Program Overview for Prospective Ph.D. Applicants

Mathematics Graduate Program

We appreciate your interest in our graduate program. Here are some of the things we have to offer.

• A highly ranked graduate program (ranked consistently in the top 25 among math graduate programs nationwide)
• A large and distinguished graduate faculty (approximately 70 members in the mathematics department, and 30 additional members in other departments affiliated with the mathematics graduate program) with expertise in a wide range of areas of mathematics including algebra, analysis, geometry and topology, logic, number theory, applied analysis, discrete mathematics and mathematical physics.
• Many activities and programs that encourage intellectual development. In addition to our usual offering of 25 graduate courses per semester, there are many mathematics seminars and colloquia each week in our department. many seminars, workshops and conferences in related fields on campus. Students may also participate in activities at nearby research centers such as Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study, NYU and Columbia.
• A high quality group of students. We typically receive about 200-250 applications per year and admit about 35, of whom 12-15 enroll.
• A favorable student to faculty ratio. Our program currently has between 70 and 75 Ph.D. students. With our large faculty, students have ample opportunity for personal attention from professors.
• A high level of student satisfaction. In the latest exit surveys of our students, 58% of the respondents said they were "very satisfied" with our program and 33% were "somewhat satisfied" and 100% of the respondents rated the rapport between faculty and graduate students as at least "good".
• A solid record of job placement.
• A commitment to providing financial support to our Ph.D. students. It is our goal to provide all Ph.D. students with financial support throughout their studies, as long as they are making sufficient progress in their work. This is one of the main reasons we keep our program small. During the past several years, nearly all of our students in good academic standing had financial support in the form of a teaching assistantship, research assistantship or fellowships.
• Teaching and research assistants are university employees, with full health benefits. Fellows are provided with health insurance from a separate plan.
• Our support resources for first year students include several federal GAANN fellowships (Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need) which pay up to $30,000 for the year. (These come from a Department of Education grant the runs from 2009 to 2012.)
• A commitment to training students to be teachers as well as researchers.
• A high completion rate. More than 70% of students who join our program obtain a Ph.D.
• A commitment to building a diverse population of students
• A large campus supporting a wide range of activities, with an easy train ride to New York City and Princeton.

The links along the left margin lead to additional information about the Ph.D. program.