cornell math phd acceptance

Ph.D. Program Application Details

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

Prerequisites

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. Most successful applicants score 700 or above on their GRE subject test.

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 (details given below),
• three letters of recommendation.

A transcript must also be submitted by January 4 to the following address: Graduate Admissions, Department of Mathematics, Malott Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4201.

Complete the application online at www.gradschool.cornell.edu/admissions/applying/apply-now/ and upload the following by January 4:

• three letters of recommendation,
• transcripts (either official or unofficial) from the institution at which you are currently enrolled and/or from any institution from which you have received or will receive a degree. All transcripts must be combined into one PDF document and uploaded. If it is against an institution’s policy to send official transcripts to you, please request an unofficial copy for yourself and scan that document. Paper copies will be accepted only if the first two options are not available to you. If you are subsequently admitted and accept the offer of admission, we will require a formal and official paper transcript prior to matriculation.

GRE scores for the general test and subject test in mathematics and TOEFL scores (if applicable, details given below) must be received by the Graduate School by January 4.

For more information about Cornell's application process, visit www.gradschool.cornell.edu/admissions/ .

Cornell University expects all applicants to complete their application materials without the use of paid agents, credentials services, or other paid professional assistance. The use of such services violates University policy, and may lead to the rejection of application materials, the revocation of an admissions offer, cancellation of admission, or involuntary withdrawal from the University.

TOEFL Requirement — Test of English as a Foreign Language

TOEFL scores are required for international students whose native language is not English. Only students who have studied full time for two or more years at a college or university located in a country where English is the native language and where English is the language of instruction are exempt from the TOEFL.

The minimum TOEFL requirements are as follows: IBT test (replaced CBT) after September 1, 2005: 20 Writing, 15 Listening, 20 Reading, 22 Speaking. All four scores must be reported. Applicants will not be considered if any minimum score is not met.

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 $21,400 for 10–15 hours per week in 2009–2010. 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.

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. We also encourage students to apply for other forms of summer support that enhance their graduate education.

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: October 20, 2011

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Requirements

Requirements for admission to candidacy.

The following are required for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D., or to obtain an M.S. degree in Applied Mathematics:

• Prerequisite to the graduate program are familiarity with analysis and algebra at the advanced undergraduate level (e.g., MATH 4130-4140 and MATH 4330-4340). Students lacking either prerequisite (which may be determined by their special committee chair and/or the CAM Director of Graduate Studies), should take the appropriate courses within their first two years of study. No more than two of these courses can count towards meeting other CAM degree requirements.
• Students are required to take at least eight courses in mathematics and its applications that are approved by her/his special committee, at least 4 of which must be numbered 6000 or above. Suggested areas for these courses are given in the list of  Focal Areas  for Applied Mathematics.
• The courses taken to satisfy item (2) must include an advanced course in computational methods (focal area (a)). In order to achieve breadth in Applied Mathematics, courses from at least three other Focal Areas should normally be included. Should a course be listed under more than one focal area, then it will count towards only one such area as chosen by the student's Special Committee.
• Students are required to have minors in Mathematics and in another field relevant to their doctoral research. Note that the course requirements listed above may suffice to satisfy the requirements for a graduate minor in Mathematics.

Exceptions to these requirements can sometimes be made, if approved in advance by the student's Special Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies. All requirement courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Requirements for the Graduate Minor

A student majoring in another graduate field (excluding Mathematics) can obtain a Minor in Applied Mathematics by successfully completing four courses, drawn from at least two of the Focal Areas, each of which contains substantial mathematical content. Two of the courses must be at the graduate level, the others numbered 4000 or above. The courses must be approved by a member of the Field of Applied Mathematics who is a member of the student's Special Committee. Any course used to satisfy requirements of the student's major field of doctoral study may not be used to satisfy the Minor in Applied Mathematics. If field members or students feel that these requirements should be updated or altered, please inform the Director of Graduate Studies.

Graduate Study Guidelines

Selection of committees.

A committee chair (thesis advisor) must be selected by each Ph.D. student  before the end of the second semester  (i.e., before the end of Academic Year 1).

The committee chair will aid the graduate student in selecting a Special Committee, which shall consist of a minimum of three faculty members and which will directly supervise the graduate study and research of a student. The committee chair, who is also the thesis advisor, represents the major field of applied mathematics. The other faculty members represent two minor fields; one of these must be mathematics and the other is a field outside mathematics. This committee must be formed  before the end of the third semester .

Exceptions to the above requirements must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Failure to comply with the above requirement may result in a hold being placed on your registration by the Graduate School.

A Special Committee Selection and Change form must be submitted to the Graduate School to establish a committee or change/add committee members. This can be done online through Student Center.

Selection of a Special Committee (including the thesis advisor) is a mutual agreement between a student, the chosen faculty members and the DGS. During the pursuit of the degree, changes in circumstances may cause the student and/or faculty members to desire the termination of this commitment.

The A-Exam must be scheduled  before the beginning of the seventh semester  unless a special petition is filed. The A-Exam should be scheduled well in advance of the exam and the appropriate form ( Schedule of Examination  form)  MUST  be submitted to the Graduate School at least 7 calendar days ahead. CAM graduate students are eligible for a Non-Thesis Masters Degree upon completion of the A-Exam. In order for this to be awarded, the Committee Chair must check the relevant box on the  Results of Examination Form . The form must be turned into the Graduate School within 3 days after the exam.

The B-Exam (thesis defense) is scheduled with the same form as the A-Exam and must be submitted to the Grad School at least 7 calendar days ahead.

View the timetable for fulfilling all degree requirements.

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Applied mathematics ph.d. (ithaca), field of study.

Applied Mathematics

Program Description

The graduate program in applied mathematics is based on a solid foundation in pure mathematics, which includes the fundamentals of algebra and analysis. It involves a grounding in the methods of applied mathematics and studies of scientific areas in which significant applications of mathematics are made. The field has a broadly based interdepartmental faculty that can direct student programs in a large number of areas of the mathematical sciences.

Many specialized or interdisciplinary programs can be designed for individual students, including, for example, a variety of possibilities in biomathematics.

The dissertation is normally a mathematical contribution toward the solution of a problem arising outside mathematics.

Contact Information

614 Frank H. T. Rhodes Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853-3801

Concentrations by Subject

• applied mathematics

Visit the Graduate School's Tuition Rates page.

Application Requirements and Deadlines

Fall, Jan. 7; no spring admission

Requirements Summary:

Applicants must have an undergraduate background that contains a substantial mathematical component.

• all Graduate School Requirements , including the English Language Proficiency Requirement  for all applicants
• three recommendations
• Please note:  applicants who are non-US citizens may be contacted via email 1-3 weeks after the application submission deadline to participate in a brief, conversational English video interview (no specialized knowledge necessary). Though not all non-US-citizen applicants will be required to participate in this interview, definite exceptions include citizens of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Learning Outcomes

A graduate student in Applied Mathematics is expected to demonstrate both mastery of knowledge in mathematics and its applications, and ability to create new mathematical knowledge and innovative ways to apply mathematical tools to important problems in science, industry and society. Each student is expected to demonstrate the following proficiencies.

• Make substantial original contributions to applied mathematics. This includes ability to identify new important and promising research problems; ability to think independently, critically and creatively; ability to complete research work by bringing it to the stage where it can be published and be used by the others.
• Maintain ability to acquire new knowledge by keeping up with the new developments in the field through professional publications and professional meetings.
• Ability to communicate effectively research findings and plans. This includes ability to present results in the format of technical papers and have them published in professional journals and conference proceedings; ability to explain complex ideas to peers in technical presentations; being aware of funding opportunities and ability to write effective research proposals and obtain research funding.
• Dedication to advancing science through effective teaching, advising, mentoring and service to professional community.
• Awareness of the ethical standards in the field, and ability to maintain and advance these standards.

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