Doctor of Philosophy
Mathematics
You may apply for the Doctor of Philosophy in mathematics with a master’s degree or directly upon completion of a bachelor’s program. In addition to satisfying the general admission requirements of the Western Michigan University Graduate College, you must have acquired a sufficient level of mathematical background as determined by the mathematics faculty of the Department of Mathematics.
The six-year schedule of courses will help plan your education to graduate in a timely manner.
Mathematics education
The Doctor of Philosophy in mathematics education focuses on K-12 mathematics curricula, teaching and learning mathematics and research and evaluation in mathematics education. Programs may focus on:
- Preparation for mathematics education faculty positions in colleges and universities.
- Supervision and curriculum development positions in school systems.
- Evaluation positions in education-related institutions.
Admission
Application instructions
WMU has a new online graduate application system that allows all students (domestic and international) to submit required information into one system. General application information for the University, as well as specific requirements for individual programs, are captured into this system.
Thank you for your interest in applying for this graduate program.
Questions?
Contact us for more information.
Forms
Each summer, course offerings are sensitive to sufficient enrollment and availability of qualified faculty to teach them. Thus, courses listed in the six-year plan may not be offered according to the indicated schedule. Students are advised to check schedules and meet with an advisor frequently for any changes in offerings that might affect their program plans.
Dissertation Defenses
May 2025
Candidate: Jessica L. Postma
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: Developing Pre-Service Teachers' Ability to Engage with Student Thinking
Committee: Dr.Kate Kline, Chair, Dr. Mariana Levin, Dr. Jane-Jane Lo, Dr. Gina Kling
Time/Place: Monday, May 16, 2025, 2 to 3 p.m., 6625 Everett Tower
Candidate: Abdul R. M. Nasser
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: On Near Vector Space Cellular Automata
Committee: Dr. Clifton Ealy, Chair, Dr. David Richter, Dr. Elise de Doncker, Dr. Jonathan D.H. Smith
Time/Place: Monday, May 13, 2025, 2 to 4 p.m., Virtual Meeting
Candidate: Hala Kamel Mustafa Al Khalid
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: Mathematical Modeling of Climate Risk in Banking: Optimizing Balance Sheets for a Sustainable Future
Committee: Dr. Qiji Jim Zhu, Chair, Dr. Pedro Júdice, Dr. Yuri Ledyaev, Dr. Jay Treiman
Time/Place: Monday, May 5, 2025, Noon to 2 p.m., 6625 Everett Tower
April 2025
Candidate: Elahe Allahyari
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: A Microgenetic Learning Analysis of Contextuality in Reasoning about Exponential Modeling
Committee: Dr. Mariana Levin, Chair, Dr. Tabitha Mingus, Dr. Laura Van Zoest, Dr. Hillary Swanson
Time/Place: Thursday, April 25, 2025, 10 a.m. to Noon, Virtual Meeting
February 2025
Candidate: Emma Jent
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: Multiple Monochromatic Subgraphs in Edge-Colored Graphs
Committee: Dr. Ping Zhang, Chair, Dr. Gary Chartrand, Dr. John Martino, Dr. Ebrahim Salehi
Time/Place: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 1 to 3 p.m., Virtual meeting
January 2023
Candidate: Caryn Mays
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: Irregular Domination in Graphs
Committee: Dr. Ping Zhang, Chair, Dr. Gary Chartrand, Dr. Clifton Ealy, Dr. Dinesh Sarvate
Time/Place: Wednesday, January 11, 2023, 9 to 11 a.m., Virtual meeting
Candidate: Andrew Bowling
For the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Mathematics
Title: Zonality in Graphs
Committee: Dr. Ping Zhang, Chair, Dr. Gary Chartrand, Dr. John Martino, Dr. Ebrahim Salehi
Time/Place: Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 9 to 11 a.m., Virtual meeting
Research
Seek out others with your same interests. Find mathematics faculty according to their research, scholarship and teaching expertise.