Applying

Thank you for your interest in the University of Rochester’s mathematics graduate program. Below is information on:

Ready to join the mathematics graduate program? Apply online today.

Foundational Knowledge for Incoming Students

It is important the all incoming graduate students have a good foundation in the following areas:

  • Mathematical maturity—Familiarity with the axiomatic approach, induction, and proof by contradiction
  • Set theory—Subsets; unions and intersections; countability and uncountabilty; de Morgan's laws; Cartesian products; equivalence relations and equivalence classes
  • Algebra—Definition of a group and a normal subgroup; some familiarity with homomorphisms, their kernels and cokernels
  • Linear algebra—Vector spaces, matrices, determinants, linear transformations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors and eigenspaces
  • Analysis—Limits and continuity; lim sup and lim inf; the Riemann integral; epsilon-delta proofs; open, closed, and compact subset of Euclidean space; uniform convergence and uniform continuity; working knowledge of inequalities; partial derivatives and multiple integrals

Application Deadlines

Students are admitted only in September. Completed applications should be received by January 5.

TOEFL scores are required of international students whose native language is not English. The minimum TOEFL scores required are: 100 (IBT) with minimum of 21 on speaking portion, 250 (computer-based) or 600 (paper-based). Your TOEFL scores will be sent directly to the department. To have ETS send your TOEFL results to the University of Rochester graduate program use school code 2928.

PLEASE NOTE

Applicants may choose to take the GRE General and Math Subject exams, or submit scores from previous years. However there is no expectation that GRE scores will be part of any application, and applications without GRE exam scores will be given full consideration without prejudice.

Application Checklist and Instructions

To apply, you should complete the University of Rochester online application. The deadline for fall 2025 admission is January 5, 2025.

There is a $70 non-refundable application fee (those in need can request an application fee waiver within the application).

The following is the list of required documents to be uploaded with your application:

  • Transcript(s) (you may upload official or unofficial copies of your transcript(s) at the time of application; however you will need to submit official transcript(s) to the university upon acceptance)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • CV/resume
  • Statement of purpose (500 word maximum)
  • GRE scores (submission of math subject GRE exam scores is strongly encouraged but not required)
  • English Proficiency scores, for international applicants

Financial Support

Graduate students in good standing are supported for at least four years. A fifth year of support is typically available for students who are making satisfactory progress in the program.

Most entering students are appointed teaching assistantships, which includes a full tuition waiver and a stipend of $22,000, depending on teaching duties. The stipend is awarded for nine months of work (10 hours of service per week). In addition, the mandatory student health fee is paid by the University.

Each teaching assistant is expected to hold three 50-minute recitations (all for the same course) per week. Undergraduates attend one of these recitations a week, in addition to the regular lectures given by a faculty member. During the recitation TAs answer questions and help students with homework problems.

In addition to this, duties include:

  • Preparing for recitation
  • Grading quizzes
  • Helping grade midterm and final exams

The math department also maintains a study hall for undergraduates who need extra tutoring. It is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is manned by our graduate students.

Each TA is expected to sign up for a one hour slot. The total time for all "duties" averages out to be about 10 hours per week. Textbooks and solution manuals used for the course are loaned to the TAs each semester.

If you are an incoming foreign student, you may be assigned as a grader (for 200-400 level courses) for one or two semesters. Your ability to speak English will be evaluated and if it is good, we will assign you a teaching assistant position. You will receive a stipend during this time.

Graduate students who become very good teaching assistants are eligible to apply for summer teaching positions (the pay is approximately $5000). Summer courses include:

  • Basic calculus: MATH 141-143
  • MATH 163: Differential Equations
  • MATH 164: Multidimensional Calculus
  • MATH 165: Linear Algebra with Differential Equations
  • MATH 235: Linear Algebra

Summer classes are small and are held for six weeks, four days a week. Summer research fellowships may also be available once a student begins research with a specific advisor.

Dean's Teaching Fellowships are given to advanced graduate students on a competitive basis. The criteria for selection include academic performance and a genuine commitment to teaching. A Dean's Teaching Fellow is given the opportunity to teach one regular course per semester in close consultation with faculty. The fellows receive a stipend of $1,500 per semester.

Graduate Contact

After reviewing the information on our graduate program, if you have any additional questions, please contact gradprogram@math.rochester.edu.