph.D. qualifying examination in the other discipline as part of the
three written qualifying examinations as described in item 2.

8. The total hours requirements and timely progress requirements of the standard tracks hold.

Comments:

Students are considered to be in a standard track unless they notify one of the Graduate Program Staff (Administrator, Director, or Secretary) in writing that they wish to pursue an Interdisciplinary Mathematics track. Email is accepted.

Students can transfer between the standard and interdisciplinary tracks, just like they can switch between MA and AMA but they will have to meet all course requirements of the track that they get their degree in. To retain TA support they will have to be maintaining timely progress toward their
degree. Transfer requires DGP or GPA approval just as current transfers between MA and AMA.

Students admitted and starting in the interdisciplinary tracks might be missing one or two prerequisites for the standard tracks. They might need to make these up if they later transferred to a standard tract.

Students in either the MA or AMA Interdisciplinary Mathematics Tracks can still get an en route
Option B Masters in either MA or AMA if they have met the appropriate masters course requirements.