Course Offerings and Course Requirements

The University academic year is composed of three terms. The first or Fall term begins late in August, and the Spring term starts just after the beginning of the new year. The third term, Summer, begins in May and ends in mid-August. Many courses are given during this period at an accelerated rate. Most graduate courses run during the Fall and Spring terms, and many of those offered in the Spring are continuations of Fall term courses. Ordinarily not more than three courses are given at the graduate level in the Summer term.

The Department offers a wide variety of courses in mathematics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Those numbered from 0001 to 0999 are elementary undergraduate courses and carry no graduate credit. Courses numbered from 1000 to 1999 are at the advanced undergraduate level and are sometimes suitable for graduate credit. Courses numbered from 2000 to 2999 are beginning graduate courses and normally have 1000 level or equivalent prerequisites. Those having numbers from 3000 to 3999 frequently cover advanced graduate topics and usually have 2000 level prerequisites.

A feature of many of the graduate programs at both the master's and doctoral levels is that there are few required courses. However, specialization naturally requires that certain subjects be studied, and the student's advisor will recommend specific courses to be taken. In addition, the tracks in Applied Mathematics and the dual degrees with engineering and computer science have a course list. However, within these limitations a student may design a course sequence tailored to his or her interests, needs and capabilities.

Course requirements are as follows:

1. Fully supported students: University regulations require that students register for nine credit hours per term of full support. If the student is supported in the Summer, he or she should register for three credits. University policy excludes the audit as a grade option for courses used to satisfy the nine credit hour requirement. Furthermore, departmental policy excludes the S/N option for such courses when the course is a 2000 or 3000 level course that is part of the department's regular graduate curriculum. Independent or directed study courses may be considered for students who have passed the Preliminary Examination upon approval by the Graduate Committee. Thesis research also qualifies for M.S. and Ph.D. students having a thesis advisor. Courses taken in other Departments and Schools need to be approved by the Graduate Committee.
   
2. Partially supported students: The minimum number of nine credits in item 1 is prorated to the amount of support. The other dispositions are unchanged.
   
3. Unsupported students: There are no specific credit hour requirements per term, but the University's statute of limitations applies (four calendar years for a Master's degree, ten calendar years for a Ph.D. degree. See the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Bulletin for details.)

Deviations to the schedule outlined above can be allowed but must be approved by the Graduate Committee.

Detailed information about courses offered in recent years can be found in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin of the University of Pittsburgh.