Program Description

The IAM Program prepares students for research and teaching careers in the mathematical solution of critical problems in science and engineering. The emphasis of the IAM program is on the use of mathematics and computing to facilitate impactful interdisciplinary research. Accordingly, all students must achieve a high level of training through the required coursework. An IAM Ph.D. candidate is expected to achieve expertise in both applied and computational mathematics as well as one area of specialization including, but not limited to: Fluid Dynamics, Dynamical Systems, Plasma and Space Physics, Mathematical Geo- or Environmental Science, Materials and Solid Mechanics, or Biophysics.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the IAM Ph.D. Program are expected to have a bachelor’s degree or master's degree in mathematics or an appropriate science or engineering field.

Applying

Please visit the Graduate School website for detailed instructions about applying to the program.

Requirements for the Program

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
PHYS 931	Mathematical Physics	3
IAM 830	Graduate Ordinary Differential Equations	3
IAM 851	Introduction to High-Performance Computing	3
IAM 932	Graduate Partial Differential Equations	3
IAM 933	Applied Functional Analysis	3
IAM 961	Numerical Analysis I: Numerical Linear Algebra	3
IAM 962	Numerical Partial Differential Equations	3
Select a 2-course specialization sequence:		6-7
MATH 847 & IAM #950	Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos and Spatiotemporal and Turbulent Dynamics
PHYS 953 & PHYS 951	Magnetohydrodyamics of the Heliosphere and Plasma Physics
ME 807 & ME 909	Analytical Fluid Dynamics and Viscous Flow
Select a minimum of three technical electives: ¹		9
CS 830	Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
CS 858	Algorithms
IAM 940	Asymptotic and Perturbation Methods
ME 812	Waves in Fluids
ME 922	Continuum Mechanics
PHYS 812	Introduction to Space Plasma Physics
PHYS 818	Introduction to Solid-State Physics
PHYS 941	Electromagnetic Theory I
PHYS 965	Advanced Solid-State Physics
Total Credits		36-37

¹: Additional elective as approved by your advisor and program.

Candidacy Requirements

Students must pass a three part Ph.D. qualifying exam:

Comprehensive exam in mathematical methods
Comprehensive exam in scientific computing
Oral or written exam in a specialization area

Students must select a research adviser and have identified a research topic.

Dissertation

Students must submit a written thesis proposal and give a seminar presentation summarizing the proposal to a dissertation committee.

Upon completion of research, a student must give a seminar summarizing the research objectives, methods, findings, and significance.

Students must submit a dissertation that includes original research in applied mathematics. The dissertation must comply with all policies put forth by the Graduate School

Student Learning Outcomes

Students are skilled at mathematical manipulations and analytic calculations broadly covering the field of applied mathematics.
Students have developed sufficient mathematical background and understanding of key concepts to have a functional literacy in modern applied mathematics journals.
Students can use numerical algorithms to approximate solutions to mathematical problems which are intractable by hand calculation and understand the impact of consistency, stability, and accuracy in the context of numerical computing.
Students have made independent contributions to a significant mathematical research project and have clearly demonstrated the ability to conduct high-level, self-directed research in applied mathematics.
Students are capable of disseminating the results of their research through written (e.g., journal) publications and oral presentations or seminars.

Application Requirements & Deadlines

Apply now

Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

Fall: Feb. 15 (for funding); April 1 (recommended US; final international); July 1 (final)
Spring: Dec. 1, Nov. 1 for international students
Summer: N/A
Special: N/A

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: No

Accelerated Masters Eligible: No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC.

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:

Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.