Frequently Asked Application Questions

In order to adequately review and assess a student's chances of admittance, our Graduate Committee must see the official and complete application which is submitted through GraduateCAS.

Ideally, it's best if all application materials can be submitted together at the same time but we realize that sometimes this is not possible. So students should submit as much as they can initially then follow up with any remaining items as they become available. Please be aware that our Graduate Committee may not make a final decision on an application until it is entirely complete.

The general GRE exam cannot be waived.

No, the Mathematics Department requires the general GRE for the graduate application.

Our university does require a minimum score of 80 IBT TOEFL, 6.0 on the IELTS or 53 on the PTE (for international applicants only), but other than that, there is not a set score that our Graduate Committee looks for. Test scores are just one part of the graduate application. The Graduate Committee also looks at GPA, transcripts, quality of undergraduate institution, the personal statement and letters of recommendation. They strive to get an overall picture of an applicant's ability to do graduate level mathematics. The majority of applicants to our program do have a bachelor's degree in mathematics but the Graduate Committee has admitted students from other fields as well. It just depends on how much mathematics the student has seen. At the bare minimum, students should have had advanced calculus, linear algebra and differential equations. However, just having these courses does not guarantee admittance. Most candidates accepted have also had at least 2 semesters of real analysis, 2 semesters of senior level algebra and 1 additional semester in another senior math course. It is a highly competitive process and applicants are ranked against one another.

No, there is not a separate application. All applicants are automatically considered for all departmental support that they would qualify for unless they designate in their application that they have their own funding (ie: a sponsored student with funding from a government or other source).

Admittance means that the applicant was judged academically qualified to enter our program but does not always include financial assistance. Our department has a set number of positions available (the number of which varies from academic year to academic year) so not all students are able to be funded. The Graduate Committee does give preference to PhD applicants in awarding positions.

With approval from the degree granting unit providing admission (ie: the Mathematics Department), admission to graduate studies normally remains valid for one year from the term of acceptance. However, this does not include any financial support that may have been awarded for the initial semester of application. Students need to obtain approval from the Mathematics Graduate Office on any requests to postpone their admittance to a future semester.

For students applying to a fall semester, the Graduate Committee will begin reviewing files in December and continue throughout the spring. First round offers are made about the middle of February. Depending on how many of the first round offers are declined, the Graduate Committee may go back to the remaining pool of applicants, re-rank them and make a second round of offers late in April. However, this is not something that can be guaranteed as it depends solely on a large number of the first round offers being declined. Either way, students will be notified by e-mail if they are being admitted, declined or being placed in a waiting pool of applicants for consideration for possible second round offers.