Please read these instructions carefully! If you have questions about the registration procedure, please contact Robyn Lynch.
What You Need to Know
- Qualified undergraduates are very welcome.
- There are two basic kinds of mathematics graduate courses. Prelim courses (catalog numbers M 38x) cover foundational material thoroughly, with extensive homework, exams, and rigorous grades. Topics courses (catalog numbers M 39x) typically assume a foundation at least the level of the prelim courses. Some cover classic material, others cutting-edge research. Designed with the needs of graduate students in mind, they typically place lighter demands on participants, and they seldom have exams.
- The qualification to take a mathematics prelim course (M 38x) is excellent performance in several advanced undergraduate mathematics courses, especially in courses related to the subject matter of the graduate course.
- The qualification to take a mathematics topics course (M 39x) is strong performance in mathematics prelim courses, especially in courses related to the subject matter of the graduate course, as well as any prerequisites specific to the course. We rarely make exceptions to this policy. We only make them with the approval of the instructor, and only in cases when the topics course is both designed for a broader audience and rigorously assessed.
- Talk to a Mathematics Faculty Advisor and/or a current instructor about whether a graduate course is right for you.
- The mathematics prelim courses are harder and faster-paced than anything in the undergraduate catalog. Set aside plenty of time to grapple with challenging homework problems.
- If you are planning on applying to graduate school in mathematics, but don’t yet have excellent grades in undergraduate mathematics courses, the best choice may well be to take further undergraduate courses, aiming for strong grades. Mediocre grades in graduate courses will substantially weaken your graduate school applications.
- We strongly recommend that, in your first semester of graduate-level mathematics, you take only one graduate course.
-
Plan ahead! If we find you’re not qualified for a particular course, we won’t grant permission (and it is not in your interests to take the class). If that’s a week into the semester, this will be inconvenient. Handle this early.
Registration Procedure
This procedure is only for graduate courses in Mathematics, and only for students with a declared major in the College of Natural Sciences. If you are in a different UT college/school, you will need to obtain the appropriate paper form from that college.
- Complete the request form (one form per course). You will need to detail relevant courses you have taken. Please do not submit multiple copies of the same form. If you are unsure about whether we have received it, please contact the Mathematics Graduate Coordinator.
- The course instructor will review your request. If the instructor needs further information, he/she may ask you to get in touch directly.
- If the course instructor approves, the Mathematics Graduate Advisor will review your request. If the Graduate Advisor needs further information, he/she may ask you to get in touch directly.
- If your request is approved, it will be automatically emailed to CNS Dean's Office, and you will be notified.
- Important note: If you want your course to substitute for another required course, you will need to fill out a separate petition. Talk to your academic advisor.
FACULTY: Find information on allowing Undergrads in your course