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Graduate Program

Application Requirements and Details

This page describes in greater detail the things needed for application to the Graduate Program in Mathematics at the University of Minnesota.

  • A separate application must be completed for The Graduate School. This application must be done on-line.

Please be aware that you must apply both to the Mathematics Department and to the Graduate School to be considered for admission. The items needed for The Mathematics Department are:

  • Mathematics Department application form (pdf) or (doc). WARNING: The end of this form has a note indicating that an online Application MUST be filled out for the Graduate School. Click here to apply to the Graduate School. Note that you will still need official transcripts, GRE score reports and TOEFL score reports sent to the Graduate school.

    If you have problems viewing any pdf file, make sure you have the most current version of Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. A free version of Adobe Reader is available here.

  • Transcript(s) (copies of official transcripts are acceptable).
  • Three letters of recommendation. We prefer that you do not send hardcopy letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are handled by the Graduate School's online letters system.

    If recommenders prefer to send a hardcopy of their letter of recommendation, please ask them to use the recommendation template at: http://www.math.umn.edu/grad/recommen.html and send or FAX their letters to:

    University of Minnesota
    School of Mathematics
    127 Vincent Hall
    206 Church Street SE
    Minneapolis, MN 55455
    Fax: (612) 624-6702
  • Statement of Purpose and Goals. [the form]
  • GRE Advanced Subject Test in Mathematics (very strongly recommended).
  • A TOEFL score for non-native English speakers.

    Important Note for International Applicants

    The University of Minnesota has created new guidelines for the TOEFL exam affecting graduate students supported as Teaching Assistants beginning in Fall 2010. These guidelines do not apply to students supported by fellowships, research assistantships, or other means.

    No student with a score below 18 on the speaking part of the exam can be supported as a Teaching Assistant. Furthermore, no student with a speaking score below 23 can be assigned to lead a classroom discussion section. These requirements are in addition to the Graduate School requirement for admission (at least 79 on the Internet based TOEFL with section scores of 21 on writing and 19 on reading).

    In addition, the current budgetary crisis has dramatically reduced the number of Teaching Assistants assigned to duties other than discussion sections. For the current semester, every Teaching Assistant is in the classroom. We hope that this situation will improve next year, but we have no guarantees.

    The combination of these factors has forced us to use the following guidelines for offering support to potential international graduate students:

    1. To receive full consideration for support, you should have a TOEFL score of at least 100 with a section score of at least 23 on speaking.
    2. Given current funding projections, the probability that you will receive an offer of support for Fall 2010 diminishes sharply for total scores below 100 or speaking scores below 23. Unanticipated improvements in funding may increase this probability.
    3. The probably of an offer diminishes to zero if your total score is below 79, your speaking score is below 18, your writing score is below 21, or your reading score is below 19.

When you think all of your department materials have had a chance to arrive, please feel free to contact us, to find out if your application is, in fact, complete.

In detail, on the application form:

  • You should list all colleges and universities you have attended, with degrees earned, and grade-point averages.

  • You should list the three people who will write your letters of recommendation. These letters are a very important part of your application, since they are used to estimate the your potential and motivation for graduate work in mathematics. Therefore, letters from sources unfamiliar with graduate-level work in mathematics are not usually helpful. Usually these letters are from mathematicians with whom you've been involved in advanced coursework or research projects.

  • You should list the advanced mathematics courses you have taken. This means courses beyond the usual lower-division mathematics courses such as calculus, introductory differential equations, and introductory linear algebra. Specifically, for graduate work in mathematics it is important to have solid preparation in abstract algebra, analysis, and topology , no matter what your eventual specialty may be. It is expected that you will have had year-long courses in both abstract algebra and rigorous analysis, and some point-set topology. Most other undergraduate-level courses are either more elementary or more specialized and will not be considered as adequate substitutes. (For example, differential equations, linear algebra, mathematical logic, numerical analysis, or differential geometry) do not give the necessary broad background. An application should have exceptional strength in other aspects if these expectations are not met.

  • It is important that you list the texts used for your advanced courses, and which parts of them you covered. Many courses with the same name are nevertheless radically different from each other. Please do make clear the source and content of your courses.

  • An official transcript must be sent to the Graduate School, and a copy to the School of Mathematics. This is in addition to the mathematics coursework you described in the application to the School of Mathematics, as mentioned above. Note that the Graduate School will not act on your application unless the transcript accompanying it is official. Official transcripts bear the original signature of the registrar and the impression seal of the issuing institution. If your undergraduate school does not issue official transcripts, the Graduate School's instructions for completing admission applications indicate what you should send as a substitute.

  • Three letters of recommendation: We prefer that you do not send hardcopy letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are handled by the Graduate School's online letters system.

    If recommenders prefer to send a hardcopy of their letter of recommendation, please ask them to use the recommendation template at: http://www.math.umn.edu/grad/recommen.html and send or FAX their letters to:

    University of Minnesota
    School of Mathematics
    127 Vincent Hall
    206 Church Street SE
    Minneapolis, MN 55455
    Fax: (612) 624-6702

    As noted above, these letters are very important in assessing your application.

  • The Statement of Purpose and Goals is very important for us to assess your sincerity, motivation, and expectations. It should be sent to the mathematics department.

  • GRE Advanced Subject Test score in Mathematics is expected. Note that it can take up to six weeks for the scores to be reported, a delay that should be taken into account in conjunction with our application deadlines. The official report of this score should be sent to The Graduate School, and this score should also be noted on your application form to the School of Mathematics. If your school cannot provide you with information on these examinations, please visit GRE online http://www.gre.org.

  • A TOEFL score is required for non-native English speakers. The language of instruction at the University of Minnesota is English, and also most graduate students in mathematics spend some time working as a Teaching Assistant, so fluency in English is necessary. For more information on the TOEFL examination, please contact the TOEFL website http://www.toefl.org.

  • For GRE, the University of Minnesota has institution code 6874, the School of Mathematics has department code 0703 and the Graduate School has no department code. For TOEFL, the University of Minnesota has institution code 6874, the School of Mathematics has department code 72 and the Graduate School has no department code. For either GRE or TOEFL, please use both the institution code and the department code; that way a copy goes both to the department, and -- electronically -- to our Graduate School.

  • Applicants with more than one year of graduate experience in mathematics must demonstrate commensurate academic progress or mathematical accomplishment to be seriously considered for admission or financial aid. A basic criterion is comparison with our own graduate students of comparable standing. In particular, an applicant with more than one year of graduate experience in Mathematics should have completed year-long courses in each of Algebra, Analysis and Topology, and to have a GRE Math Advanced Subject Test Score commensurate with that experience.

  • The application fee ( $75 for domestic students, $95 for international students ) must be paid to the Graduate School. Our department does not receive any money.

    We typically make our offers in March. Please note that all major US universities are signers of the April 15 resolution. Signers of this resolution agree that no offer should require a response before 15 April, and we therefore encourage our applicants to wait until at least 15 March before making decisions.

    Please feel free to write to us at any time if you have questions, at gradprog@math.umn.edu.

    Director of Graduate Studies in Mathematics
    (612) 625-1306     gradprog@math.umn.edu
    127 Vincent Hall
    206 Church St. S.E.
    Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
    www@math.umn.edu
    URL http://www.math.umn.edu/grad/requirements.html
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