Departments & Programs
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Graduate Programs
The Department of Mathematical Sciences offers graduate training leading to an Indiana University Ph.D. in Mathematics with concentrations in pure mathematics, applied mathematics, and statistics. In addition, the department offers a Master of Science degree in Mathematics, with concentrations in pure mathematics, applied mathematics, math education, and applied statistics. Together with the Department of Biostatistics in the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis, the department also administers and offers an Indiana University Ph.D. in Biostatistics. Requirements for both Ph.D. programs are completed entirely on the IU Indianapolis campus. The M.S. degree requires two years of full-time study, and the Ph.D. typically requires two to three additional years of full-time study.Admission Requirements
Details about the admission requirements are available at the section of this bulletin dedicated to graduate admissions in Mathematics (click below). This includes information about prerequisite coursework and degrees.
Master of Science in Mathematics (M.S.)
Master of Science in Computational Data Science (M.S.)
Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics (Ph.D.)
Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (Ph.D.)
Transfer Credit
The Department of Mathematical Sciences may accept by transfer a maximum of 12 credit hours of graduate credit from an approved institution to an M.S. degree. A maximum of 12 credit hours in excess of undergraduate degree requirements from approved institutions may be applied to a Ph.D. degree if the applicant has not completed a master’s degree; up to 30 credit hours of an awarded master’s degree from an approved institution may apply to a Ph.D. degree. Transfer credit must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and the Graduate Committee.
Assistantships and Fellowships
Competitive financial support is available to qualified full-time thesis students in the form of university fellowships, school fellowships, graduate teaching assistantships, and research assistantships.
English Requirements
All advanced degree candidates are required to demonstrate acceptable proficiency in English composition.
Students for whom English is not their native language must take the EAP exam administered by the IU Indianapolis English for Academic Purposes program. Students not scoring high enough will be required to take designated courses in English while pursuing their graduate studies.
Master of Science (Pure and Applied Mathematics Concentrations)
The Master of Science with focus in pure or applied mathematics consists of a minimum of 30 credit hours. Course grades must be A or B with the possible exception of at most two grades of C. Neither a thesis nor a comprehensive examination is required. Several core courses are specific to an M.S. plan of study and vary according to the student’s interest in (a) pure mathematics with a Ph.D. objective, (b) pure mathematics without a Ph.D. objective, (c) applied mathematics with a Ph.D. objective, or (d) applied mathematics without a Ph.D. objective. The remaining courses are selected by the student and his or her advisory committee.
A thesis option is available for both tracks, in which the 3-credit research course MATH-I 698 replaces at least one and up to three of the courses in the student’s plan of study.
Master of Science (Applied Statistics Concentration)
The Master of Science degree with a concentration in Applied Statistics consists of a minimum of 30 credit hours. Course grades must be A or B with the possible exception of at most two grades of C. A combined written and oral final examination is required. Candidates for this degree may choose either the thesis option or the non-thesis option. Both options require 15 credit hours in the core curriculum consisting of STAT-I 512, STAT-I 514, STAT-I 519, STAT-I 524, and STAT-I 528.
The non-thesis option consists of 15 credit hours beyond the core curriculum, at least 9 of which must be statistics (STAT) courses. The remaining courses may be taken in mathematics or in areas relevant to statistical applications, subject to approval of the academic advisor.
The thesis option requires a thesis worth 6 credit hours on a topic approved by the student's academic advisor. At least 6 of the remaining 9 credit hours must be taken in statistics coursework beyond the core curriculum. The remaining 3 credit hours of coursework may be taken in Mathematics or in a subject related to statistical applications that has been approved by the advisor. An oral defense of the thesis is required.
Master of Science (Mathematics Education Concentration)
The Master of Science with focus in mathematics education consists of a minimum of 30 credit hours and is tailored for secondary school teachers and students who are preparing to become secondary school teachers. Course grades must be A or B with the possible exception of at most two grades of C. Core requirements include a course in abstract algebra (MATH-I 505), a course in analysis (MATH-I 547 or MATH-I 504), a course in geometry (MATH-I 561 or MATH-I 563), a course in probability (STAT-I 516), and a course in statistics (STAT-I 517).
A thesis option is available in which the 3-credit research course MATH-I 698 replaces at least one and up to three of the courses in the student’s plan of study.
Master of Science in Computational Data Science
The objective of the Master of Science in Computational Data Science program is to prepare students to enter the workforce in the rapidly advancing field of data science, an interdisciplinary domain that cuts across computer science and statistics, by providing a solid, comprehensive background in the related topics of theory and their applications.
This program will provide the skills necessary that will enable students to be flexible and competitive in today's job market by gaining deep understanding of theory, implementation (e.g., algorithms and appropriate computing languages), as well as the inherent "nature" of different data modalities, such as classification and prediction challenges on specific data (e.g., sparse and/or incomplete data).
The curriculum consists of computer science courses from the IU Indianapolis Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering and statistics courses from the IU Indianapolis School of Science Department of Mathematical Sciences. The curriculum requires 30 credits in total that can be completed in three semesters.
The 15 credits of core courses include 9 credits in Computer Science and 6 credits in Statistics. Electives comprise 12 credits, of which 6 credits must be chosen from Computer Science and 6 credits from Statistics. A 3-credit capstone course in Statistics or Computer Science is also required.
Successful completion of the program requires a minimum plan of study GPA of 3.00, the minimum grade in any course is C and the maximum number of courses with grades of C or C+ is two.
The course sequence is crucial for successful completion of this program. Students should consult with the departmental advisor.
Doctor of Philosophy (Mathematics)
To be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, the student must fulfill the following requirements and must be accepted by the graduate committee of the Department of Mathematical Sciences.
Requirements
- The student must pass a suite of four qualifying exams. They must select at least two out of four subject areas from the Core 4 with at least one being either MATH-I 544 Real Analysis or MATH-I 553 Abstract Algebra. They must also pass two additional exams from either the remaining Core 4 or the Area Exams.
- The student must satisfy, by one of the five options approved by the graduate school, the world language requirement in German, Russian, or French.
- The student must submit to the graduate school through the department a plan of study including at least 42 credit hours of approved graduate coursework.
- The student must pass an advanced topics examination. This examination may be taken only by students who have already passed the qualifying examinations.
A candidate will be recommended to the faculty to receive the Ph.D. degree after a dissertation, submitted in final form, has been accepted by the advisory committee and successfully defended at an open colloquium or seminar.
Doctor of Philosophy (Biostatistics)
Together with the Department of Biostatistics in the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis, the Department of Mathematical Sciences offers graduate training leading to a Ph.D. in Biostatistics from Indiana University, with all requirements completed on the IU Indianapolis campus. To be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, the student must fulfill the following requirements.
Requirements
- The student must pass an initial qualifying examination on the five core courses: STAT-I 519, STAT-I 525, STAT-I 528, STAT-I 536, and PBHL-B 574.
- The student must complete at least 45 credit hours of formal coursework, consisting of 33 credit hours of required courses and additional 12 credit hours in elective statistics/biostatistics courses of which six credit hours must be at the 600 level and above. An additional 45 credit hours are required and will consist of coursework in a minor area (minimum of 9 credits), further elective courses, independent studies, and directed Ph.D. dissertation research.
- The student must pass a preliminary oral examination, which consists of an oral presentation on an advanced research topic.
A candidate will be recommended to the faculty to receive the Ph.D. degree after a dissertation, submitted in final form, has been accepted by the advisory committee and successfully defended before an open colloquium or seminar.
The department has set time limits for the completion of the Ph.D. degree.
