Ph.D Mathematics

The Ph.D. program is intended for students with superior mathematical ability and emphasizes the development of creative scholarship and breadth and depth in background knowledge. A doctoral student must take certain advanced courses, pass a qualifying examination, complete a "Major Topic" and write a dissertation that constitutes an original and significant contribution to the discipline. The dissertation is subject to external refereeing and must be defended publicly. The MS and Ph.D. programs have been carefully integrated so that the master's degree leads naturally and efficiently into doctoral studies.

To be admitted to the Ph.D. program, a student must normally have successfully completed, with a GPA not less than 3.00 out of scale A=4.00, a Master's degree program in Mathematics. The program must be equivalent to the Master's program that is offered by the department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Kuwait University. Students with a Master of Science degree in a closely related area are also encouraged to apply provided they can complete the deficiency in the required mathematics courses at undergraduate and graduate level within one semester. Deficiency courses can not be used to fulfill the degree requirements. Only full-time students are admitted to the program.

Once admitted into the Ph.D. program, the Ph.D. student should select a supervisor to direct the graduate work and submits a program of study. The choice of the supervisor and the research area is very important and critical to the Ph.D. student and care must be exercised in the selection. The supervisor must be a member from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The student is at liberty to also include in the selection a co-supervisor; the co-supervisor can be a faculty member or a researcher from outside the department. The selection must be approved by the college of Graduate Studies.