Location: Home » Education
 
 
 
 

Qualifications for Admission

 

The Center for Combinatorics recruits about 20 postgraduates, mainly Ph. D students each year. In addition to the general qualifications required for admission to the Graduate School of Nankai University, applicants should have majored in Mathematics or related fields.

Candidates may enter themselves for the Graduation Entrance Test of Nankai University, or apply for admission without examination if they ranked top during their graduate education. All candidates are required to attend an interview, and they may choose pure mathematics or applied mathematics, or both as their main interest.

For international applicants, please click on the following link for further information: http://202.113.28.107/english/admissionanddegrees/admissionanddegrees.html

  
   
Postgraduate Programmes
  

The CFC offers graduate programs covering a broad range of topics in combinatorics and graph theory leading to Doctor's and Master's degree. To complete their postgraduate education, students should fillful some academic requirements.

  
For the Master's Degree
Course Requirements According to the Graduate School of Nankai University, each student is required to accumulate about 32-37 credits. Courses at CFC consist of classes, lectures, seminars, and individual studies. The first year programmes consist of compulsory courses, which can be chosen from the courses list. Students may choose their courses under the general guidance of their advisors.
Examinations are required for most courses. Students who fail in two or more compulsory courses will be dismissed.

Academic Performance Requirements The academic performance of all graduate students is reviewed at the beginning of each semester, when each student must send an informal summary of current research to their advisors.
Students have to pass the qualifying examination when they finish half of their 3-year studies.

Teaching Practice Requirements Teaching practice is an integral part of M.Sc Degree Programmes. The aim is to improve master students' teaching skills and better understanding and experience the school organization and the substance of teaching profession. Generally, the teaching practice is conducted in the first two years of their studies. Students are required to assist another teacher/professor in teaching or mark undergraduates' homework assignment for one term. If their work is recognized by the Faculty's teaching practice supervisors, they will get 2 credits.

Thesis Requirements Thesis work begins upon students' succeeding in passing the qualifying examination. Usually, it is done within the latter half of their 3-year studies. Students have to complete a thesis on original research and an oral defense thereof. A successful defense will lead to the completion of the master's programmes, which in general, is about two to three years.

  
 
For the Doctor's Degree

The aim of the Ph.D degree program is to prepare students to become research scholars in an academic environment. The program provides a broad background in combinatorial mathematics and graph theory. The duration of the program is normally about three years if a relevant Master's degree is earned.

  
   
Course Requirements Students are required to accumulate 12-18 credits. The compulsory courses include courses in fundamental theory and research method, lectures, and seminars. To broaden their knowledge and deepen their understanding of mathematics, students are encouraged to take courses in other fields as selective courses.
Examinations may be performed in different ways, such as oral, written reports, or papers. The examination of speciality courses will be with a three member committee, which consists of professors or associate professors on related subjects.

Dissertation Requirements Students have to complete a dissertation of original research and an oral defense. The dissertation is expected to represent research of at least the standards ordinarily required for publication in high-level research journals.
Each student should choose a topic after one year's study and do some creative research on it. Before the dissertation defense, the student should report his/her work to the advisors regularly. Successful defense of the dissertation and two papers that are ready to be published in core journals will lead to the completion of doctoral programme.