College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Mathematical Sciences
www.kent.edu/math

About This Program

The Ph.D. degree in Pure Mathematics is for students interested in becoming professional scholars, college and university teachers or independent workers in private, industrial or government research institutions. Kent State's pure mathematics Ph.D. program is one of six in the state public university system, and one of only two in Northeast Ohio. In broad terms, the faculty areas of research lie in functional analysis and operator theory, Lie representation theory, approximation theory, finite groups, character theory, number theory, large scale systems of equations, numerical and scientific computation and probability and stochastic processes.

Contact Information

• Artem Zvavitch | azvavitc@kent.edu |
  330-672-3316

• Connect with an Admissions Counselor: U.S. Student | International Student

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Passage of the departmental qualifying examination at the master's level in algebra and analysis
• Master's degree from an accredited university or college
• Minimum 3.000 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal Statement
• Résumé or vita
• Three letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.0 IELTS score
  • Minimum 50 PTE score
  • Minimum 100 DET score

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Application deadline: March 1
• Spring Semester
  • Application deadline: October 1
• Summer Term
  • Application deadline: March 1

Applications submitted after these deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Each student is required to take a set of basic courses as outlined in the Departmental Information and Policy Guide. Students may petition to have specific course requirements waived if minimum B grade was obtained for an equivalent course at another institution. The basic courses will prepare the student for the candidacy examination.

²

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for MATH 87199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter MATH 87299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met. It is expected that candidates will present the results of their research in a defense open to students and faculty, at which the dissertation will be presented an defended before the dissertation committee.

Graduation Requirements

• Students present at least one seminar during their graduate career.

Candidacy for Degree

This examination will be a comprehensive examination in the field of the major subject, and will be a substantially deeper test than the qualifying examination.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Understand and appreciate connections among different subdisciplines of mathematics.
2. Be aware of and understand a broad range of mathematical subdisciplines.
3. Obtain a broader and deeper understanding of core mathematics subdisciplines of algebra and analysis.
4. Obtain a deep understanding of some subdiscipline.
5. Reason in mathematical arguments at a deep level, including using precise definitions, articulating assumptions and reasoning logically to conclusions.
6. Engage effectively in problem solving, including exploring examples, devising and testing conjectures and assessing the correctness of solutions.
7. Approach mathematical problems creatively, including trying multiple approaches and modifying problems when necessary to make them more tractable.
8. Develop and carry out a research program in mathematics.
9. Communicate mathematics clearly both orally and in writing.
10. Teach university-level mathematics effectively.