Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics - Scientific Computing

Mathematical models can be written that describe systems of interest in many fields: engineering, fundamental science, finance, biology and medicine. Analytic investigation of these models can give tremendous insights into the original applications. However, some specific information about the systems often cannot be found using analytical methods. In these cases, the models must be approximated numerically. The numerical computations must be done accurately and, for large-scale problems, efficiently. Numerical approximation is used by many researchers, and so there is significant interest in developing and improving the accuracy and efficiency of these methods. This is the field of Scientific Computing.

Admission to a doctoral program normally requires the applicant to hold a Master's degree in Mathematics or an equivalent qualification. Thus, most recent Bachelor's graduates, including those who seek a doctorate, are admitted to a Master's program at first.University regulations allow students without a Master's degree (or equivalent) to enter the Ph.D. program directly only if they are nominated by a Department and hold a Bachelor's degree with First Class honours, or hold a Bachelor's degree and have completed one year of study in a Master's program, earning at least 12 credits with at least 9 credits of first class standing and at least 9 credits at the 500-level or above, and show clear evidence of research ability. (Transfer directly into a Doctoral program is not permitted after the completion of the second year of a Master's program.)Students who earn a Master's degree at UBC are not guaranteed a place in our PhD program. A formal application for PhD studies is required. Students with a satisfied Master's supervisor, a source of financial support, and a willing doctoral supervisor (all of whom may be the same faculty member) have a high probability of success.The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B plus range (76% at UBC).