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Graduate

Our graduate programs have considerable flexibility to suit your individual needs as you pursue Masters or Doctorate level work in mathematics

Overview

The Mathematics Graduate Programs at WVU have been discontinued.

If you did well in mathematics as an undergraduate, there are a lot of reasons to consider a graduate degree in mathematics:

  • It provides the basis for a deeper understanding how mathematics is developed and used, enabling you to be competitive for positions in many industries that use mathematics, and providing you with the versatility to learn new fields on your own at a fundamental level by reading and understanding original literature. 

  • A career in research and teaching is possible with either an MS or a PhD degree. An MS will usually be sufficient for instructor or community college positions; a PhD is the entrée for faculty positions in colleges and research universities. 

  • It can be a lot of fun!

Programs: 

We offer MS and PhD degrees in  Mathematics. The  MS program consists of approximately 2 years worth of graduate level coursework and it has Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics tracks. The  PhD program assumes a master's level background in Mathematics and involves an additional 3 years of coursework and research experience. Students will be accepted into the MS or PhD program depending on their background.  Detail program information is found in the  University Catalog  and the  Graduate Handbook


What we are good at:

  • We call our program "friendly-sized" with about 26 research faculty and 50 graduate students, about 2/3 of them are PhD students. The faculty are accessible, and everyone gets to know each other from our basic courses. Our student body is very diverse and West Virginia University is an open, friendly and fun environment for all. 

  • We have active, sizable faculty research groups in commutative and higher algebra, applied and classical analysis, applied mathematics of biological systems and computational astrophysics, graph theory and combinatorics, mathematics education at the undergraduate level, and set theory and topology. 

  • WVU is a great place to learn how to teach! Graduate assistants get the opportunity work under our Institute for Mathematics Learning (IML) and they are trained to teach their own courses, and to experience a wide range of student learners. 

  • We have a tradition of developing potential students that have excelled in their undergraduate programs, even at schools with limited mathematics offerings or from other scientific majors, are welcome in our program. Our MS program is flexible and give you the time to build your mathematical expertise from the ground up. Our PhD classes are small, with a lot of individual attention. 

  • Math faculty organize colloquia, research seminars, and graduate student seminar every academic year, so that our students get exposed to different areas of mathematics. 

  • We have active student organizations that organize several events and talks during the year. 

What our students do after graduation :

Many of our graduates seek careers in research and teaching after graduation. Others work in areas such as software developments, data analysis, and work at government agencies such as the National Security Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Energy, and in defense agencies. Our PhD students have been successful obtaining faculty positions.

Graduate Programs

Admissions and Funding

If you did well in mathematics as an undergraduate, there are a lot of reasons to consider a graduate degree in mathematics.

Learn More: Admissions and Funding

MS Basic Exam in Mathematics

About the M.S. Basic Exam

Learn More: MS Basic Exam in Mathematics

MS Advanced/Ph.D. Entrance Exams in Mathematics

About the M.S. Advanced/Ph.D. Entrance Exam

Learn More: MS Advanced/Ph.D. Entrance Exams in Mathematics

Graduate Handbook for Mathematics Students

This document spells out detailed policy and program information that complements the University Catalog.

Learn More: Graduate Handbook for Mathematics Students

Research and Travel Resources

The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences provides several sources for travel support for graduate students to attend conferences.

Learn More: Research and Travel Resources
 

Resources & Info

 

Virtual Open House

Come talk to the WVU School of Mathematical and Data Sciences experts via Zoom about applying to our Programs.

Virtual Open House Info
 

Mathematics Graduate Handbook

This handbook provides information on both the MS program and the PhD program in Mathematics. Download and save the handbook for your program.

View Graduate Handbook
 

Research and Travel Resources

The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences provides several sources for travel support  for graduate students to attend conferences.

Resources Info