Ph.D. Program Application Details

The graduate program in Mathematics leads only to the Ph.D. degree. Students are not accept for an M.S. degree.

Prerequisite

Mastery of the material required for an undergraduate major in mathematics, including a rigorous course in advanced calculus and real variable theory that will serve as an introduction to measure theory and courses in linear algebra and modern abstract algebra at an advanced level. Applicants should also have some familiarity with applications of advanced calculus.

Application Guidelines

Students must submit an online application at apply.gradschool.cornell.edu by January 4. The following are submitted with the online application:

• a statement of purpose,
• GRE scores for the general test and subject test in mathematics,
• TOEFL* scores.

The following materials must also be submitted to the Mathematics Department by January 4:

• three letters of recommendation,
• transcripts

* TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required for international students whose native language is not English. The minimum TOEFL requirements are as follows: IBT test (replaced CBT) after September 1, 2005: 25 Writing, 20 Listening, 25 Reading, 25 Speaking.

Admission Decisions

Admission decisions are typically made in mid-February. Under the rules of the Council of Graduate Schools, students have until April 15 to make their decisions.

Financial Aid

Everyone who applies for admission to the graduate program in mathematics is automatically considered for financial aid. For many years the field has been able to provide financial support — through a teaching assistantship, fellowship, or graduate research assistantship — to every graduate student who is making satisfactory progress towards the Ph.D. degree, and it expects to continue this practice.

Some of our students have fellowships from the National Science Foundations or other sources. However, most are supported by Teaching Assistantships, which pay $20,000 for 10–15 hours per week in 2007–2008. Duties may be (i) grading for advanced courses, (ii) giving recitation sections, or (iii) teaching a section of calculus. Assignments to courses are made by the Director of Teaching Assistant Programs, Maria Terrell, but are based on the students' requests.

Summer Aid

It is our intention to make summer support available to all students who would like to remain in Ithaca during the summer. For students who have completed three years of graduate school, this will typically be in the form of a research assistantship paid for by a professor's grant or by the graduate school. First and second year students will, in general, hold teaching assistant jobs in Summer Session courses.

Equal Opportunity

It is the policy of Cornell University to actively support equality of educational and employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, or handicap.

Last modified:September 20, 2007