Mathematical Modeling Ph.D.
About the Project
Mathematical modeling is the process of developing mathematical descriptions, or models, of real-world systems. These models can be linear or nonlinear, discrete or continuous, deterministic or stochastic, and static or dynamic, and they enable investigating, analyzing, and predicting the behavior of systems in a wide variety of fields. Through extensive study and research, graduates of the mathematical modeling Ph.D. will have the expertise not only to use the tools of mathematical modeling in various application settings, but also to contribute in creative and innovative ways to the solution of complex interdisciplinary problems and to communicate effectively with domain experts in various fields.
The mathematical modeling PhD degree requires at least 60 credit hours of course work and research. The curriculum consists of three required core courses, three required concentration foundation courses, a course in scientific computing and high-performance computing (HPC), three elective courses focused on the student’s chosen research concentration, and a doctoral dissertation. Elective courses are available from within the School of Mathematical Sciences as well as from other graduate programs at RIT, which can provide application-specific courses of interest for particular research projects. A minimum of 30 credits hours of course work is required. In addition to courses, at least 30 credit hours of research, including the Graduate Research Seminar, and an interdisciplinary internship outside of RIT are required.
Students develop a plan of study in consultation with an application domain advisory committee. This committee consists of the program director, one of the concentration leads, and an expert from an application domain related to the student’s research interest. The committee ensures that all students have a roadmap for completing their degree based on their background and research interests. The plan of study may be revised as needed. Learn more about our mathematical modeling doctoral students and view a selection of mathematical modeling seminars hosted by the department.
A dissertation research advisor is selected from the program faculty based on the student’s research interests, faculty research interest, and discussions with the program director. Once a student has chosen a dissertation advisor, the student, in consultation with the advisor, forms a dissertation committee consisting of at least four members, including the dissertation advisor. The committee includes the dissertation advisor, one other member of the mathematical modeling program faculty, and an external chair appointed by the dean of graduate education. The external chair must be a tenured member of the RIT faculty who is not a current member of the mathematical modeling program faculty. The fourth committee member must not be a member of the RIT faculty and may be a professional affiliated with industry or with another institution; the program director must approve this committee member.
Faculty in the School of Mathematics and Statistics conducts research on a broad variety of topics including:
- applied inverse problems and optimization
- applied statistics and data analytics
- biomedical mathematics
- discrete mathematics
- dynamical systems and fluid dynamics
- geometry, relativity, and gravitation
- mathematics of earth and environment systems
- multi-messenger and multi-wavelength astrophysics
Learn more by exploring the school’s mathematics research areas.
