Degree requirements
A minimum of 80 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree is required for the Doctor of Philosophy in applied mathematical sciences degree consisting of 60 credits (15 courses) of coursework, 20 credits of APM 790 or STA 790 (Dissertation Research). Up to 3 credits of APM 695 or STA 695 (Problem Solving Seminar) may be counted in the 20 dissertation credits.
Students who have earned a master’s degree may petition to have prior coursework applied toward the 60 credits. The Committee on Graduate Programs will evaluate the student’s prior master’s degree work and allow Ph.D. credits for courses judged to be relevant to the proposed Ph.D. course of study. A maximum of 32 credits may be applied; all candidates must complete at least 28 credits of additional coursework exclusively at Oakland University.
In the Ph.D. program, courses awarded a grade of less than 3.0 will not count toward the degree: however, all numerical grades earned are used in computing a student’s GPA, and an overall 3.0 GPA must be maintained.
Good academic standing
All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.
Good academic standing is a requirement for:
- Holding a Graduate Assistantship
- Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
- Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
- Going on a leave of absence
- Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.
Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.
Department requirements: In the Ph.D. program, courses awarded a grade of less than 3.0 will not count toward the degree: however, all numerical grades earned are used in computing a student’s GPA, and an overall 3.0 GPA must be maintained.
Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.
Related program information
Plan of study
All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.
Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)
General examination and dissertation
The General Examination is intended to assess the student’s overall knowledge of mathematical sciences at the graduate level and the student’s ability to pursue the doctoral degree in his or her selected specialization. The General Examination is administered by the Committee on Graduate Programs and consists of two parts:
- Part I consists of three written section exams and is offered once near the beginning of the fall term (normally in August) and once near the beginning of the winter term (normally in January). Each section exam covers material in one of the areas of continuous mathematics, discrete mathematics and statistics.
- Part II of the General Examination may only be attempted after passage of Part I. Part II consists of a single written exam and is offered within a month after the results of Part I are announced. The material covered in this single exam involves only the area of the student’s prospective specialization.
Both parts of the General Examination must be passed within 13 months of the initial attempt at Part I, and a student may attempt each part of the General Examination no more than twice.
Detailed guidelines about the material to be covered on both parts of the General Examination are available from the Graduate Coordinator. Exception to the above must be approved by the Committee on Graduate Programs.
A student must have completed at least 12 credits of graduate coursework at Oakland with a GPA of 3.0 or better before taking the General Examination. No student with a GPA below 3.0 will be permitted to take the General Examination. Students in the Ph.D. program will not be allowed to accumulate more than 32 credits toward the Ph.D. degree without taking the General Examination. A student must have passed the General Examination to be eligible to register for Doctoral Dissertation Research.
Dissertation committee
Each student who has passed the General Examination will have a dissertation committee prior to registration for doctoral research credit.
The dissertation committee will be appointed by the Committee on Graduate Programs, with the approval of Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning. The dissertation committee will consist of five faculty members, at least three of whom will be in the specialization area of the student. Prior to the formation of the committee, the student will nominate one faculty member from the student’s area of specialization with the concurrence of the faculty member. At least one member of the committee will be selected by the Committee on Graduate Programs from faculty in the department but outside the student’s area of specialization. The chair of the dissertation committee will be the intended supervisor of the doctoral dissertation for the student and is normally the faculty member nominated by the student. The membership of the committee may be changed by action of the Committee on Graduate Programs, with the approval of Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.
Final oral examination and dissertation defense
The chair of the dissertation committee is responsible for keeping the committee members informed about the progress of the dissertation research and making preliminary drafts of the dissertation available to all members of the dissertation committee in a manner which permits timely suggestions for improvements. When the chair of the committee determines that the dissertation is ready for oral presentation, the chair will request that a colloquium talk be scheduled where the student presents the dissertation. Immediately following the colloquium, the committee will continue an oral examination of the candidate. Others are welcome to attend this portion of the final examination, with the consent of the candidate and the committee. When this oral examination is concluded, the committee will meet privately and decide whether the candidate, with possible modifications in the dissertation, will be recommended by the committee to receive the Ph.D. Every member of the committee must be present at the oral examination and be willing to sign the dissertation (after suitable and specified modifications, if any) for the student to pass this final oral examination.
Residency requirements
A minimum residency requirement is full-time residency (a minimum of 8 credits per semester) for at least three consecutive full semesters (fall-winter-fall, fall-winter-summer, winter-summer-fall, etc.) with at least two of these devoted to dissertation research. The demands of this research activity imply that the student may not be employed in work which is not directly related to dissertation research, for more than 20 hours a week while satisfying this residency requirement. Petitions for exceptions to this policy may be submitted to the Committee on Graduate Programs.
Continuous enrollment
The continuous enrollment policy for doctoral students requires continuous registration of graduate students for at least 1 credit each semester in the academic year to maintain an active graduate student status. This includes semesters in which the comprehensive, preliminary or qualifying examination is taken, defense, and each subsequent term (fall and winter) until the degree requirements are met and the dissertation is submitted to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.
Some agency and graduate assistantship eligibility may have course-load requirements that exceed the minimum registration requirements of the Continuous Enrollment Policy (e.g., Veterans Affairs, Immigration and Naturalization for international students, and federal financial aid programs). Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to register for the appropriate number of credits that are required for funding eligibility and/or compliance as outlined by specific agency regulations under which they are governed.
Time to degree
The maximum time limit for completing a Ph.D. degree program is no more than ten years from the term of the first course enrollment in the doctoral program.
The time limit for completing a Ph.D. degree requires a student to achieve candidacy within six years from the first course enrollment in the doctoral program. After being advanced to candidacy, a student is expected to complete the remaining degree requirements within four years (including the dissertation defense).
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