About Us

Welcome from the chair

Welcome to the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Delaware!  Members of the department are passionate about mathematics, applied mathematics, and mathematics education, and are proud of our contributions to the university:

• Faculty do cutting-edge research, publishing over 100 papers annually in refereed journals and conference proceedings. They are in demand as invited speakers at national and international conferences.  Their research is funded by the National Science Foundation and other funding agencies to the tune of more than one million dollars per year.
• The department is helping to train the next generation of mathematicians, awarding approximately eight doctoral degrees, 12 master's degrees, and 65 bachelor's degrees each year.
• We have a rigorous program for preparing future teachers of mathematics; the placement rate of our graduates is nearly 100%.
• The department plays a central role on campus, teaching over 200 classes each year.  Numerous degree programs rely on the mathematical foundations laid in our courses.
• We have a dedicated group of teaching faculty who use the latest pedagogical techniques to deliver instruction, both in our award-winning Mathematical Sciences Learning Laboratory (MSLL) and in more traditional classrooms.  Moreover, many of our research-active faculty are also enthusiastic, skilled, and popular instructors.
  
  

Graduate programs

If you are a current undergraduate student interested in earning a PhD in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics, this could be the place for you! Faculty carry out research in analysis, data science, discrete mathematics (combinatorics), fluids and materials sciences, mathematical modeling, mathematical biology, numerical analysis and computational mathematics, mathematics of quantum science, and probability and stochastic methods, and scattering/inverse scattering. We also have highly regarded faculty members in mathematics education who join with colleagues in the School of Education to make this one of the best places in the country to study the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Our graduate program has several attractive features:

• Most students are funded as teaching assistants, and we provide comprehensive training on how to teach effectively.  Students aiming for academic careers can build a record of teaching experience, including as instructor of record, that is invaluable on the job market.
• We emphasize early involvement in research.  In fact, in the summer after the first year, PhD students have the opportunity to join a funded research project.
• We participate in the Internship Network for the Mathematical Sciences, which provides training on skills that are important for working in industry and also works to match students with internship opportunities.
• Students are encouraged to complete a dual degree in Data Science (MS) and Mathematics or Applied Mathematics (PhD).

Most importantly, our faculty are enthusiastic about mentoring their students! The quality of your doctoral degree is mostly determined by the quality of your dissertation research, which in turn is heavily influenced by the guidance you receive from your mentor.  At UD, you will find well-known mathematicians working on exciting problems. Our graduates go onto research postdocs, tenure-track positions at both research and teaching-oriented colleges and universities, and careers in the financial industry, Silicon Valley, and government agencies.
 

Undergraduate programs

If you are a high school student considering a degree in mathematics (or the parent of such a student), there are numerous reasons to consider UD:

• We have numerous degree *programs* in the mathematical sciences: Actuarial Sciences, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, Mathematics and Data Science, Mathematics and Economics, and Secondary Education (to prepare to teach high school).  The Applied Math and Math degrees are easily combined with a minor or a second major.  If you can figure out where you want to go with mathematics, one of our degrees can help you get there!
• Preparing for your future in mathematics requires more than coursework. We encourage our majors to do summer internships to prepare for careers in business or industry, and many opportunities are available. Guidance is available from the department and UD's Career Center.
• Research in mathematics may be a new idea to you, but mathematicians are always trying to solve new types of problems, or to develop a better understanding of old problems.  Mathematics majors at UD often get involved in research projects.  In fact, funding is available to allow you to spend a summer doing research (in other words, you can actually get paid to do a summer research project!).
• Many of the most exciting careers in the mathematical sciences require a graduate degree, and our graduates go on to some of the best graduate programs in the nation.
• The best reason to get your mathematics degree at UD is the faculty.  They are deeply involved in the discipline and deeply committed to their students.

With a degree in mathematics, you can do almost anything!  Math majors become mathematicians, yes, but they also go into finance, meteorology, engineering research, data science, economics, medical research, and even medical or law school.  (Among all college majors, the mathematics majors earn the highest average score on both the MCAT and LSAT.)  Studying mathematics develops problem-solving and analytical skills that are prized throughout the economy.

Thank you for visiting our web page.  If you need any information that you cannot find on the site, please do not hesitate to contact us at math-questions@udel.edu.

Mark Gockenbach, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair