Class sizes at math phd programs?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the class sizes of math PhD programs, specifically at institutions like Berkeley, UCLA, and Michigan. Participants explore how to find this information, compare it to physics programs, and discuss trends in admissions and class sizes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the average class sizes for math PhD programs, noting that physics programs tend to have larger classes.
  • Another participant suggests that class sizes can be estimated by dividing the number of current grad students by the average years to graduate, which they estimate to be around 4.5 years.
  • It is mentioned that UCLA typically has 30-40 new grad students per year, combining both pure and applied math, but it is unclear if this number has been affected by recent economic conditions.
  • Participants point out that some schools provide admissions data online, which can help in finding class size information.
  • One participant raises a concern that the data may be misleading due to historical changes in the department structure, specifically referencing the split between math and statistics at UCLA.
  • Another participant provides links to actual class sizes for UCLA's math department, noting that sizes can fluctuate based on undergraduate interest and specific faculty teaching courses.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that class sizes can vary and that some schools provide data online. However, there is no consensus on the exact average class sizes or trends over time, and some uncertainty remains regarding the impact of economic conditions on admissions.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention that the data may be outdated or misleading due to changes in departmental structures and that class sizes can fluctuate based on various factors, including faculty assignments.

Toph_fan
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Where can I find class size information for math phd programs? In physics the class sizes seem to be larger (>20). However, It seems like math phd programs on average have only 15 new grad students per year. I can't find the specific information anywhere though. What would be the average class size at Berkeley, UCLA or Michigan?
 
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Some schools have information on this if you dig around for long enough. You can estimate it, though, by taking the number of current grad students and dividing by the average number of years to graduate (which is also frequently on the website, but you can just guess 4.5 and probably won't be far off).

The three schools you mentioned all have fairly large programs. UCLA math, for example, typically have 30-40 new grad students per year (combined in both pure and applied math - some schools treat these separately).
 
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Some schools have their admissions data online, just go to their grad programs admissions page.

UCLA math data:
goo.gl/SYWF7

But the PhD completion rate is pretty old.
 
JasonMode said:
Some schools have their admissions data online, just go to their grad programs admissions page.

UCLA math data:
goo.gl/SYWF7

But the PhD completion rate is pretty old.

This whole page is actually a little misleading - included in the average are the numbers from before their math and statistics department split up.
 
Monocles said:
Some schools have information on this if you dig around for long enough. You can estimate it, though, by taking the number of current grad students and dividing by the average number of years to graduate (which is also frequently on the website, but you can just guess 4.5 and probably won't be far off).

The three schools you mentioned all have fairly large programs. UCLA math, for example, typically have 30-40 new grad students per year (combined in both pure and applied math - some schools treat these separately).

Wow, 30-40! Is that for just pure math or pure math+applied math? Also, I know the numbers have been going down since the economy went down the toilet. Are they going back up?
 
You can see actual class sizes for the math department here: http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/schedule/detmain.aspx?termsel=11F&subareasel=MATH , http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/schedule/detmain.aspx?termsel=12w&subareasel=MATH , http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/schedule/detmain.aspx?termsel=12s&subareasel=MATH . The 200 level classes are the graduate ones.

Sizes obviously fluctuate a bit from year to year, partly based on undergraduate interest. If Terence Tao had taught 245A, there would have been a lot more undergrads taking it. He'll be teaching 245B and 245C next year, so I'm guessing that might cause a bit of a bump.
 
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