The background requirement for admission to the graduate program is the completion of a standard undergraduate program in mathematics or the equivalent. The candidate will generally be expected to know linear algebra, the elements of abstract algebra, and elementary real analysis. A student whose degree has been awarded in some other field may be considered if they have had the appropriate courses.

Students must have current general GRE scores and submit a personal statement describing their reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in math.

Applicants for graduate study must apply to, and be accepted by, the University of Hawaii Graduate Division for admission as a degree candidate. The Graduate Division accepts applications for the Fall semester from August 1 to February 15 and for the Spring semester from May 1 to October 1.

A completed application consists of:

1. UH official application to be submitted through the UHM Graduate School admissions site.
2. The mathematics department application form. (You must fill out the form all at once; here is sample showing what questions you will have to answer and what documents you will be asked to upload.)
3. Three letters of recommendation should be uploaded by your letter writers through the Grad Division site:

The following items will be required:

• Transcripts from all undergraduate and previous graduate institutions (unofficial transcripts suffice for evaluation of your application; official transcripts are required for admission to the program).
• Current General GRE scores (Mathematics test is optional).
• Personal statement describing your experience and interest in pursuing a graduate degree in math.
• Application fee.
• Foreign applicants must also submit TOEFL scores. The graduate school requires a score of at least 500 (equivalently, 173 on the computer-based test or 61 on the internet-based test) to be admitted, and a score of at least 600 (or 250 on the CBT or 100 on the IBT) is required to be considered for a teaching assistantship in mathematics.

The diagnostic examination

Incoming graduate students will be required to take a diagnostic examination in undergraduate mathematics. This exam, given by the Mathematics Department, consists of two written parts — linear and abstract algebra, and elementary real analysis (not including measure theory). The exam is used to help plan the student’s graduate program, and is usually given over the summer.

Graduate Assistantships are available and provide tuition waiver and a stipend ranging from approximately \$17,500 to \$19,000 for the academic year. At any given time, about three quarters of our graduate students are supported by teaching assistantships. Some faculty members also have grants that have funds to support students with Research Assistantships. Most graduate assistants teach recitation sections for pre-calculus and calculus courses though other options exist: tutoring, grading, teaching a class, or assisting a professor.

Note that tuition is waived for graduate assistants, but they are not exempt from other fees listed in the Graduate Bulletin.

The Graduate Division requires that Graduate Assistants carry a minimum of six credits per semester, which may include research and seminar courses.

Tuition and fees for graduate students (subject to change without notice)

Tuition and fees are charged according to the number of credit hours carried by the student; auditors (those enrolled in a course for no credit) pay the same fees as students enrolled for credit. For tuition purposes only, a full-time student is any student enrolled for 8 or more credit hours. However, many mathematics students take only 6 credit hours per semester, to allow time for teaching and research.

Housing

Almost all room assignments to on-campus residence halls go to Hawaii residents who have priority. There are limited facilities on campus for married students.

website.

For Information

Register Online
University of Hawaii
Department of Mathematics
2565 McCarthy Mall
Honolulu, HI 96822-2273
Phone (808) 956-7951
Fax (808) 956-9139

• Fall: February 15
• Spring: October 1

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.

Requirements for the MA in Mathematics

(Note: the following requirements are for students beginning in Fall 2016 or later; students who arrived before then should consult with the Graduate Chair.)

The MA program in Mathematics at UH Mānoa has two principal components:

There are further specific requirements presented below.

Course requirements

Students must pass 30 credit hours of mathematics courses numbered 400–699 subject to the following conditions:

• All courses that count towards the 30 credit requirement, or to any of the other requirements below, must be passed with a B– or better.
• At least 9 credit hours must be from the four core courses: algebra (611), applied mathematics (601), analysis (631), topology (621); and at least six credits must come from 603 or 607, 625, 644, 654 or 655 or 657, and 661.
• At most 6 credit hours from courses numbered 400–499.
• At most 6 credit hours can be numbered 649 or 699, unless authorized by the graduate chair. It is expected that the graduate chair will authorize additional courses if they are regular graduate courses that are running with a 649 number, but not otherwise.
• Courses must be from the mathematics department, unless authorized by the graduate chair in consultation with the student’s advisor. It is expected that the graduate chair will authorize graduate-level courses from other departments that are judged to be relevant to the student’s work, and to have serious mathematical content.
Paper and presentation

To graduate, a student must write a paper on a research topic approved by the Graduate Chair and give a one-hour public presentation followed by an oral examination by the student’s Master’s committee.

Further requirements

Students must complete a graduate seminar requirement by either participating in a graduate-level seminar or by taking a 699 reading course in the mathematics department.

Additional university-wide requirements can be found on the Office of Graduate Education website under Master’s Plan B.

A LaTeX template for dissertations is available to department users.

John C. “Curlee” Robertson and Maureen Kearns received our annual award for excellent teaching by graduate students.

The Department of Mathematics at University of Hawaii at Manoa has long had an informal graduate program in logic, lattice theory, and universal algebra (People, Courses, Description) going back to Alfred Tarski’s 1963 student William Hanf.

We are offering the following course rotation (courses mostly repeating after two years):

Past offerings
Semester Course number Course title Instructor
Spring 2016 MATH 649 Applied Model Theory Ross
Fall 2016 MATH 654 Graduate Introduction to Logic Beros
Spring 2017 MATH 657 Computability and Complexity Khan
Fall 2017 course break - -
Spring 2018 MATH 649 Applied Model Theory Ross

Future offerings:

Semester Course number Course title Instructor
Fall 2018 MATH 654 Graduate Introduction to Logic Kjos-Hanssen
Spring 2019 MATH 655 Set theory Williams
Fall 2019 course break - -
Spring 2020 MATH 657 Computability and Complexity Kjos-Hanssen
Fall 2020 MATH 654 Graduate Introduction to Logic TBA
Spring 2021 MATH 649 Applied model theory Ross

It is also recommended that students familiarize themselves with undergraduate level logic, which is offered on the following schedule:

Past offerings
Semester Course number Course title Instructor
Fall 2012 MATH 454 Axiomatic Set Theory Kjos-Hanssen
Spring 2013 MATH 455 Mathematical Logic Kjos-Hanssen
Fall 2014 MATH 454 Axiomatic Set Theory Ross
Spring 2015 MATH 455 Mathematical Logic Khan
Spring 2016 MATH 454 Axiomatic Set Theory Khan
Spring 2017 MATH 455 Mathematical Logic Ross
Spring 2018 MATH 455 Mathematical Logic Khan

Potential future offerings:

Semester Course number Course title Instructor
Spring 2019 MATH 455 Mathematical Logic TBA
Fall 2019 MATH 454 Axiomatic Set Theory TBA

Faculty teaching in the program

David A. Ross, Professor
Bjørn Kjos-Hanssen, Professor
Achilles Beros, Temporary Assistant Professor 2015-2019
Kameryn Williams, Temporary Assistant Professor 2018–2019