cornell math phd students

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Graduate Study

The Department of Mathematics at Cornell University offers a rigorous graduate program, leading to the Ph.D. degree, that combines study and research opportunities under the direction of an internationally known faculty .

Competitive financial support is available through Graduate School fellowships and some graduate research and teaching assistantships.

Ph.D. Program Content

Learning goals and assessment, application details, financial support.

• Fellowship Opportunities
• Research & Teaching Assistantships
• Funding Opportunities for Travel
• Department Prizes and Awards for Graduate Students

Useful Information for Graduate Students

Non-degree and visiting graduate students.

Related Programs at Cornell: Computer Science , Operations Research , Applied Mathematics , Theoretical and Applied Mechanics , Statistics

• Visitor Info
• Positions Available
• Dept History
• Give to Math
• External Links
• Graduate Students
• Undergraduate

Non-degree and Visiting Graduate Students

Applicants who wish to receive advanced training in mathematics but have no intention of pursuing a Cornell Ph.D. degree may apply for admission to the graduate program as non-degree students for a maximum of two semesters. Ph.D. students at other institutions who wish to visit the Cornell graduate program in mathematics for an extended time (more than a few weeks) must apply for admission as non-degree students.

A non-degree student works under the supervision of a faculty advisor. A non-degree application will only be considered if the applicant has found a prospective advisor who is a member of the graduate field of mathematics at Cornell, is willing to direct the intended work, and is willing to sponsor 50% of the visiting student's tuition each semester.

Non-degree applicants must follow the application guidelines for regular Ph.D. applicants with the following differences:

• There is no deadline for non-degree applications. 
• Non-degree applicants who are Ph.D. students at other institutions need not submit recommendation letters or GRE scores.

The non-degree application can be found here: https://www.applyweb.com/cgi-bin/app?s=corngnd . You must contact Melissa Totman [email protected]  for a non-degree Graduate School code required by the system to complete your application.

Financial Support

The Graduate School requires proof of health insurance and sufficient financial resources for living expenses before enrolling any non-degree applicant. The amounts required will be prorated for the length of the student’s stay. Non-degree students must also pay tuition fees and other costs . However, each year the College of Arts and Sciences offers a limited number of full or partial tuition fellowships for non-degree students. Upon the recommendation of the student’s advisor, and subject to availability, the director of graduate studies will apply for such a fellowship on behalf of the student.

• Visitor Info
• Positions Available
• Dept History
• Give to Math
• External Links
• Graduate Students
• Undergraduate

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, 2009: 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.

The Graduate School requires an overall band score of a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS. Please email [email protected] for information about how to send your scores.

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 $24,104 for 10–15 hours per week in 2014–2015. 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.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="cornell math phd students"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Mathematics ph.d. (ithaca), field of study.

Mathematics

Program Description

The graduate program in the field of mathematics at Cornell leads to the Ph.D. degree, which takes most students five to six years of graduate study to complete. One feature that makes the program at Cornell particularly attractive is the broad range of  interests of the faculty . The department has outstanding groups in the areas of algebra, algebraic geometry, analysis, applied mathematics, combinatorics, dynamical systems, geometry, logic, Lie groups, number theory, probability, and topology. The field also maintains close ties with distinguished graduate programs in the fields of  applied mathematics ,  computer science ,  operations research , and  statistics and data science.

Ph.D. students in the field of mathematics may earn a Special Master's of Science in Computer Science .

The field also offers a math minor and a math concentration to students in certain fields.

Contact Information

316 Malott Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY  14853

Concentrations by Subject

• mathematics

Visit the Graduate School's Tuition Rates page.

Application Requirements and Deadlines

Fall, December 15; no spring admission

Note: The Graduate Field of Mathematics will not admit doctoral students for Fall 2024.  Our program is bigger than its typical steady-state size: strong recruiting has caused a modest increase, while COVID-impact has lengthened the typical time-to-PhD.  We are committed to providing enhanced funding to our current students.  We will resume regular admissions next year for students to matriculate in Fall 2025. 

Requirements Summary:

Applicants must demonstrate mastery of the material required for an undergraduate major in mathematics. The mathematics field welcomes applications from and admits students with various mathematics backgrounds. 

• GRE General and Subject Test scores are not required and will not be considered.
• Detailed academic requirements can be located in the graduate field handbook
• All  Graduate School Requirements , including the  English Language Proficiency Requirement for all applicants
• 3 Letters of recommendation (5 letters allowed)

Learning Outcomes

The Ph.D. program in mathematics teaches you to create and communicate mathematics. The chief requirement for the doctoral degree is to complete under the guidance of an advisor a dissertation that makes an original and substantial contribution to its subject matter. You will be expected to disseminate the main results of your dissertation in the form of journal articles and conference presentations.

We do not require you to choose a specific research area or a dissertation advisor at the outset of your graduate education. The best way to make an informed choice of a research area and to make headway in it is to gain knowledge in a number of areas of mathematics. As a beginning student, you will be taking various required core courses in basic subjects. Furthermore, aside from providing research training, we prepare our students for careers as professional mathematicians in a variety of settings including academia, business, and government. Our aim, therefore, is to educate flexible and broadly knowledgeable mathematicians, and to this end, we offer besides the core courses a wide selection of advanced courses and seminars.

We will help you develop the oral and written communication skills expected of a professional mathematician. You will acquire these skills in part through courses and dissertation work. Active participation in our many seminars, several of which are targeted at students, is another way to improve your presentation skills and will also ease your transition from a learner to a researcher of mathematics. In addition, many practicing mathematicians are involved in teaching at some level, and that is why we require every student to undergo our teaching assistant training program and to participate in the teaching mission of the mathematics department.

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