Before you apply, please consult our Graduate Program Overview and the UA Graduate School website for a full description of our program. It is important to check our research areas to see if there is a match to your interest. It is not necessary to contact any faculty member, but it is beneficial if you have endorsement from some faculty members. The Department of Mathematics accepts graduate applications from U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and international applicants.

Deadlines

Admissions to the M.A. and Ph.D. programs are normally in the fall semester, but we do admit students to start in the spring. We don’t admit students to start in the summer. To maximize your chances to be admitted, you should arrange for all application materials to reach the graduate school by the following deadlines.

• To start in the Fall Semester: January 15
• To start in the Spring Semester: October 1

Late applications are accepted and will be considered, depending on availability of positions.

Financial Supports

All applicants are automatically considered for financial supports. There is no additional application process. Visit the financial support webpage for more information.

Submission

Applications to the department are submitted online through the Graduate School’s application page. The application must include the components listed below, submitted electronically. Do not send hard copy documents to the Mathematics Department or to the Graduate School. The information below provides a general overview of the policies, but the full description can be found in the UA Catalog’s admissions criteria page.

Components of Applications

Application Fee

To apply to UA, the graduate school charges applicants a fixed sum. In certain circumstances, the graduate school may waive your application fee. Visit the Graduate School application page for more information on university fee-waiver programs.

Free Application Week: The graduate school offers Free Application Week (FAW) this year from Monday, October 16^th until Friday, October 20^th, 2023. You may review all directions, requirements, and policies on the FAW landing page. The request form for Free Application Week will remain open until 5 p.m. CDT on 10/20/2023. Applicants will have until midnight CDT on 10/20/2023 to submit the application. All materials must be submitted by 11/15/2023 for the waiver to be valid. All the details and information can be found on the Free App Week Landing Page.

Resume or Curriculum Vita

Applicants should include a Resume or Curriculum Vita listing their educational experiences, any scholarly activity, and field-relevant work experience.

Transcripts and GPA requirements

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in mathematics or a closely related field. A Master’s degree is not required for admission to the PhD program. The Graduate School requires that applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 overall, 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours in a degree program, or 3.0 for a completed graduate degree program (see the UA Graduate Catalog).

During the application process please upload copies of your transcripts (with English translations if necessary) to the application portal. Unofficial transcripts are ok for the application process. Once admitted, international applicants must submit one certified copy in the native language along with certified English translations of all transcripts, diplomas, and certificates of degree. Transcript and diploma copies submitted after admission must be certified by the issuing institution. Notary copies are NOT acceptable. (from the Graduate School admissions webpage)

Statement of Purpose

Applicants should provide a written statement describing their academic and career goals, as well as their particular interests in an area of mathematics. The statement should not be more than two pages.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required. These should be written by people who know the applicant’s academic record and potential for graduate study. The most significant ones will be from professors in mathematics or a closely related field who have taught the applicant or supervised in research. The applicant provides email addresses for letter writers to the online application system. These letters need to be submitted online by the letter writers.

GRE General Exam Scores

Scores on the general test of the GRE are optional. We encourage applicants to submit GRE scores, especially if they think doing so will make their applications stronger and boost their chance of getting admitted. However, applications with and without GRE scores will both get full consideration. 

GRE Subject Exam scores are not required.

English Language Proficiency

According to the Graduate School, non-native speakers are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE scores unless they meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. at the time of initial enrollment, they will hold a degree from a U.S. institution or an institution in one of the English speaking countries or regions listed below;
2. at the time of initial enrollment, they will have been enrolled in coursework for at least two years at a U.S. institution or an institution in one of the English-speaking countries or regions listed below;
3. they are a citizen or legal resident of one of the English-speaking countries or regions listed below.

English-Speaking Countries or Regions: 

American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Christmas Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Gibraltar, The Gambia, Guyana, Ghana, Grenada, Guam, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sandwich Islands, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa (English-speaking, i.e. not Afrikaans), South Georgia Islands, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, United States, United Kingdom, US Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John), Zambia, Zimbabwe

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): The minimum score for admission to a degree program or for non-degree admission is 79 on the internet-based TOEFL (iBT).
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS): The minimum score for admission to a degree program or for non-degree admission is 6.5.
• Duolingo: We are accepting Duolingo scores during the COVID-19 crisis. The minimum score for admission to a degree program or for non-degree admission is 105.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): The minimum score of admission to a degree program or for non-degree admission is 59.

The TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE scores must be less than two years old at the time of the application.

See the Graduate School webpage on supporting documents for admission and the Graduate School webpage on COVID-19 test score waivers for more information.