| Dr. A. Kadir Aziz has named this fund in memory of Professor Emeritus John E. Osborn. Professor Osborn received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1965 and went on to spend his entire career at the University of Maryland, where he specialized in numerical analysis and elliptic partial differential equations. He served with distinction as Chair of the Department of Mathematics from 1982-1985 and as Acting or Interim Dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences from 1989-90 and 1998-99. He was instrumental in the SCHOL project to update the Department of Mathematics’ undergraduate curriculum. In September 2000, a conference on Finite Element Analysis and Eigenvalue Problems was held in his honor. Although Professor Osborn officially retired at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year, he continued to be an active participant in department seminars and affairs up until his death on May 30, 2011, at the age of 74. |
Oscar Coppola
Nicholas Forman
Ben Goldschlager
Mohammad Sharifi Kiasari
Isabelle Stepler
Leah White
Pablo Cedillos
Amandeep Chanda
Chang Chen
Foivos Chnaras
Tyler Clark
Samuel DiPasqua
Nathan Janus
Brandon Kolstoe
Mengting Chao
Prakhar Gupta
Revati Jadhav
Zhirui Li
Jian-Long Liu
David Russell
HaeYun Seo
Max Springer
Jingcheng Lu
Haoran Li
Mariam Askari
Luis Suarez
Zack Greenberg
Shahnawaz Khalid
Nolan Coble
Jiaxin Yuan
Marco Bornstein
Lucas Bouck
Keith Mills
Sheyda Peyman
Ayushi Saxena
Avi Schwarzchild
Shin Eui Song
Melanka Wedige
Kyle Liss
Tong Lu
Steven Reich
Aquia Richburg
Arghya Sadhukhan
Jiaqi Zhou
Sahil Chopra
Eric Kubischta
Charles Daly
Nathan Dykas
Pratima Hebbar
Ishfaaq Mohammed Imtiyas
Ayala Nuriely
Eric Oden
Ke Xue
Kristin Carfora
Liam Fowl
Nicholas Paskal
Tengfei Su
Adil Virani
Nathan Yu
Sean Ballentine
Chae Clark
Stefan Doboszczak
Rebecca Black
Oliver Rourke
Nakhila Mistry
Xia Hu
Siming He
Lucia Simonelli
Richard Rast
Ryan Hunter
Patrick Daniels
Robert Maschal
Matthew Whiteway
Oliver Lum
Ryan Kirk
Jinhang Xue
Sam Bloom
Matthew Becker
Colleen Stock
James Murphy
Matt Begue
Jacob Ralston
Adam Lizzi
Kanna Nakamura
Geoffrey Clapp
Maxx Cho
Jong Jun Lee
Hana Ueda
Catherine Ochalek
Stephen Balady
Alexander Cloninger
Each year the Mathematics Department hosts a competition for graduate students called Spotlight on Research, with cash prizes. The competition is run and judged by current studnets in the MATH, AMSC, and STAT programs.
Previous winners are at this link: Spotlight on Graduate Research Awards
The requirements below are for students in pure mathematics, not in statistics. For students in Statistics: Qualifying Exams must be passed in Statistics, Probability, and Applied Statistics.
1. Students must pass 2 qualifying exams from the following list:
Algebra (Math 600, 601)
Analysis (Math 630, 660)
Geometry (Math 730, 740; Exam not available to students entering in 2018 or later)
Probability (Stat 600, 601)
Statistics (Stat 700, 701)
A student in pure mathematics can use at most one of Probability and Statistics to satisfy the exam requirement.
The Geometry exam will be discontinued after January 2020. Until then, it will only be available to students admitted during 2017 or earlier.
2. Students must take four additional semesters of courses from the following list, with a grade point average of 3.3 or better for the four courses used to satisfy this requirement. Courses with grades less than B cannot be included (for example, B− is not allowed).
Math 600, 601 (Algebra)
Math 630, 660 (Analysis)
Math 730, 740 (Geometry)
Stat 600, 601 (Probability)
Stat 700, 701 (Statistics)
Math 634 (Harmonic Analysis)
Math 642 (Dynamical Systems I)
Math 712, Math 713 (Logic)
Math 734 (Algebraic Topology)
Math 744 (Lie Groups)
AMSC 666, AMSC 667 (Numerical Analysis)
Math 631 (Real Analysis)
Math 670 (ODE)
Math 673, Math 674 (PDE)
The four semesters are not required to be in the same sequence of courses. For example, Math 730, Math 670, AMSC 666, and AMSC 667 would be acceptable. These four semester-long courses must be distinct from the ones supporting the qualifying exams passed in Part 1.
A student may take and pass a third (and possibly, a fourth) qualifying exam in place of taking the actual courses. For example, passing the written exams
in Algebra, Analysis, and Geometry would count as 2 exams plus 2 semesters.
One qualifying exam must be passed by January of the second year, and all requirements must be finished by January of the third year.
Students who have taken courses from the second list elsewhere may petition the graduate chair to have such courses satisfy up to two semesters of the four-semester requirement (although generally students should instead use these courses as preparation for qualifying exams).
Each course on the lists should have serious assessment methods (graded homework, projects, exams, and/or similar). There should be some significant assessment that is guaranteed to be done solely by the student (that is, an exam, not only homework).
For the M.A. degree in Mathematics, students have two options:
Option I. Write a Masters thesis and satisfy the University requirements.
Option II. (a) Receive at least an MA Pass on two PhD written exams from the following list, and write a scholarly paper (as required by the Graduate School):
Algebra (Math 600, 601)
Analysis (Math 630, 660)
Geometry (Math 730, 740)
Probability (Stat 600, 601)
Statistics (Stat 700, 701)
A student in pure mathematics can use at most one of Probability and Statistics to satisfy the exam requirement. Note that students are required to take the exams that are written at the PhD level and receive a MA Pass. No separate MA-only exams will be written.
The Geometry exam will be discontinued after January 2020. Until then, it will only be available to students admitted during 2017 or earlier.
(b) In addition to the Qualifying Exams, students using Option II must take three additional semesters of courses from the following list. Courses with grades less than B cannot be included (for example, B− is not allowed).
Math 600, 601 (Algebra)
Math 630, 660 (Analysis)
Math 730, 740 (Geometry)
Stat 600, 601 (Probability)
Stat 700, 701 (Statistics)
Math 634 (Harmonic Analysis)
Math 642 (Dynamical Systems I)
Math 712, Math 713 (Logic)
Math 734 (Algebraic Topology)
AMSC 666, AMSC 667 (Numerical Analysis)
Math 631 (Real Analysis)
Math 670 (ODE)
Math 673, Math 674 (PDE)
The three semesters are not required to be in the same sequence of courses. For example, Math 730, Math 670, and AMSC 666 would be acceptable. These three semester-long courses must be distinct from the ones supporting the qualifying exams. For example, if the Algebra Exam is used as one of the Qualifying Exams, then neither Math 600 nor Math 601 can be used for the three-course requirement.
Lockheed Martin, Univ. Bremen, CUNY, Stephen F. Austin College (2), Harvard, Univ. of Maryland, Columbia College (Chicago)
Franklin & Marshall College, NSA, Universitat Munster, Bloomberg, Berkeley, Academia Sinica, JHU Applied Physics Lab, Yale, NIH, Nanyang Technological Univ. (Singapore)
Univ. of Nicosia (Cyprus), Univ. of Paris VII, Towson Univ., Univ. of Utah, Army Research Lab, NSA (3), Nat'l Geospatial Intelligence Agcy., Univ. of Victoria (Canada)
Univ. of Maryland, Univ. of British Columbia, Songkhla Univ. (Thailand), Decisive Analytics, Notre Dame, Duke Univ. (2), Rice Univ., Mahidol Univ. (Thailand)
Univ. of Chicago, Bloomberg, Brown, Aalto Univ. (Finland), Univ. Wisconsin, Cornell Univ., Howard Univ., Georgetown Univ., Univ. of Massachusetts, Yield Book (Citibank)
Northrop-Grumman, Jane Street Capital (NY), Univ. Minnesota, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Univ. of Chicago
NSA, Cornell Univ., Michigan State Univ., Univ. Luxembourg, Univ. of Maryland
Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso (Chile), Department of Defense, University of Maryland (2), US Treasury, NSA, Rutgers Univ., Army Research Lab, Quantifind (CA), Duke Univ., Courant Institute, Boston Univ., Celerity, US Census Bureau
NYU, Univ. of Maryland (3), NSA, Data Science, Sphere of Influence, Northwestern University, University of Iowa
Univ. of Oklahoma Norman, Department of Defense, IHES, U. Penn, Facebook, Univ. of Maryland
FDA, Univ. of Maryland, Courant Institute, New York Univ., Ohio State Univ., UC Irvine, AbbVie Inc.
Department of Defense, NSA, Univ. of Maryland, Univ.of Texas, Goldman Sachs, Duke Univ., East Carolina Univ., Univ.of Wisconsin
Univ. of Colorado, Univ. of Maryland, Pennsylvania State Univ, Texas A&M Univ., Univ. of Michigan, PayPal, Wells Fargo
Nicolaus Copernicus Univ., U.S. Census Bureau, Univ. of Copenhagen, MITRE Corporation, Brown Univ, Army Research Laboratory, Eli Lilly and Company, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Univ. of Maryland, and Actifai
1. What are the most important factors in admission decisions?
Transcript (do you have a strong enough background to succeed in grad school at Maryland?), Letters of recommendation, GRE Subject score. If you are an international applicant, the TOEFL (or IELTS or PTE) score is important.
2. How many students are accepted?
In a recent year, 190 people applied, 30 were offered admission, and 14 accepted our offer.
3. Do you admit students for the Spring semester?
No.
4. Do you admit students who are aiming only for a Masters degree?
Generally, we admit students only for PhD degree. If you are considering going for a PhD degree, you should apply directly to the PhD program. You should not apply to the Masters program with the intention of getting that degree and then deciding whether to continue. If you are in the PhD program, it is possible to stop at the Masters degree.
5. What score do I need on the GRE Subject test?
There is no minimum score, since other factors also play a role, but your chances decrease significantly if your score is much below 700.
6. Do I need the GRE Subject test?
Occasionally someone is accepted without the GRE Subject test. However, we accept only about 16% of applicants, so someone with missing information is at a severe disadvantage. (Please note, the GRE General Test is required.)
7. What grade point average do I need?
You should have at least a 3.0 grade point average, with mostly A's in your mathematics courses.
8. What score do I need on the TOEFL?
For the TOEFL, we want a total score of at least 105, with at least 23 on the speaking portion. Occasionally, we accept someone who misses by a point, but this is rare. We never accept someone with a total score below 100.
We now accept IELTS or PTE in place of the TOEFL. For the IELTS, we want a score of 7.4 or higher. For the PTE, we want a score of 72 or higher.
9. I am a student from a non-English-speaking country who received a Masters degree in the US. The Graduate School has waived the TOEFL requirement. Do I still need the TOEFL?
Yes. Because our graduate students are supported by Teaching Assistantships, it is required that their English skills are higher than the minimum required to attend courses.
10. I have a transcript from my institution that is encrypted. What should I do?
Do not upload an encrypted transcript to the application. It will upload as a black document, and will not be able to be used for evaluation. Please print the document out, scan it, then upload the scanned version.
11. What if I don't know what area I'm interested in?
Am I allowed to change areas when I get to graduate school? You probably have some idea what direction you might be headed, for example, analysis, algebra, logic, geometry, etc. It's best to list one or two areas, since "undecided" could result in your application not being considered as carefully by admission committee members who are assigned applicants in their field to review. You can of course change your area of interest while in graduate school. There are areas of mathematics that you might currently not know anything about, but after taking a course you decide that's what you really want to do. The first two years of grad school are usually spent expanding your horizons and figuring out what area you want to pursue.
12. What if some of my application materials arrive late?
Our job is to select the best students, not to enforce arbitrary deadlines. However, when material arrives after a file has been reviewed, sometimes it gets missed. So, a few days late is often no problem, but a few weeks late could hurt your chances.
13. What should be on the Personal Statement and/or Supplementary Application Essay?
The personal statement is not like the essay that got you accepted or rejected at the undergraduate school of your dreams. We don't care about literary style, etc. We want to know what interests you mathematically and what interests you about the University of Maryland. For example, which professors might you consider working with? If you have done a research project, say something about it. If there are parts of math that you found exciting, say so. If there is something in your record that is going to raise questions (for example, it's been ten years since you were an undergraduate), answer those questions if appropriate. If this applies to you, you can also discuss your community involvement or service, leadership, or overcoming social, economic or physical barriers. It is acceptable to submit the same text for both the Essay and Statement of Purpose.
14. What courses should I take to be ready for grad school?
For almost all areas of math, we want to see real analysis (epsilon-delta proofs, compact sets, Cauchy sequences, etc.) and a theoretical linear algebra course (not just row operations on matrices; there should be linear independence, diagonalization theorems, minimal polynomials). For pure math, a good course in abstract algebra is recommended. For more applied areas, some partial differential equations or complex analysis is good. Generally, the more math, the better. If you are at a school that offers grad courses, then taking a grad course (and doing well) increases your chances. If your school doesn't offer grad courses, then take as many upper-level courses as possible.
15. How do I support myself during graduate school?
All of our accepted students (except a few who are supported by employers) are offered support by the University, usually in the form of a Teaching Assistantship. This covers your tuition and pays a salary of around $23000 per academic year. This is enough to live on, but you don't get rich. Teaching Assistants teach 4 to 6 hours per week, depending on the course. The total time commitment is around 12 to 15 hour per week. Some more advanced grad students are supported as Research Assistants, with the money usually coming from the advisor's research grant.
16. When are accepted students notified?
Acceptances are made from mid-February through April 15. Here's what happens: Since we support all accepted students with Teaching Assistantships, we need to end up with a predetermined number of students, with a very small error term. Some acceptances are sent out in mid February, but no one can be required to answer until April 15. Therefore, nothing happens for several weeks. Everyone else starts getting nervous, especially since they see on grad cafe web sites that we've made some acceptances. Finally, around April 1, these accepted students either get rejected by their higher choices and accept our offer, or they have been accepted by a higher choice and are trying to get up the courage to say no to us. (If you end up in this latter category, please be courageous. The graduate director is getting besieged with emails from people who want your place.) When it looks like we'll be below our quota, we send more acceptances. (If it looks like we have too many, we hide from the budget people and hope for rejections.) Around April 10, we have filled about half of our positions, with many offers awaiting responses. By some miracle, over the last five days, the rejections and acceptances come and go, and we hit our projected number.
17. How long does it take to get a PhD?
The median time is around 5.5 years.
18. What percentage of the students complete the program?
Our recent estimate is that around 75% of entering students will complete their PhD.
19. What do students do after they graduate? (besides celebrate)
See the list of recent jobs.
For application FAQs (technical questions), please see: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/admissions-requirements