Directed Reading Program in Mathematics
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The Directed Reading Program (DRP) pairs undergraduate students with
graduate student mentors for semester-long independent study projects.
It runs each semester and during the summer and is coordinated by math
Ph.D. students. Participation is not for credit and does not appear on
a student's transcript.
Contact us at: drp@math.rutgers.edu
Current and past pairings
Resources for recommenders
Resources for mentees
Resources for mentors (access restricted)
To apply: Read the 'Qualifications' section below to determine
whether you are eligible to participate. The application process has
two steps: 1. Interested students must fill out the application form. 2. A professor that knows
the applicant well must send a letter of recommendation to
drp@math.rutgers.edu; applicants may direct their recommenders to
the 'Resources for recommenders' link near the top of this webpage for
more information about writing a letter of recommendation.
Applications for Spring 2017 are currently being accepted. The deadline is Friday, February 3.
Applicants who are selected for DRP positions will be paired with
mentors based on mathematical interests and availability. Once paired,
the mentee and mentor jointly decide on a specific topic of
study. Most projects are based on a particular book or article that
the mentee reads at his/her own pace, guided and supplemented by the
mentor. Applicants must use the field 'What are your mathematical
interests?' to specify any concrete ideas they may already have for a
project. Applicants may want to see our list of sample projects and our list of past projects.
Requirements. Each mentee meets weekly with his/her mentor for
about an hour. The details of these meetings are left up to the
mentee/mentor pairs; they might include presentations by the mentee,
informal lecturing by the mentor, general discussion, questions about
exercises, etc. In addition to the meetings, the mentee is expected to
work independently for at least four hours each week. At the end of
the semester, each student gives a 10–15 minute presentation on a
topic they have studied.
Qualifications.
Applicants must be Rutgers (or at least visiting) undergraduates. They
need not be math majors but must have a strong mathematical background
and certain level of mathematical maturity. Applicants must have
completed 640:300 Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning. Applicants
must be self-motivated and capable of sustaining an independent study
project for the duration of the semester. If mentors are in short
supply, applicants with less background may be asked to re-apply the
following semester.
About the DRP.
The Rutgers Directed Reading Program is modeled after a similar
program at the University of Chicago. It first ran at Rutgers in
the summer of 2005. The graduate student
coordinators of the DRP can be reached at drp@math.rutgers.edu.