Applied Mathematics and Statistics, PhD

Program Overview

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Applied Mathematics and Statistics, PhD

Degree Awarded:

Master of Science in Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Chairperson:

Joseph Mitchell, Mathematics Building P-134A

Graduate Program Director:

David Green, Mathematics Building P-1

Graduate Secretary:

Christine Rota, Mathematics Building P-1

Department Website

The Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, offers programs in computational applied mathematics, operations research, quantitative finance, statistics, and computational biology leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The department offers an integrated series of courses and seminars, supervised reading, and facilities for research. Emphasis is on the study of real-world problems, computational modeling, and the development of necessary analytical concepts and theoretical tools. A state-of-the-art, computational laboratory is operated for student education and research, with access available to university-based high-performance computing facilities. It also features a network of advanced Unix workstations and modern printing facilities. The laboratory’s full-time staff is available to help students become familiar with the laboratory facilities.

Students participate in joint research with 5 national laboratories, several industrial groups and various sciences, biomedical, and engineering programs. Students, who receive a broad training, find themselves excellently prepared for careers in government and industry in which mathematics is used as a computational or conceptual tool.

Faculty research programs receive significant external funding and provide students with an opportunity for active participation in a variety of projects in all areas of the department. Faculty interests include applied graph theory, biostatistics and computational biology, structure-based drug design, computational fluid dynamics, combinatorial optimizations, computational statistics, data analysis, flow through porous media, fracture mechanics, inverse problems, mixed-boundary value problems, nonlinear conservation laws, quantitative finance, reliability theory, risk management, robust estimation, nonparametric statistics, stochastic modeling and sequential decision making and structure-based drug design. Most doctoral students are supported through either a research or teaching assistantship.

The Ph.D. program normally takes about four to five years for students with a strong analytical and computing background. The M.S. programs, when pursued on a full-time basis, may be completed in three or four semesters. Students who have taken graduate courses before enrolling at Stony Brook may request transfer of up to twelve credits. If such a request is approved, it may be possible to complete the M.S. degree in two semesters. It is strongly urged that all applicants develop some facility in computer programming.

A more detailed description of the graduate program is available from the departmental office. This includes specific distribution requirements, fields of specialization, and information on the preliminary and qualifying examinations. Interested students should request information and application forms as early as possible, especially if they plan to apply for financial aid.

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in engineering, mathematics, the physical sciences, or in the life or social sciences with a strong mathematics background.
• A minimum overall grade point average of at least 3.00, as well as a minimum grade point average of 3.00 in all courses with a significant mathematical or quantitative component.
• Three letters of reference.
• Official transcripts for all undergraduate study completed.
• Acceptance by both the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and the Graduate School.
• In some circumstances, a student may be admitted provisionally although they are missing some of the above requirements. Students admitted provisionally must follow an approved course sequence and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 during the first year of graduate study before being admitted to full degree candidacy.

Degree Requirements

Course Requirements

The course of study prescribed for the M.S. degree provides basic guidelines for doctoral study. The student pursues a program of study planned in consultation with an academic advisor. The program and any subsequent modifications require approval of the graduate program director.

Qualifying Examination

A student must pass a two-part qualifying examination to be allowed to continue toward the Ph.D. degree. Each component of the qualifying examination is given twice a year at the beginning and the end of the Spring semester and is designed to test the student’s preparation to do research in applied mathematics. Each student must demonstrate competency in linear algebra and analysis and in-depth knowledge in one of the following areas:

• Computational Applied Mathematics
• Computational Biology
• Operations Research
• Quantitative Finance
• Statistics

Research Advisor

After completion of at least one year of full-time residence and prior to taking the preliminary examination, the student must select a research advisor who agrees to serve in that capacity.

Preliminary Examination

This is an oral examination administered by a committee and given to the student when he or she has developed a research plan for the dissertation. The plan should be acceptable to the student’s research advisor.

Mathematical Writing Requirement

The mathematical writing requirement is associated with the preliminary oral examination. The student must submit a document, typically 20 to25 double-spaced pages long, containing the research plan for the dissertation, including a well-referenced synopsis of the relevant background literature, as well as a summary of research work accomplished to date. It must be given to the members of the Preliminary Examination committee at least one week before the oral presentation. The document must be approved for satisfactory written style and use of technical English as well as for intellectual content; this will be assessed by the Preliminary Examination Committee, who is appointed by the graduate program director. International students may need extensive writing assistance from the ESL Tutoring Center established to provide exactly this kind of technical writing tutorial support. Tutorial assistance in writing, if needed, will also be provided to native students.

Advancement to Candidacy

After successfully completing all requirements for the degree other than the dissertation, the student is eligible to be recommended for advancement to candidacy. This status is conferred by the dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation from the graduate program director.

Dissertation

The most important requirement of the Ph.D. degree is the completion of a dissertation, which must be an original scholarly investigation. The dissertation must represent a significant contribution to the scientific literature and its quality must be comparable with the publication standards of appropriate and reputable scholarly journals.

Dissertation Defense

The student must defend the dissertation before an examining committee. On the basis of the recommendation of this committee, the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics will recommend acceptance or rejection of the dissertation to the dean of the Graduate School. All requirements for the degree will have been satisfied upon successful defense of the dissertation. There must be at least one year between advancing to candidacy and scheduling a dissertation defense.

Minimum Residence

At least two consecutive semesters of full-time study are required.

Time Limit

All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within seven years after the completion of 24 graduate credits in the program. The time limits for the qualifying and preliminary examinations and advancement to candidacy are described in the departmental Graduate Student Handbook.

Teaching Requirement

One academic year long teaching experience required.