An Exploration of the Transition to Graduate School in Mathematics

Abstract

This purpose of this research was to explore the transition to graduate school in mathematics--the struggles students face, the expectations they must meet, and the strategies they use to deal with this new chapter in their academic experience. In this qualitative study, interview data regarding this transition--collected from 13 mathematics graduate students and eight mathematics faculty members on one university campus--is presented. Based on transcriptions of digital audio recordings of the interviews, interview data were thematically coded and analyzed to yield the themes below.

Within the student interview data, four main themes emerged: Isolation vs. Community, Academic Relationships, Role of the Department, and Realizations of Self. First, all student participants mentioned the importance of the academic and social community of their fellow graduate students to their ultimate success in graduate school. Next, students also discussed the impacts of their relationships with new, more difficult mathematical content and with their (instructing) professors in their overall transition experiences. Beyond these relationships, students noted that their transitions were impacted by the department's policies and the availability of information. Lastly, many participants commented on their perspective changes or personal growth through the graduate school experience.

From the faculty data, four themes also emerged: Nature of Mathematics, Preparation, Community, and Professional "Place." First, faculty participants noted the difficulty inherent in obtaining a graduate degree in mathematics, as well as insights into the professional mathematical culture. Next, faculty discussed their views on students' academic and psychological preparation (or under-preparation) for graduate work. Faculty participants also emphasized the importance of both academic and social community in making the transition to graduate school as smooth as possible for new students. Finally, faculty members observed that graduate students must be prepared to take on a professional role in mathematics, finding a balance between mathematics and personal life.

Based on these data, although some themes seem to be universal to the transition to graduate school in mathematics (such as the importance of community), others can be viewed quite differently by graduate students and departmental faculty (such as students' levels of academic and psychological preparation).