University of Alaska Fairbanks
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
MS Mathematics Comprehensive
Examination: Information
A written Comprehensive exam (a combined exam consisting of three
subject exams; see below) is required for all MS
students.
The same combined exam is the Qualifying exam for the PhD
program.
Sample subject exams in PDF format:
Early each spring, the following
form will be handed out to all current
Math MS students who have not yet passed the comprehensive
exam and all PhD students who have not passed the qualifying
exam. Each such student must complete the form and return
it to the graduate coordinator:
Comprehensive Exams for MS (and
Qualifying
Exams for PhD) students in
Mathematics
These
exams, required for all MS (and PhD students who do not
hold a
Master’s degree), are three 1.5 hour
written exams to be completed within one week.
Dates and times will be determined in consultation with students
based
on response to this form. PhD students
who hold a Master’s degree in Mathematics or in Applied Mathematics
need not
take these exams.
The
subjects covered on the exam must include at least two of the four core
courses
(i.e. at least two of: Math 631 Algebra
I, Math 641 Analysis I,
Math 645 Complex Analysis, Math
651 Topology). The third subject may
be chosen from some
other 600-level lecture or independent-study course in mathematics. The choice of exam subjects requires the
approval of the student’s committee. It
is preferred that none of the exams cover courses in which the student
is
currently enrolled, but the committee has discretion on this. For each core subject, two faculty members
will jointly write and grade each exam.
For non-core subjects, the student’s committee must arrange the
grading
of the exam.
The
exams will be at most as hard as the written final for the
corresponding
courses. Students will be given some
choice of problems. Certain problems at a prerequisite level to the
graduate
course in question should be expected.
If
the student does not pass two or three of the exams then he or she must
wait at
least one semester and must take the entire comprehensive examination
(i.e.
three exams) again. If a student passes
exactly two of the three parts, then the student has one try to retake
the
remaining part before the start of the following semester.
These
exams are qualifying exams for PhD
candidates who do not hold a Master’s degree.
These exams do not fulfill the comprehensive examination
requirement for
PhD students. That is, a further
examination, possibly oral, in the area of the prospective
dissertation, is
expected and is the responsibility of the student’s committee.
Student Name:__________________________________ Date:____________
Semester of first enrollment
in the MS/PhD Math program:________________
Do you plan to take the
comprehensive exams in Spring/Summer 2006?:
Yes
/ No
Signature of your Committee Chair (required in either case):
_______________________________________
If “Yes” above, complete the following:
Core Subject
1:______________________
Core Subject
2:______________________
Other
Subject:_______________________
(Description of third exam
if not core:____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________.)
Signatures of two faculty
members who are willing to prepare and grade the third exam (if not
core):
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
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