GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
updated 10/1/2008

A student must have completed a bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university in order to be considered for admission. The undergraduate major need not be mathematics, but a student should have mastered material roughly equivalent to the undergraduate mathematics major at The University of Michigan including:

• three semesters of calculus
• one or two semesters of differential equations
• one semester courses in modern algebra, linear algebra, geometry or topology
• advanced calculus of one and several variables

In addition, a student should have completed at least three additional mathematics courses and at least two courses in related fields such as statistics, computer science, or the physical sciences. Students with strong records in less comprehensive programs will be considered for admission but should expect to spend the first one or two semesters in graduate school completing their undergraduate preparation in mathematics. For additional details, please visit our FAQ page.

APPLICATION

• Rackham Online Application with fee.

• Statement of Purpose (included in the Rackham online application). The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written essay about your mathematical background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.

• Personal Statement (included in the Rackham online application). This is different from the Statement of Purpose in that we ask that you write about things not captured by the application or the Statement of Purpose. Tell us about where you grew up, when you first decided you wanted to study mathematics, what challenges you faced and how you overcame them in your pursuit of mathematics

• Official GRE general scores and GRE Mathematics subject scores

Request ETS to send official scores directly to the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan

The ETS school code for the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School is 1839
The ETS code for the GRE test for Actuarial Science is 0701; AIM is 0702; and Mathematics is 0703

• 3 letters of recommendation (submitted online). Please register your recommenders for the electronic Letters of Recommendation in the online application. If your recommender would prefer a paper copy of the Recommendation form (PDF format), they may be downloaded here
  

• Curriculum Vitae/Resume (4 page limit) Please upload your curriculum vitae or resume that describes your education, work experience, research and teaching experience, professional affiliations, volunteer activity and community engagement, honors and awards.

• Official TOEFL or IELTS Scores for all non-native English speakers. Visit the Rackham School of Graduate Studies for more information on their TOEFL Requirement

Request TOEFL to send official copy to the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School

The ETS code for the TOEFL test is 72

• International students whose native language is not English and who are applying for financial support should submit (if possible) an extra letter of reference concerning their ability to conduct classroom instruction in English. This letter must be written by a native English speaker who is familiar with university mathematics and the challenges that teachers who utilize English as a second language face. Recommenders should email their letter to math-grad-admissions@umich.edu.

• Official Transcripts from all post secondary Institutions are submitted to the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School. (In addition, please upload all unofficial copies of your transcripts when you complete the Rackham online application)

Send one copy of all Official transcripts to the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan.

Rackham Graduate School
Attn: Transcripts
915 E. Washington Street
Ann Arbor MI 48109-1070

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE

IMPORTANT ITEMS TO REMEMBER

Because of the processing time (often more than two months), the GRE and TOEFL or IELTS tests should be taken by October, 2012 and in no case later than December, 2012. Note that for Pure Mathematics, AIM Program and the Actuarial Program, the GRE aptitude (general) and GRE advanced (subject) mathematics tests are required. While there are no minimum acceptable GRE scores, a high standard is expected. No admission action will be taken without the official results.

Letters of recommendation play an especially crucial role in the admission process. Applicants should choose as recommenders people who know their strengths and weaknesses relevant to graduate study in mathematics. The most useful letters are those which list in some detail the accomplishments of the student and make direct comparisons with other students who have succeeded at major U.S. graduate schools. Foreign students already in the U.S. should submit letters from their U.S. institution, whenever possible.Please register your recommenders for the electronic Letters of Recommendation when using the Online Application.

Those students who will have completed a Master's degree in Mathematics by the time they begin studies at The University of Michigan must apply to the Ph.D. program. Others may apply to either program. It is possible, but not automatic, to move from one program to the other.

ETS CODES

• The ETS school code for the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School is 1839.

• The ETS code for the GRE test for:
  • Actuarial Science is 0701
  • AIM is 0702
  • Mathematics is 0703

• The ETS code for the TOEFL test is 72.

ADDITIONAL ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

Please visit the admissions page of the Rackham Graduate School for additional information regarding admission including:
Minimum graduate school requirements, residency, application fees and submitting transcripts.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

Most students enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Mathematics receive some sort of financial support. The Department offers aid in the form of Fellowships, Graduate Student Instructorships, and Research Assistantships.

All entering students who request financial support will be considered for Graduate Student Instructorships, which normally require four classroom hours of teaching per week plus additional office hours during the Fall and Winter terms. The stipend for such an appointment in 2012 -- 2013 is $9,117 per term. In addition, Graduate Student Instructors receive a full tuition waiver. Teaching duties may involve teaching a section of a first-year calculus or pre-calculus course or serving as an instructor for recitation sections attached to a faculty lecture in multivariable calculus or elementary differential equations.

The Department of Mathematics has many fellowship opportunities, including the Copeland, Glover, Rainich, and Shields Fellowships which may provide a stipend, tuition waiver and in some cases a reduced teaching load. Other fellowships administered by the Rackham Graduate School can be found at their Fellowships office.

The University of Michigan is part of the CIC consortium, which also awards fellowships to outstanding underrepresented applicants. Also available are prestigious Rackham Science Award’s given out by the Rackham Graduate School.

AFTER ADMISSION

All new Graduate Student Instructors are required to attend an orientation and training program which is held the week before classes begin. New Graduate Student Instructors whose native language is not English must pass an English Evaluation which tests the specific oral skills needed for classroom teaching and are required to attend a three-week cultural orientation program in August.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact the Department of Mathematics
at (734)764-7436 or (734)615-3439. You can also e-mail us at:

math-grad-admissions@umich.edu