| Frequently
Asked Questions: Admissions |
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What
math courses should I take to prepare for admission to the UW Math Graduate
Program?
The absolute
minimum requirement is at least 5 full-year courses (30 semester hours
or 45 quarter hours) in mathematics beyond precalculus, including familiarity
with one-variable and multivariable advanced calculus, differential equations,
and linear algebra. In addition, in order to be realistically prepared
for graduate school, you should have had at least a full year of rigorous
advanced coursework in real analysis, abstract algebra, or both.
PhD applicants must have solid coursework in both of these subjects.
Topology and complex analysis courses are highly recommended for PhD applicants,
but not required. For more information, see Admission
Requirements.
If
I don't have an undergraduate degree in mathematics, can I be admitted
to the UW Math Graduate Program?
The University
of Washington requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited US institution
(or an equivalent degree from a foreign institution) for admission to any
graduate program. In principle, your degree does not have to be in
mathematics. But, in order to have any possibility of success in
this graduate program, you need to have completed coursework equivalent
to an undergraduate math degree. To have a realistic chance of admission
to our program, you should have excellent GRE scores, and at least one
very strong recommendation from an instructor in a rigorous advanced math
course. For more information, see Admission
Requirements.
Is
it OK to submit a recommendation from someone who is not a math instructor?
If for some
reason you absolutely cannot get three recommendations from people who
have been the instructors of mathematics courses you have taken, then go
ahead and have someone else (such as a professor in another course or a
job supervisor) send us a recommendation. But you should be aware
that such recommendations carry far less weight in the admissions process,
because people who have not taught you in mathematics courses are not in
a position to evaluate how well you might do in a math graduate program.
The most useful recommendations are those from faculty who have been your
instructors in advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate math courses,
and who know you personally rather well.
Does
the UW Math Department admit students for terminal Master's degrees?
Yes. See
the Programs section of the
Graduate Study Web site..
What
degrees are offered by the UW Math Department?
See the Programs
section of the Graduate Study Web site.
What
mathematical fields can I study at the UW Math Department?
How
big is a typical entering class?
Class sizes
fluctuate from year to year, but on the average we have approximately
16 new PhD students and 5 new Master's students each year.
I've
done graduate work at another university. Can I get transfer credits
or be exempted from some courses or exams?
For the
PhD degree, the simple answer is no. But we welcome students who
have already taken graduate courses or who already have Master's degrees;
and if your preparation is sufficiently strong, you can usually work out
a program here that will get you to your degree in less time than typical
entering students without any graduate experience. The first thing
to do is to take one or more preliminary
exams in September of your first year (see also What
is the best way to prepare for prelims?). If you pass them,
you will be exempted from the corresponding core course requirements.
The next thing to do is to choose a thesis advisor and get started on your
research as soon as you have passed prelims, rather than waiting until
the second or third year. Don't worry about the overall course requirements
for the degree--everyone who stays here long enough to write a PhD dissertation
manages easily to take more than enough courses to fulfill the degree requirements.
For Master's degrees,
you may petition the Graduate School to recognize up to 6 transfer credits
for 500-level courses if the Graduate Program Coordinator approves.
Transfer credits are not granted for 400-level courses.
Does
the UW Math Graduate Program have a printed handbook or brochure?
No.
The official source of information about the UW Math Graduate Program is
the Graduate
Study Web site.
If
I apply to the PhD program but don't get in, can I be considered for the
Master's program instead?
Yes, students
who apply to the PhD program are automatically considered for the Master's
program if they appear to be talented but not sufficiently prepared to begin
the PhD program right away. So if your ultimate goal is to receive
a PhD, then go ahead and apply to the PhD program. If you think you
might fall in this category, it wouldn't be a bad idea to include a remark
in your personal statement explaining that you'd be happy to be considered
for Master's admission as well.
Does
the UW Math Department have an industrial mathematics graduate program?
Not as such.
But many of our faculty members and graduate students work closely
with industry. See Connections.
Does
the UW Math Department have a mathematics education graduate program?
No.
Many members of the Math Department are involved in studying
mathematics education issues, and graduate students can get involved
in these studies; but we do not offer a math education degree. The
College
of Education does offer such a degree.
Does
the UW Math Department have an applied mathematics graduate program?
There is
no applied math program as such in the Math Department, but many faculty
members and grad students in the Math Department are actively involved
in applied
and interdisciplinary research. In addition, there is a separate
Applied
Mathematics Department at the University of Washington, which has its
own graduate admissions process.
What
are the differences between the Math and Applied Math Departments?
Math
and Applied Math
are two separate departments, with their own faculties, graduate programs,
and admissions processes. However, the Applied Math department is
not the only place in the university where applied mathematics is done.
In fact, there are as many faculty members doing applied
and interdisciplinary research in the Math Department as there are
in the Applied Math Department. The most important difference, perhaps,
is that faculty members in the two departments are interested in a somewhat
different range of subjects. A second important difference is one
of motivation: Research in the Applied Math Department is a bit more oriented
toward using mathematical ideas to solve problems that arise outside of
mathematics, while research in the Math Department is directed more at
understanding the underlying mathematical ideas, whether motivated by applications
or by more theoretical considerations. If you're interested in applicable
mathematics, the best way to decide which department is right for you is
to talk to both abstract and applied mathematicians about what they do, to
get a sense of which of their attitudes most closely matches your own;
and then see the Math
Department's Applied and Interdisciplinary Research and the Applied
Math Department's Research Overview to decide which department's interests
most closely match your own.
Does
the UW Math Department accept visiting grad students?
Yes.
Here is information
for visiting graduate applicants.
Does
the UW Math Department accept Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM) students?
Yes.
Students who are not ready to begin a degree program may be admitted
as GNM students, and may take up to 12 graduate-level credits which
may be applied toward degree requirements should they be accepted
into the mathematics graduate program. Here
is information about Graduate Non-Matriculated
status.
Does
the UW Math Department accept part-time graduate students?
Yes,
but ... : While it is possible in principle to pursue
a graduate degree part-time, you should be aware that one
of the main benefits of being in a full-time graduate program
is the immersion in mathematics combined with the opportunity
to work together with other students on a regular basis. Attending
part-time would mostly cut you off from those benefits, and
could therefore put you at a significant disadvantage. Our
grad courses almost all meet MWF at various times between
9:30 and 3:30, so you'd need to have a schedule that's sufficiently
flexible to allow you to be available at those times.
Depending on your preparation and how many courses you can take
each quarter, it would probably take you three or four years to
finish a Master's degree working part-time. It would be
almost impossible to complete a PhD degree if you work part-time
throughout the program; but it might be feasible to spend a couple
years working part-time at the beginning or near the middle of
your program.
To apply for part-time study, just follow
the usual application procedure and check the appropriate boxes to indicate that you
plan to attend part-time and that you're applying for admission
without financial support (support is available only to full-time
students).
Does
the UW Math Department accept students to begin in Winter or Spring quarter?
No.
All of our entry-level
graduate courses are full-year sequences beginning in autumn quarter,
so there would be no point in beginning any other quarter. In addition,
all students who are supported as teaching assistants must participate
in the departmental TA
training, which is held only in September.
Does
the UW Math Department accept international applicants?
Yes, we
welcome applications from international applicants, and every year a significant
number of international students are admitted to the program, most with
full financial support. However, you should be aware that there are
special deadlines, special test requirements, and special application procedures
for international applicants. See the page on International
Applicants for more information.
Can
international applicants be offered teaching assistantships?
Yes.
But unless you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand,
or the United Kingdom, or have received a bachelor's or advanced degree
from an accredited institution in the US or in one of these countries,
you must submit a satisfactory TOEFL score with your application, and you
will have to pass a spoken English test within your first year in the program
in order to continue being supported. See "Must
I take the TOEFL and TSE?"
I'm
an American living abroad, or an immigrant living permanently in the US.
Do I count as an international applicant?
An international
applicant is anyone who is not a US citizen or a holder of a permanent
resident or immigrant visa. However, if you are from an English-speaking
country or have received a bachelor's degree from an accredited
institution in an English-speaking country, you may not be subject
to all the same test requirements as other international students.
See the Web pages on International
Applicants and Required Tests.
I'd
like to work with Professor X. Can I be admitted as his/her student?
The UW Math
Department does not assign students to thesis advisors when they are admitted.
Instead, we assign preliminary advisors, and then after a student has passed
preliminary exams (usually after one or two years in the program, but in
rare cases some students pass when they first arrive), the student chooses
a faculty member to be his or her thesis advisor (with the advisor's consent,
of course).
What
tests are required for admission?
See Required
Tests.
When
is the deadline for applying?
It depends on whether
you apply for financial support or not. See Deadlines.
When
will I hear if I'm admitted and/or offered financial support?
We usually
start making offers of admission and financial around the beginning of March.
By around the middle of March, you should have heard some response to your
application: offer of admission with or without financial support, waiting
list, or denied.
If you haven't heard anything by March 20, send e-mail to grads@math.washington.edu
or telephone (206) 543-6830 to check on your status.
I
was told I'm on the waiting list for admission and/or financial support.
What are my chances and when will I hear more?
Don't give
up hope. Every year in recent memory, we have made offers of admission
and financial support to some applicants who were initially
placed on the waiting list. You might hear a final decision
any time up until the final reply deadline of April
15. If at any time you have questions about your status, please feel
free to send e-mail to grads@math.washington.edu
or telephone (206) 543-6830.
I'm
an international applicant. Must I take the TOEFL and TSE?
TOEFL:
Unless you are a citizen of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand,
the United Kingdom, or the US, or have received a bachelor's or
advanced degree from an accredited institution in one of these countries,
you must present a score of at least 580 on the written TOEFL
or 237 on the computer version to be considered for admission to
the Mathematics Department. For
financial support, we prefer to see scores of 600 (written)/250
(computer) or higher. See Required
Tests.
TSE: Although
the university lists the TSE as a required test for financial aid (except
for applicants who are citizens of the English-speaking countries listed
above or who have received a degree from one of these countries), the Mathematics
Department does admit a few international applicants each year without
TSE scores. However, international applicants who
submit a satisfactory TSE score or other compelling proof of spoken English proficiency will
have a much higher chance of being offered admission with financial support than
those that do not. See International
Applicants for more
information.
I'm an
international applicant. How should I fill out the Statement
of Financial Ability?
If you are
awarded financial support from the Math Department, your
TA salary (or fellowship) plus tuition waiver should be enough,
or nearly enough, to cover the financial resources required to
get a visa. Even though you don't yet know whether
you will be offered support, you must still complete and return
the form in order to ensure an accurate student visa application.
Check
the box that says you have submitted an application to be considered
for a Teaching or Research Assistantship from the department,
complete the Dependents section of the form, sign it, and return
it to the Office of Graduate Admissions at the address printed
on the form. If
you have any questions, send e-mail to grads@math.washington.edu
or telephone (206) 543-6830.
If you're
planning to support yourself, then you will have to prove that
you have personal financial resources sufficient to cover your
cost of living plus tuition for the first year, which recently
has amounted to more than US $40,000.
What
are the minimum GPA and test scores required for admission?
GPA:
The
UW Graduate School requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a scale of 0.0–4.0)
for your last two full years' worth of courses. This can be waived,
but only if the rest of your record is exceptionally strong. The
Mathematics Department prefers to see grades of 3.5 or higher, especially
in advanced mathematics courses. Applicants with GPAs below 3.5 are
seldom admitted, as either PhD or Master's students.
GRE General Test:
There
is no absolute minimum for the GRE. Most of the students we admit
have excellent GRE scores (75th percentile or higher).
GRE Math Subject
Test: The majority of applicants admitted to our PhD program
score higher than the 70th percentile on the Math Subject GRE, and almost
all score higher than the 55th percentile. We sometimes admit applicants
with scores below the 55th percentile, but only if their records are otherwise
exceptionally strong. For Master's applicants, the subject GRE is
not required; if you take the test and obtain a relatively high score (50th
percentile or above, say), it will help your application; but not taking
it will not hurt.
TOEFL: If you are
required to take the TOEFL (see Required
Tests), the minimum score is 580 on the written TOEFL or 237
on the computer version. For
financial support, we prefer to see scores of 600 (written)/250
(computer) or higher.
TSE:
International applicants who submit
a TSE score
of 55 or higher or
other compelling proof of spoken English proficiency will have a much
higher chance of being offered admission with financial support
than those that do not. See Required
Tests.
I
can't take the GREs in time for the deadline. Do I still have a chance
of being admitted?
If you do
not take the required GREs (General Test for Master's admission, both General
and Math Subject Tests for PhD admission), there is a small chance that
you might be admitted if the rest of your record is exceptionally strong.
In general, your chances will be much greater if you submit the
required test scores.
I
can't afford the application fee. Can it be waived?
The Mathematics
Department cannot waive the fee. You can request a fee waiver from
the Graduate School by sending e-mail to uwgrad@u.washington.edu,
but be warned that waivers are rarely granted.
Can
I apply online?
Yes, the application process is done online only. See How
to Apply.
Can
I get application forms on paper?
No. The application process is available online only.
What
percentage of entering graduate students are financially supported by the
Math Department?
Almost all.
Occasionally, a Master's student or two (but almost never PhD students) will
be offered admission without financial support, and there
are sometimes other students who have their own resources
and do not request financial support. Other than that, all of our
students are fully supported.
If
I choose to enroll without support, might I be offered support later?
Yes.
Students who enroll without support may be able to obtain support on a
quarter-by-quarter basis, at least for some quarters. In addition,
in the spring of each year, unsupported students are given the opportunity
to apply to become fully supported.
Are
there fellowships or other forms of support for new students besides teaching
assistantships?
Yes.
For beginning PhD students, in recent years there have been a number of
fellowships funded by the NSF's VIGRE program (Vertical Integration Grants
for Research and Education), as well as fellowships funded by the University
of Washington. In addition, most students who complete the PhD program
receive at least a few quarters of support from fellowships or research
assistantships without teaching duties.
How
much do teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships
pay?
For
2005–2006, the entry-level TA salary is around $1,370
per month.
Here is the current
salary scale; entering students are paid at the rate listed
under Teaching Assistant, Schedule #1 (Appointees Eligible for
Fee Waiver). In later years, most students get promoted
to the level of Predoctoral Teaching Associate I, and students
who teach their own sections of courses are usually paid at the
level of Predoctoral Teaching Associate II or higher. Students
supported by research assistantships or fellowships are paid
at a higher rate. Each year we make a number of offers to PhD
applicants that include, in addition to TA appointments, merit
awards that serve to raise the stipend to a point significantly
higher than the TA salary.
We usually don't
know the exact pay scale for the coming year until after the admissions
process is completed, because the pay scale is set each year by the UW
Board of Regents after the state legislature decides on its salary appropriation.
How
much is graduate tuition?
It depends
on whether you are a Washington
State resident or not. Here is the current
tuition table.
Do
teaching assistantships come with tuition waivers?
Yes.
During any quarter when you are supported as a TA, RA, or on a fellowship,
you will not have to pay tuition, except for approximately $200 per quarter in
fees.
Are
there fees that all grad students must pay?
Yes.
Each supported student must pay approximately $200 per quarter in fees.
Do
graduate students receive medical insurance?
All supported grad
students receive comprehensive medical,
dental, and vision coverage at no cost. Self-supporting
students are responsible for their own coverage.
Does
it rain all the time in Seattle?
No.
In fact, Seattle's average
annual precipitation is less than those of New York, Boston, Philadelphia,
and many other major cities, and Seattle summers are dry, sunny, and mild.
Typical winter days are mostly cloudy, with drizzle off and on, and with
occasional sunbreaks.
How
expensive is Seattle to live in?
Although Seattle
has become more expensive in recent years, the overall average cost
of living is only a little higher than the national average, and
is much lower than in many other large cities such as New York,
Boston, San Diego, or Los Angeles. Here is information
on housing costs.
I'd
like to visit Seattle. Is there financial support or other assistance
available?
We would
be more than happy to have you visit us. If you contact grads@math.washington.edu
well in advance of your visit, we will attempt to help you arrange meetings
with faculty members and/or graduate students when you're here, and give
you information about transportation and lodging. A few admitted
PhD applicants will be offered reimbursement for transportation expenses
to Seattle at the time they are admitted; we regret that we are unable
to provide financial travel support to any other applicants.
I
was admitted for this year but I'd like to postpone my entrance into the
program. Can I defer my admission to a later year?
You may
defer your admission by one year, subject to obtaining approval from us.
Please contact us by sending e-mail to grads@math.washington.edu
or telephoning (206) 543-6830. An offer of financial support cannot
be deferred; however, in most cases, a student who defers admission will
be offered the same financial support as the first time around. If
you would like to be considered for a higher offer of support (for example,
if you were on the waiting list for support last time and would like to
be considered for a first-round offer), you should submit new departmental
application materials. See What materials do
I need to resubmit?
I
applied previously to the UW Math Department and I'd like to apply again.
What materials do I need to resubmit?
If you applied
within the past two years, we will still have your application materials
on file. You should resubmit your Math
Department application form, personal statement, and any other materials
that contain new information.
What
is the average time to degree for UW Math PhD students?
During the
past fifteen years or so, it has ranged between 5.5 and 6 years.
I
have a question not answered here. Whom should I contact?
Send e-mail
to grads@math.washington.edu
or telephone (206) 543-6830.
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