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Dec 09, 2025
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2025-2026 Graduate Catalog
Mathematics (PHD)
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 Return to: Mathematics
The goal of the Ph.D. Program in Mathematics is to prepare each student for a successful career in academia or industry. Candidates must demonstrate they have met criteria for both breadth and depth in their studies. A two-part qualifying exam system first examines students on their breadth, which is gained through coursework in the first year, and then examines students on depth in the area of specialty–which is achieved through further coursework and independent study. Together these exams (QE I and QE II) comprise the Graduate School’s Preliminary Exam.
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Admission Requirements
Students already holding an applicable master’s degree upon admission can count 30 credits toward the 90 credits required for the doctorate. Course Requirements
Complete a minimum of 90 hours of graduate credit (courses numbered at the 700 level or above), with at least 60% of the credit hours in courses numbered 800 or higher. The above-mentioned 90 credit hours must contain a minimum of 30 credit hours of MATH 999 (PhD research), and at least 24 credit hours of coursework (exclusive of MATH 999 courses) in the Department of Mathematics. Eligibility to enroll in MATH 999 is restricted to students who have passed the Preliminary Exam (QE I and QE II).
Qualifying Examination QE I
QE I consists of subject exams, currently offered in four areas: Students must pass exams in three subjects. Two are to be passed by the May following the student’s first year of study; a third must be passed by the following August. Supervisory Committee and the Program of Study
Within two years of passing QE I, the student is expected to select a major professor, to form a supervisory committee, and to file a Program of Study with the Graduate School. The Supervisory Committee will advise the student throughout the remaining period of the study, as well as administer the QE II and the final oral defense. -
The Program of Study primarily serves to notify the Graduate School of the student’s supervisory committee as well as the list of the relevant coursework. It must be approved by the student’s Supervisory Committee, the Department Head, and the Dean of Graduate School. -
The student must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in the courses listed on the Program of Study. Furthermore, the student must earn a grade of A or B in three-fourths of these courses, with nothing worse than a C grade in the remaining courses.
Qualifying Exam QE II
QE II consists of written or oral exams in two subjects, a major subject and a minor subject. The student, along with their dissertation committee, designs a syllabus based on material from 800-level courses or more advanced topics. The major subject portion of the syllabus must cover at least two semesters at this level; the minor portion at least one semester. The student’s advisor and dissertation committee must approve the format (oral, written, or combined) of the exams, which may be taken on separate occasions. Failure of the QE II is tantamount to failing the Preliminary Exam and will be grounds for termination of financial support by the Department of Mathematics (if applicable), and failure of the second attempt will be grounds for dismissal from the Ph.D. program by the Graduate School. Upon satisfactory completion of QE II, the doctoral student is automatically advanced to candidacy for the PhD degree. Ph.D. Dissertation
After successful completion of the QE II, students will continue their research under the supervision of their doctoral advisors. To receive the PhD degree, the student will be required to write a PhD thesis containing non-trivial, new results of publishable quality, and successfully defend this thesis in a final oral examination administered by the Supervisory Committee. All K-State PhD students are required to submit an electronic version of their dissertation. After the student’s dissertation has been deemed acceptable by the doctoral advisor, a final oral examination will be scheduled through the Graduate School and held in accordance with Graduate School requirements. Program Total Credits: 60
Master’s degree Transfer Credits: 30
Total Hours Required for Doctorate: 90
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Return to: Mathematics
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