Graduate Admissions and Support
To be admitted to any of the graduate programs in mathematics, a student must have an undergraduate degree and demonstrate competence in mathematics. In addition, applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, calculated over the most recent 60 hours of coursework.
To apply for admission for a graduate program visit the Graduate School Application webpage. If you have questions about the admissions process please contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Alan Haynes.
Application Deadlines:
Application deadlines depend on the program, intended starting semester (Fall, Spring, or Summer) and whether the applicant is a US applicant (or lawful permanent resident), or international.
- PhD (US and international applicants): Each fall semester we have approximately 15—20 funded positions. We do not usually admit PhD students in Spring semesters, except in exceptional cases. If you are thinking of applying for admission in the Spring, we advise you to please first contact the Director of Graduate Studies.
- For priority consideration for admission in the Fall, we recommend that all application materials be submitted before January 15. The regular deadlines are May 1 for international applicants, and June 1 for US applicants, but by that time most of our funded positions may already be allocated.
- MS and MS in Applied Math:
Fall: April 1 (International), July 1 (US)
Spring: October 1 (International), November 1 (US)
- MA (US applicants only):
July 1 (Fall), November 1 (Spring), April 1 (Summer)
- MS in Statistics & Data Science (Fall only):
April 1 (International), June 1 (US)
Application Requirements:
To be considered for admission into our graduate programs, the following is required. These materials should be uploaded directly at CollegeNet.
- Copies of degree diplomas and official transcripts from each college or university at which the applicant has been enrolled.
- Three letters of reference, one of which must be from a professional mathematician. We prefer that all reference letters are from professional mathematicians.
- A resume that includes a description of any mathematical work that the applicant has done (including teaching) and any prizes or awards received.
- A statement of "Interests and Goals," limited to one page. This may include topics such as motivation for entering or returning to graduate school, expectations for graduate training, mathematical preferences, research interests, and/or career goals.
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is waived for all graduate applications within the Department of Mathematics.
Additional Requirements for International Applicants:
- To be considered for admission, all applicants must satisfy our English proficiency requirements for admission.
- For admission with funding (i.e. into our PhD program), applicants must also satisfy English proficiency qualifications for appointment.
- A photocopy of the front page of applicant’s passport.
- A nonrefundable application fee of US $80.00 is required.
- Financial support information is required if the applicant does not receive an assistantship or fellowship.
- International students can not exclusively register for online courses.
Assistantships and Fellowships:
The Department of Mathematics provides a number of different types of financial assistance for graduate students. These include:
1. Teaching Assistantships (TA): Students are paid to tutor, conduct recitations and grade, or for similiar activities within the department as a Teaching Assistant. Teaching Assistantships are awarded primarily to Ph.D. students. All Ph.D. applications submitted before the corresponding deadline will be considered for TA support.
Every semester the department employs over 50 teaching assistants. These are graduate students in mathematics who usually either (a) tutor students in the mathematics laboratory, (b) conduct recitations for calculus classes, or (c) grade various courses. Generally, teaching assistants do not teach regular courses.
Teaching assistants receive a monthly salary and benefits for the 9-month academic year and a Graduate Tuition Fellowship (GTF) when allowed. A GTF pays tuition and fees for 9 hours of courses each semester. Students wishing to register for more than 9 semester credit hours in a semester pay for these hours at the resident tuition rate. A GTF can only be held for a total of five years for doctoral students.
2. Research Assistantships (RA): These positions are specifically geared toward Ph.D. students working on research projects. They are often funded by individual faculty members from research grants. RA support is intended primarily for continuing students already conducting research under the supervision of a faculty member.
3. Fellowships and Scholarships: These types of support provide a stipend and allow a student to concentrate on their courses and research work. For more details please visit our Financial Support Specifics page.