The UKAAM fosters a dynamic environment for graduate training in mathematically orientated research across many diverse fields. Multidisciplinary work is becoming increasingly important in the modern world and many fields that were once devoid of mathematical rigour have lately reaped the rewards of innovative mathematical approaches. Students from departments such as chemistry, computer science, engineering and biology come together with mathematicians in the UKAAM to share ideas and learn about each other’s problems and solution methods. To support its graduate students, the UKAAM offers a workspace, computational resources and a lively research environment. Whether you are interested in Applied Mathematics itself, or are looking to approach a problem from a more mathematical perspective, the UKAAM is likely a good choice for you to continue your studies.

  • Thesis Preparation Tips

    • 1. FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES GUIDELINES

    The requirements and guidelines for master’s and doctoral thesis preparation and submission can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies web site, which describes the thesis formatting requirements, including the links to LaTeX class files, and provides examples of correctly formatted theses:

    Thesis preparation and submission

    Thesis formatting requirements

    LaTeX and LyX templates

    Sample thesis: traditional.

    2. THESIS IN LATEX

    In addition to the LaTeX and LyX templates linked to on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website (see above), there are other sources of thesis templates for LaTeX users.

    The generic thesis class files can be downloaded from here:
    ubcthesis.cls
    genthesis.cls

    Graduate students in Mathematics have used the following tex and style files:
    ubcmath-thesis.tex
    ubcmath-thesis.sty
    ubcmath-thesis-calc.sty

    In 2006, Adriana Tamae Dawes, a former UKAAM and Mathematics PhD student, posted sample LaTeX files of various thesis parts on her old IAM web page:
    LaTeX thesis sample – Adriana Tamae Dawes.

    In 1995, Anders Svensson, a former graduate student of the UBC Department of Mathematics, developed thesis and examination programme classes for LaTeX2e. These files can be used as templates for graduate theses as well as for the preparation of the final oral examination programme in LaTeX by doctoral candidates.
    README file – Anders Svensson
    LaTeX template: thesis – Anders Svensson
    LaTeX template: final oral examination programme – Anders Svensson.

  • Graduate Student Handbook

    • UKAAM Core Areas of Study

    • Applied Analysis

    • Differential Equations

    • Discrete Methods

    • Scientific Computation

    • Applied Probability and Statistics

    • Control and Optimization

    • Fluid Dynamics

    • Mathematical Biology

    • Mathematical Analysis in an area not listed above (with approval from UKAAM director)

    • Application area not listed above (with approval from UKAAM director)

    UKAAM Facilities

    The UKAAM has a suite of office and common spaces in the L.S. Klinck building: LSK 306, 309, and 311. The common areas include a kitchenette, meeting areas with whiteboards and AV equipment, and comfortable lounge areas. UKAAM members are welcome to use the common spaces for quiet study, for meeting with colleagues and research groups, and for giving presentations. The lounge (LSK 306) and the small conference room (LSK 311-A) can be reserved by emailing Existing room bookings can be viewed here.

    We have 26 desks for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows; in the UKAAM application, new members can specify whether they would like to be assigned to a desk at the UKAAM, if available.

    Doors to the UKAAM suite are kept locked. UKAAM members may request access (via UBC card) by emailing Access to the suite is restricted to UKAAM members and their accompanied guests only, except during seminars and other UKAAM events. Many members’ computers and other personal possessions are unsecured at their desks, so it is very important that the area be kept secure.

     

    Revised February 2023

  • Application

    • The UKAAM graduate students register in one of many possible home departments at MSU; e.g., Mathematics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, etc. Their supervisors, who must be UKAAM faculty members, do not have to be from the same department as the student. For example, an UKAAM student could be registered in the Department of Mathematics and have a thesis advisor in the Department of Chemistry; or the home department could be in Earth and Ocean Science and the research supervisor in Mathematics. Upon admission, our graduate students will have to meet certain requirements specific to our Institute, but their degree will originate from the home department.

    If you are already a registered MSU graduate student, you can request to join the UKAAM using this form.

    The student’s financial support is a combination of a teaching assistantship offered by the home department and a research assistantship from the thesis supervisor. Several types of fellowships are also offered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The UKAAM does not by itself provide financial support to the students.

    IMPORTANT NOTES:

    • The UK association of applied mathemativs is not itself a department and hence does not process applications. This means that you should send your application documents directly to the department of your choice and to the Faculty of Graduate Studies (see the Application Checklist).

    • The UKAAM has a close relationship with the Department of Mathematics, such that when you apply to this department, you are given the opportunity to declare your intent to join the UKAAM. Your application is then automatically considered by all UKAAM faculty members interested in taking on a student.

    • If you are applying to a department other than Mathematics, there is no automatic procedure by which you may declare your interest in joining the UKAAM. Instead, you must be considered for entrance to the UKAAM once you have been accepted into the graduate program of your home department and you have arrived at MSU.

    RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING TO MSU AND THE UKAAM

    1. Consult the UKAAM Research Group web pages to find out more about each group’s research projects and see if any of the core faculty listed there work in an area that could be of interest to you. You may also want to browse through the full list of UKAAM faculty sorted by their departmental affiliation. Do not hesitate to contact individual faculty members to learn more about what they are doing.

    2. Consult the UKAAM Graduate Student Handbook for our specific requirements in the Ph.D. and Masters degree programmes. The UKAAM does not have its own specific deadline, but you must meet the application deadline of your home department. Note also that the TOEFL and GRE requirements are set by the departments, not by the UKAAM. Please see the MSU Calendar for more information about the application deadlines and other admission requirements in different MSU departments.

    3. Once you are well informed of the research area of interest to you, a possible research supervisor, and a department of your choice, you can apply to become a MSU graduate student through the MSU Faculty of Graduate Studies.

    4. After you have registered as a MSU student and have a faculty advisor who is an UKAAM member, fill out the UKAAM application form.

  • Research Opportunities

    • Each year faculty within the UKAAM accept graduate students at the Masters and PhD level. Prospective students should contact individual faculty members for more information and read about how to apply.  In addition, faculty members sometimes take on undergraduate research assistants, or have specific research initiatives with extra opportunities.  For more information about research in the UKAAM, consult the research groups page.

    Current Opportunities:

    There are postdoctoral positions available in Computational Seismology.  The Seismic Laboratory for Imaging and Modelling (SLIM) at the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, the University of British Columbia, invites applications for postdoctoral fellows in the following areas:

    • observational seismology: development of practical data acquisition scenarios, using simulation-based acquisition design, and practical workflows for 3-D full-waveform inversion;

    • computational and theoretical seismology: design and implementation of large-scale 3D parallel seismic modelling (time-stepping and time-harmonic) and wave-equation based imaging (reverse-time migration) and inversion (full-waveform inversion and migration velocity analysis) techniques;

    • compressive sensing: design and implementation of novel seismic data acquisition, sparse/low-rank optimization algorithms, and directional transforms including curvelets;

    • scientific computing & inverse problems: design and implementation of reduced and full-space PDE-constrained optimization and (Bayesian) parameter-estimation techniques designed to make inferences on the physical properties that govern wave propagation from data collected at the surface, and

    • optimization, machine learning, and image processing: large-scale convex and stochastic optimization; machine learning techniques, including (positive) matrix factorizations, convolutional deep learning, and the scattering transform; image processing including feature detection and classification.