But in the end the rewards are great. While working on their orals and their research, students have the opportunity to take a variety of advanced courses. These vary from semester to semester. When the research is completed the student prepares a thesis, which is the detailed writeup of the research results. This writeup may range from fifty to a few hundred pages and is the formal record of the student's achievement in the graduate program.
Students typically complete the Ph.D. program in five years.
A student who comes here with advanced preparation may finish in less time. On the other hand, some students find that it is advisable for them to take preparatory work before attempting the qualifying courses. In special cases, the time schedule may be lengthened accordingly. Students should plan to develop a close relationship with their thesis advisors so that they may have a realistic idea of how they are progressing. Graduate study in mathematics is not for everyone.