OVERVIEW
The graduate group in Applied Mathematics and Computational Science (AMCS) at the University of Pennsylvania offers two degrees: a masters degree (M.S.), and a doctorate (Ph.D.). The graduate group offers introductory courses in applied mathematics, with a great number of courses on relevant subjects offered by other departments and graduate groups throughout the University. Doctoral students in AMCS typically work on interdisciplinary research projects drawn from image analysis, robotics, machine learning, mathematical biology, bioinformatics, and genomics, as well as more traditional applied math fields like materials science, fluid mechanics, numerical analysis, inverse scattering, finance, and condensed matter physics. A significant difference between pure mathematics and its applications is the central role now played by large scale computation in applied math.
The AMCS Graduate Program is structured so as to guide each student, year by year, in the transition from having been an undergraduate to becoming a professional applied mathematician/computational scientist. During the first year in the AMCS graduate program at Penn, students typically take courses in applied algebra, applied analysis, and probability and statistics, as well a course emphasizing computational tools. First year students are also required to attend the AMCS colloquium, where internationally recognized leaders present talks on the frontiers of applied math and computational science. By the end of their first year, AMCS students are expected to have settled on the general field in which to pursue their dissertation research. In the second year, students begin to take more specialized courses in mathematics as well as courses relevant to the areas of empirical science connected to their research interests. PhD students typically begin work in the area of their thesis by the third year (though masters students often complete their thesis in the second year). In addition to taking courses, students attend seminars related to their research interests, which are offered in a broad spectrum of topics and levels by departments and institutes throughout the University.
Financial
support is available for Ph.D. students, including a non-teaching
fellowship for the first year. Most Ph.D. students
serve as teaching assistants in their second year. In connection
with an assistantship or fellowship, students ordinarily receive a full
tuition
scholarship and a stipend. Most PhD student can expect to have summer
research assistantships. Some grad students also choose to teach over
the summer, for which they receive an additional stipend. In
conjunction
with their support, Ph.D. students also receive university-provided
health
coverage. In their third and fourth years, AMCS students are usually
supported by research assistantships. Fifth year students, who have
made significant progress in their research, are usually supported by
either teaching or research assistantships. Terminal masters students
do not ordinarily receive financial support, though they may be
eligible for teaching assistantships, which provide a stipend, but no
tuition.
The AMCS grad group is located in David Rittenhouse Laboratory (DRL), which it shares with the Departments of Mathematics, and Physics and Astronomy. Facilities include the Mathematics Reading Room (with a non-circulating mathematical book collection, computers, and pleasant surroundings including lounge chairs and stained glass windows), the Math-Physics-Astronomy library (a circulating library of books and journals), and computer labs (in addition to computers in each office). The buildings housing the Engineering School and Chemistry department are across the street from DRL. Adjacent to DRL are tennis courts, an athletic center, the Palestra basketball arena, and the university stadium. DRL is at the eastern end of the University of Pennsylvania campus, a few blocks from downtown Philadelphia.