Georgia Institute of Technology College of Sciences

This page is intended to answer questions specific to admissions to the School of Math that you may have after visiting the pages on Graduate Programs and more specifically Prospective Students. The Office of Graduate Studies at Georgia Tech also maintains its own FAQ page for general questions concerning the application procedures.

Questions

1. What kinds of research do the mathematicians at Georgia Tech do?
2. When do the academic terms begin?
3. When are the deadlines for admission?
4. Is it possible to pursue a graduate degree in mathematics with Georgia Tech through distance learning?
5. I want to take some advanced mathematics courses without working towards a degree at Georgia Tech. Is that possible?
6. I am a disabled student. How can I learn about accommodation of my disability at Georgia Tech?
7. Could you please let me know the status of my application?
8. As an international applicant, do I need to send financial materials, as required for a US Visa?
9. I was not a mathematics major as an undergraduate. Am I eligible for graduate study in mathematics at Georgia Tech?
10. Do you accept students from my country? How many?
11. What are the minimum acceptable scores on the GRE?
12. I am interested in the PhD program, but I have not taken the Subject test of the GRE. Will I still be considered?
13. What is the minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL?
14. Has my TOEFL expired?
15. What are the GRE and TOEFL codes for Georgia Tech and the School of Mathematics?
16. How can I get the application fee waived?
17. I would like you to consider me on the basis of emailed copies of my transcript/other documents, and I would send the official documents only after being accepted. Is this possible?
18. In my country I cannot use a credit card or money order to pay the application fee. How else can I pay it?
19. I am not sure which program to apply to - I am interested in more than one. Should I submit multiple applications?
20. I live in the Atlanta area and am interested in enrolling so that I can take some courses part time. Should I apply as a special, non-degree student?
21. What courses will be offered in the next few terms?
22. Before I send you my application I would like to know what my chances are. Can you give me an idea about that, based on the attached summary of my academic record/the enclosed description of my many accomplishments?
23. Are admitted MS students offered any financial support?
24. Is it necessary to have a master's degree for admission to the PhD programs? Is it necessary to get a master's degree on the way to the PhD?
25. In my country there are three-year BS degrees. Am I eligible for admission to Georgia Tech?
26. How many credit hours from graduate coursework at another institution can I transfer towards a degree in the School of Math?
27. Do you offer any online graduate programs?
28. Can I update the transcript I submitted to CollegeNET after the application deadline?
29. Is there a size limit for the personal statement I can upload on CollegeNET?
30. How much are the tuition and fees for the graduate programs?
31. Is there a minimum GPA required in order to apply to a graduate program in the School of Math?

Answers

1. What kinds of research do the mathematicians at Georgia Tech do?

   See our faculty research interests page.
    

2. When do the academic terms begin?

   Usually classes start in the last week of  August. See the GT Calendar for the exact date. New students need to arrive one week earlier for orientation. International students may need to arrive at least 2 weeks in advance of orientation.
    

3. When are the deadlines for admission?

   Please refer to the admissions deadlines Please be aware that most applicants are admitted in the Fall Semester.
    

4. Is it possible to pursue a graduate degree in mathematics with Georgia Tech through distance learning?

   No. It is possible to take a certain number of courses through distance learning, but ours is a residential program. The availability of necessary courses is not at all guaranteed, and it would not be possible to participate in other parts of graduate education, like seminars.
    

5. I want to take some advanced mathematics courses without working towards a degree at Georgia Tech. Is that possible?

   Normally, no. There are a few "special non-degree students" (SPEC) in the School of Mathematics. The great majority of these are foreign-exchange students working toward a degree at another university. SPEC students should go through admissions like any other graduate applicant. Some students take our advanced classes through Distance Learning. In Atlanta the unit of the University System that offers the greatest number of advanced mathematics classes to the public is Georgia State University.
    

6. I am a disabled student. How can I learn about accommodation of my disability at Georgia Tech?

   Georgia Tech abides by Federal and State regulations for accommodating disabled students, and has an office called ADAPTS in charge of this. Please consult ADAPTS for accurate information on this question.
    

7. Could you please let me know the status of my application?

   Screening of applications takes a long time, and we will be unable to tell you about acceptance until well after the application deadline. Status reports, and information on material received, are available at the Graduate Admissions Web Site.
    

8. As an international applicant do I need to send financial materials, as required for a US Visa?

   Not before an acceptance. After a student has been accepted, we will be in touch for such details.
    

9. I was not a mathematics major as an undergraduate. Am I eligible for graduate study in mathematics at Georgia Tech?

   Yes. We have had many graduate students whose undergraduate majors were in engineering or the sciences. They have gone into our doctoral program in mathematics as well as into our interdisciplinary degree programs. Our courses of study are flexible enough to allow you to make up some of the standard mathematics preparation you may lack, within reason. For example, a substantial exposure to appropriate courses like those at Tech's 3000 and 4000 level and preferably some graduate classes in mathematics are expected.
    

10. Do you accept students from my country? How many?

    We consider students from all countries, without quotas. Also, we do not exclude anyone on the basis of age, gender, or ethnicity. By the way, a unique feature of our program is that the School of Mathematics employs a professional language specialist to help you with classes, teaching responsibilities, and adjusting to American culture.

11. What are the minimum acceptable scores on the GRE?

    We don't set a minimum because we don't admit by a formula, but instead take the applicants we think best fit our programs. The PhD entering class in Fall 2014 had the following averages

    V	Q	AW	Subj
    166	160	3.6	784

    Moreover, our use of the GRE varies according to the degree program. For example, the GRE in Mathematics subject test is not a strict requirement for our master's degree programs, but it is required for the PhD programs in mathematics.
     

12. I am interested in the PhD program, but I have not taken the Subject test of the GRE. Will I still be considered?

    The Subject GRE is a published requirement for all PhD programs in Mathematics. Since the program is highly competitive, an application without the Subject test will not be selected without compelling evidence that your mathematical preparation is among the best of our applicants. Examples of such evidence may include a good showing on the Putnam Exam, or outstanding recommendation letters.
     

13. What is the minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL?

    We have a minimum TOEFL requirement for applicants whose native language is not English of 250 (computer-based), 600 (paper) or 96 (internet-based). It should be noted that most admitted students have a TOEFL score above 100 (internet based) and we pay particular attention to the speaking and listening portions of the TOEFL. Note that if you have studied in the US for a year, the TOEFL is not required, but any evidence you can provide for efficacy in English will help your application.
     

14. Has my TOEFL expired?

    If your scores are over about 2 years old, and you have not been enrolled in an English-speaking educational institution, you will need to take the TOEFL again.
     

15. What are the GRE and TOEFL codes for Georgia Tech and the School of Mathematics?

    For the GRE: Georgia Tech = R5248, mathematics = 0703 For the TOEFL: Georgia Tech = 5248, mathematics = 72 General information of this kind is available from the Admission's Office.
     

16. How can I get the application fee waived?

    Please see our admissions page for information about eligibility for an application fee waiver.
     

17. I would like you to consider me on the basis of faxed copies of my transcript/other documents, and I would send the official documents only after being accepted. Is this possible?

    No, we are only able to evaluate an official application.
     

18. In my country I cannot use a credit card or money order to pay the application fee. How else can I pay it?

    We are sorry that this problem arises, but the School of Mathematics has no connection with or control over application fees. If you cannot locate a better solution on the Graduate Admissions website we have no suggestion more creative than asking a friend or relative to pay on your behalf.
     

19. I am not sure which program to apply to - I am interested in more than one. Should I submit multiple applications?

    We discourage that. If you do that, the graduate office may consider you multiple different people, each of whom has submitted an incomplete application. But also, for your own plans it is best to come to a decision about what you really want. You could, however, include a statement about your other interests, and we might take this into account in admissions or suggest alternatives to you.
     

20. I live in the Atlanta area and am interested in enrolling so that I can take some courses part time. Should I apply as a special, non-degree student?

    This depends on the level of the courses you wish to take. If you are looking for calculus or other similar undergraduate mathematics classes, you would be better advised to investigate other branches of the system, such as GSU, Kennesaw State, or Perimeter College, which provide continuing education services. Our Distance Learning Department does offer some advanced (senior and graduate level) service classes in mathematics. These are taught by our mathematics faculty and are aimed mostly at working engineers.

    If you are seeking to take graduate mathematics classes but have career needs or other constraints which prevent you from being a regularly enrolled graduate student, then you may be one of the rare students whom we can consider as a special non-degree student. You can apply as usual, and your application will be judged on a competitive basis.
     

21. What courses will be offered in the next few terms?

    Please review the projected course offerings.
     

22. Before I send you my application I would like to know what my chances are. Can you give me an idea about that, based on the attached summary of my academic record/the enclosed description of my many accomplishments?

    Sorry, we cannot do that.
     

23. Are admitted MS students offered any financial support?

    No. Normally we do not pay any stipends or issue tuition waivers to MS students.
     

24. Is it necessary to have a master's degree for admission to the PhD programs? Is it necessary to get a master's degree on the way to the PhD?

    No.
     

25. In my country there are three-year BS degrees. Am I eligible for admission to Georgia Tech?

    It depends on the country and the institute where you earned your degree. The arbiter on this issue is Georgia Tech's office of graduate studies. Please contact grad.ask@gatech.edu to check if your three-year degree is eligible. In all cases, however, if you have an MS degree, then you should be eligible.

26. How many credit hours from graduate coursework at another institution can I transfer towards a degree in the School of Math?

    Masters students may request up to 6 hours, and PhD students may request up to 12 hours of credit transfer. All such requests will be considered on a case by case basis, and will be subject to specific guidelines within each particular program.
     

27. Do you offer any online graduate programs?

    The only program we offer online is the MS degree in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE).
     

28. Can I update the transcript I submitted to CollegeNET after the application deadline?

    No. Many of the transcripts that we receive do not include the grades for the fall semester.
     

29. Is there a size limit for the personal statement I can upload on CollegeNET?

    No. But we strongly advise that the personal statement not be much longer than one page.
     

30. How much are the tuition and fees for the graduate programs?

    See the tuition and fees page maintained by Bursar's Office.
     

31. Is there a minimum GPA required in order to apply to a graduate program in the School of Math?

    No, but having a strong GPA is preferable.