Information about Prelims at 14 Peer Public Universities


Information assembled by Aly Deines, Rebecca Hoberg, Toby Johnson, Lorenzo Prelli, Jose Samper Casas, Jim Stark, and Hanchao Wang

University of Utah

Students have to pass three written prelims in some of the following areas: In order to pass the written qualifying examinations, a student must pass three tests. PhD students are expected to take all three qualifying exam in August before the beginning of their second year. Those who need to take 5000-level classes upon entrance will need an additional year to prepare for some exams, but all students must attempt at least one exam in August before the beginning of their second year, and must attempt three exams by August preceding their third year. Students have a two year time limit to pass all three tests.

Description of the tests. The test in each area will be a written test of three hours duration. It is hoped that the inclusion of extra questions will reduce the factor of chance, and the student usually will have the option of omitting some of the questions without penalty. The level of the test should be comparable to that of the first-year graduate course in the field. The faculty members responsible for a given test should check to see that the topics covered on the test are compatible with the syllabus. Copies of past examinations are available on the Web at Utah Prelims. All examinations are proctored.

University of Minnesota

The Ph.D. Preliminary Written Examinations are given twice each year, once before the start of fall semester, and again in the late spring; each individual examination lasts four hours. A student who wishes to become a candidate for the Ph.D. degree must pass these written examinations by 10 May of the end of the second year of graduate study. No penalty is attached to unsuccessful attempts to pass these examinations. Any schedule of part-time study (which would reduce the rate at which written preliminary examination requirements would be met) must be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Students must pass two written examinations as follows: So they have to pass two written prelim. In addition, they must complete course record to ALL four courses mentioned above with a grade of B or better. You can skip courses by passing exams and you must past two of the four exams, one in each area.

Before the end of the fourth year, students should find a thesis adviser (major area adviser) and pass the Preliminary Oral Examination by:

1. Preparing an expository paper on a specialized area of mathematics,

AND

2. Pass an eximation consisting of: More information at Minnesota

UT Austin

UT Austin offers two-semester course sequences in six core areas: Algebra, Analysis (real and complex), Applied Mathematics (functional analysis), Numerical Analysis, Probability and Topology (algebraic and differential). Prelim exams are given twice a year: in August before the Fall semester, and in January before the Spring semester. Two 90-minute exams are administered for every area, with a brief rest break in between. Each exam covers one semester’s worth of material from the corresponding sequence, and the two exams are graded separately.

Students are expected to pass one exam before February of their first year, two exams before September of their second year and three exams before September of their third year. In addition, they must also earn a grade of B or better in four semesters of prelim coursework, disjoint from the three semesters on whose content they passed an exam. All the prelim coursework should be completed by the end of the third year. Students may choose to pass prelim exams in the corresponding area to skip the prelim coursework. Old exams can be found at UT Austin Prelims

Ohio State

At the Ohio State University, there are two prelim exams: Algebra and Analysis (real), 3 hours long each, given twice a year in late August and in late March respectively. Students are required to pass both exams by the spring semester of their second year.

Old exams can be found at Ohio State Prelims

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill there are five qualifying exams given twice a year in January and August. The exams are in Algebra, Analysis,Geometry and Topology, Methods of Applied Math and Scientific computing: they can be taken multiple times and vary in length and format. Students are required to pass any three of these by the start of their third year, and financial support is not guaranteed to those who do not pass any exam by their fourth semester. Students who do not complete the prelim requirement by the start of their third year are usually asked to leave the program after that year. Moreover, an oral exam on the basics of the student's dissertation area must be taken, usually no later than a year after passing the qualifying exams.

For an online archive of the past exams, see UNC Prelims

University of Wisconsin

At the University of Wisconsin, there are six prelim exams, six hours each, given twice a year before the beginning of each semester. The exams are in algebra, analysis, applied mathematics, computational mathematics, logic, and geometry/topology. Students are required to pass one of these by the spring quarter of their second year and two by the spring quarter of their third year. Exams can be taken multiple times. Students who do not pass any exam by the start of their fourth quarter can enroll into the Master's program, and the same goes for those who do not pass two qualifying exams by the beginning of their sixth semester.

For an online archive of the past exams, see Wisconsin Prelims

UC Berkeley

Students at Berkeley take both a written preliminary exam and an oral qualifying exam. The preliminary exam lasts six hours total over two days, and it covers material that students are supposed to have learned as undergraduates, mostly analysis and algebra. The exam is given at the beginning of each semester, and students have three tries to pass it (that is, your last chance to pass is at the beginning of your second year). Some old preliminary exams are available at Berkeley Prelims

The qualifying exam is a three hour oral exam before a committee of four professors, two of whom must come from the math department, and one of whom is to become the student's thesis advisor. You must take the exam at by the end of the first month of your third year. If you fail, you must retake it by the middle of your third year. The student and prospective advisor must choose three subject areas to be tested, two of which come from different sections of the department. According to the information posted by grad students at Berkeley Orals, students usually study intensely for a few months and then pass their exams, and few people are kicked out for failing.

Penn State

Students at Penn State have three chances to pass prelims, including on entry. This is the same as at the University of Washington, except that Penn State gives prelims before fall quarter and after spring quarter, so you need to pass by the beginning of your second year to proceed in the program. The prelims are split between algebra and analysis, like this:

Algebra: Analysis: In each category, students must pass Part A, and either Part B and Part C. Part B and C are given at the same time, so you can only take one of the exams. You don't need to pass the two parts in a section at the same time, so you can pass A on entrance and B or C later, or something like that. Each of these parts has a graduate class that goes with it. You can see sample questions for the tests at Penn State Prelims, Each part of a test has four questions, and two correct answers is a pass.

University of Arizona

University of Arizona The University of Arizona has three traditional core courses: Algebra, Real Analysis, Geometry-Topology. Students must take all three and receive a B or better both semesters OR earn a high pass on corresponding qualifying exam. Students are encouraged to write a term paper instead of a second semester midterm. The quality of the term paper is taken into account when evaluating the qualifying exam.

Three qualifying exams are offered: Algebra, Real Analysis, Geometry-Topology. Students may attempt at least two exams and then either the third exam or a masters thesis, and can attempt all four. Exams are offered in August and January. There is no limit on the number of attempts.

Each option has three possible grades: fail, pass, high-pass. To complete qualifying exams a student must receive two high passes and a third pass or high pass.

Other: Students must pass a foreign language exam, a computing exam, and a communication skills requirement.

Arizona information

UC San Diego

UCSD has qualifying exams in seven subjects grouped in three areas: 1. Complex and Real analysis, 2. Algebra, Applied algebra and Topology, 3. Numerical Analysis and Statistics. Three exams must be passed; at least one from the Ph.D. level and a second from either Ph.D. or Provisional Ph.D. level. One of these must be passed from each of areas 1 and 2. You don't get to count both Algebra and Applied Algebra. All must be passed by the September exam session prior to the beginning of the third year, otherwise, no limit on attempts. Incoming attempts are encouraged. Four levels: Ph.D. pass, Provisional Ph.D. pass, M.A. pass, Fail. One exam must be passed at Provisional Ph. D. or Ph.D. by September following the end of the first year, otherwise the student is transferred to a masters program. Exams are offered twice a year, late in the spring quarter and early September.

More information at UC San Diego.

UCLA

There is a basic exam and six area exams. The basic exam covers undergraduate material, a good student should be able to pass it before entering. The area exams are in Algebra, Analysis, Numerical Analysis, Geometry/Topology, Applied Differential Equations, and Logic. Each has a preparatory course sequence. The exams are offered twice a year, once in September before the start of Fall quarter and once in March before the start of Spring quarter. Students can take any number of exams multiple times. Students must pass the basic exam by their 4th quarter, one area exam by the 6th quarter, and a second area exam by the 7th quarter. Students more than six months behind the schedule of Satisfactory Progress will usually not be permitted to remain in the PhD program.

More information at UCLA.

Michigan

There are exams in four areas: Algebra, Analysis, Applied Analysis, and Topology. Students must pass tests in two of the four areas, and pass three further courses, two of which are usually in the two remaining test areas. The exams are conducted three times a year, in January, May and September. They can be taken as many times as necessary and generally these requirements take only 4 terms. The student must pass the exams in one area by the beginning of the fourth term and must complete the entire exam/class requirements by the beginning of the sixth. Normally, the department will not commit to financial aid beyond the second year until these requirements have been passed. More information at

More information at Michigan.

Maryland

At the University of Maryland, the qualifying exams are offered in January and August, before the start of the semesters. They are offered in algebra, analysis, logic, numerical analysis, differential equations (ordinary and partial), probability, statistics, applied statistics, and topology. Each has six questions and lasts four hours. There is no penalty for taking them multiple times. Each student must take three exams, and the only restriction is that you can’t take ode and pde, and you can't take numerical analysis, analysis, and one of the differential equations.

I couldn't find anything about a deadline for passing them, except that you must pass them before you can take more advanced courses, and you must advance to candidacy within five years. (which requires passing the written exams and more advanced study.)

Syllabi and Old Exams

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, students are expected to pass the “comprehensive requirements” within two academic years. Students must demonstrate competence in five comprehensive courses, which must include algebra and analysis. (Students must also demonstrate proficiency in undergraduate complex analysis, though that can be done in other ways.) For any of the five courses, competence can be demonstrated either by receiving a grade of A- or by passing the associated comprehensive examination. For up to two of the courses, a grade of B+ in the course is also sufficient. The courses are: algebra, differentiable manifolds, topology, algebraic number theory, analytic number theory, real analysis, complex analysis, dynamical systems, partial differential equations, probability, logic, and combinatorics.

Comprehensive examinations are held three times per year, near the beginning of each semester, but the examinations for a particular course are only offered immediately before and after the course has been taught. Students may take the examinations more than once, without penalty. Each of the comprehensive examinations will be prepared and graded by a two- or three-person committee appointed by the Chair.

Syllabi and Old Exams