Graduate Information

Once you have passed the General Exam, most of your courses with your Advisor should be under the 9000-number: Dissertation Research. The Graduate School requires at least nine hours of Dissertation Research prior to the award of the PhD. It is also required that you remain enrolled each regular semester until the degree is awarded, and that you be enrolled for at least one hour of Math 9000 during the semester in which the dissertation is defended. Of course, most students take many more than nine such hours!

[image:292 size="original" nolink="1" align="right" hspace=20 vspace=10] By the time you have passed the Comprehensive Exam at the PhD Qualifying level, you may have developed a preference for one area of Mathematics over the others. You may have sampled some of the Department's advanced courses (beyond the Core courses). During the year following the passing of the Comprehensive Exam, you are expected to select a field within Mathematics for specialized reading and study leading toward an eventual dissertation. For this, it is essential that you have a Dissertation Advisor. You should take the General Exam by the end of this same year.

All new graduate students, upon arrival at LSU, are expected to visit the Graduate Director for advising and registration. Thereafter, each semester every graduate student will be given a pre-registration form on which to plan course-work for the coming semester. This form must be filled out and signed by the student's Advisory Committee (as explained below), and returned to the Graduate Director by the specified time.

At the Graduate Student Day and Orientation Conference for 2004, Dr. Scott Baldridge presented a succinct list of helpful advice to guide students to success in (and beyond) Graduate School. With his permission, we present below an adapted version of the advice he gave. Successfully Navigating Graduate School in the Mathematical Sciences, or Preparing for the Job Market. By Scott Baldridge Advice for first year students

This Handbook has been prepared to provide you with some general information and guidance which will be useful throughout the course of your graduate study in Mathematics. We have included three types of information: general advice, departmental requirements, and requirements of the Graduate School. Much of this information either has been given to you or will be given to you through informal discussion with your teachers, dissertation director (when appropriate), and the Graduate Director. This leaflet is not intended to be a substitute for the discussions between students and faculty which are an important part of a graduate student's experience. Graduate study in Mathematics is both a challenging and a rewarding experience, with many ups and downs. Talking with faculty and with each other can help you to deal with these experiences.

The application for graduate study in mathematics consists of the Graduate School Application, together with some specific math department requirements. The Graduate School Application must be submitted online at

• MATH 7210: Algebra I, Course Time: 8:40 - 9:30 M-W-F, Lockett 113.
• Instructor: Robert Perlis, Tel: 578-1673
• Prerequisite: Math 7200.
• Text: There is no required text. Artin's `Algebra' is recommended; most students already have a copy.

This is primarily a course in field theory, including Galois theory. If time permits we will discuss transcendental extensions as well. Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of groups and groups acting on sets. The course will be mostly self-contained. Students with questions concerning this course should feel free to contact Dr. Perlis.

Spring 2002

Summer 2002

• MATH 7350: Complex Variables
• Instructor: Jorge Morales
• Prerequisite: undergraduate (real) analysis such as MATH 4032 (Advanced Calculus II)
• Text: "Functions of One Complex Variable" by John B. Conway, Springer-Verlag Graduate Texts in Mathematics.

We will cover at least the following topics:

Summer 2002

Fall 2002