PhD
PhD
Mathematics,
The Department of Mathematics offers programs of study leading to a degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
Description
The Graduate Program of the Department of Mathematics has been granting PhDs for more than 100 years and has become a highly respected program nationwide. The department prides itself on the attention it pays to its graduate students by involving them in the full range of activities — teaching, outreach, and scholarship — that the department engages in. Such involvement prepares our graduates for a wide range of careers and has resulted in a very good job placement track record. A high percentage of our PhD students have gone on to successful careers in academia or industry. Three of our former students have earned the prestigious National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship upon graduating from our program.
The Department has also gained a well-deserved reputation for success with female graduate students. For example, whereas nationwide only 36% of graduate students and only 25% of PhD recipients are women; in our Department, 44% of our current teaching assistants are women. Based on our outstanding success in mentoring female graduate students in the 1990s, the department received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in 1998.
Our success is due to the care we take in mentoring all of our graduate students, resulting in a high success rate for those seeking PhDs. Further evidence of such student-friendliness is provided by the results of the 2000 National Doctoral Program Survey conducted by the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students, in which our department ranked first out of all mathematics graduate programs included in the survey in nearly every category, including Overall Satisfaction.
Specializations
Applying for Admission
Standard requirements for all graduate programs
- Application for Admission with $50 non-refundable application fee.
- Transcripts (unofficial): Uploaded as part of application form.
If International: Uploads must include all college- or university-level transcripts or mark sheets (records of courses and marks earned), with certificates, diplomas, and degrees plus certified English translations.
After admission: Official documents are required from all students who are admitted and enroll. Photocopies of certified records are not acceptable. International students enrolled in other U.S. institutions may have certified copies of all foreign records sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by their current school’s registrar office.
- If applicant’s native language is not English, verification of English proficiency
is required.
When sending TOEFL scores, our institution code is 6877 and a department code is not needed.
- If applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa: financial information.
- Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements the department specifies at the time of application.
Additional requirements specific to this program
- GRE (recommended)
- Resume
- Personal Statement
- Writing Sample (optional): Upload up to 2 research papers that have been submitted or published.
- Recommenders: As a minimum, 3 letters of recommendation are required. Up to 5 may be submitted.
Admission Application Deadlines
For priority/financial consideration, applications should be submitted by January 15. Applications received after this date may be considered depending on space/funding availability.
Department
Graduate Chair
Support Staff
Campus Address
Program Faculty
Eloísa Grifo
Commutative Algebra
Jack Jeffries (bio)
Commutative Algebra
Xavier Perez Gimenez (bio)
Probabilistic Combinatorics
David Pitts (bio)
Operator Algebras
Jamie Radcliffe (bio)
Combinatorics
Petronela Radu (bio)
Applied mathematics, nonlocal models, machine learning
Mohammad Rammaha (bio)
Partial Differential Equations
Richard Rebarber (bio)
Mathematical Biology and Control Theory
Christopher Schafhauser (bio)
Operator Algebras
Alexandra Seceleanu (bio)
Commutative Algebra, with an interest in Homological Methods and Connections to Algebraic Geometry
Wendy Smith (bio)
Math Education
Brigitte Tenhumberg (bio)
Population Ecology, Behavior and Life History Theory, Mathematical Modeling, Plant and Insect Ecology, Life History Evolution, Population Management and Demography
Nathan Wakefield (bio)
Graduate student instructor professional development and introductory mathematics course transformation
Mark Walker (bio)
Algebraic K-Theory
Judy Walker (bio)
Algebraic Coding Theory
Alex Zupan (bio)
Geometric topology, Knot theory
UNL Graduate Chairs and staff please complete the program update form to provide edits. Updates to graduate program pages are made on an annual basis in conjunction with the Graduate Application for Admission.