The USC Mathematics Department is a dynamic community of scholars, innovators, and educators dedicated to mathematical excellence and advancing mathematical understanding. We take immense pride in our inclusive, diverse, and supportive research environment.

We seek all applicants who share our vision of and passion for mathematics. All applications require 3 letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a short resumé or CV, official transcripts, and TOEFL scores (international applicants only). We do not require GRE tests.

FAQ
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Application Deadline: December 15

Ph.D. Programs

Our department offers two doctoral degree programs:

Mathematics Ph.D.
Applied Mathematics Ph.D.

Our rigorous 5-year program begins with foundational coursework that prepares students to demonstrate mastery through written comprehensive examinations. After this, students work closely with one of our distinguished research faculty to reach the frontier of knowledge in their chosen field. Thus equipped and with ongoing guidance from their advisor, students forge a path to new results through original research. The program culminates with the student’s written dissertation, oral defense, and the conferral of Doctorate of Philosophy.

Admission to our Ph.D. programs includes a 5-year aid package with 1 year of fellowship, 4 years of teaching assistantship, full tuition remission, plus health and dental insurance.

Apply through the Office of Graduate Admission
PhD Graduates May 2023

Masters Programs

We offer six different Masters programs. The application deadline for Masters Programs vary:

Fall Admission Cycle – Apply by February 1

Applications open on September 1. All programs have a deadline of February 1, except the Mathematical Data Science M.S. (February 15) and the Mathematical Finance M.S. (March 30).

Spring Admission Cycle – Apply by October 15

Applications open on August 1. All programs have a deadline of October 15.

Applied Mathematics M.A.

To prepare students for research, teaching and other professional careers in applied mathematics.

Applied Mathematics M.S.

For individuals who are seeking positions which involve mathematical applications.

Mathematics M.A.

To prepare students for research, teaching and other professional careers in mathematics.

Mathematical Data Science M.S.

For individuals seeking a thorough and rigorous comprehension of the mathematical foundations underlying contemporary algorithms.

Mathematical Finance M.S.

For individuals who seek a rigorous foundation in the economic theory and mathematical modeling of financial markets.

Statistics M.S.

For individuals seeking rigorous knowledge and application of statistics and statistical methodology.

 

Admissions FAQs

  • The application deadline for the PhD Programs is December 15. This is a hard deadline, and we cannot accept materials submitted to us after this deadline.

    The application deadline for Fall admission Masters Programs is February 1, except the Mathematical Data Science M.S. (February 15) and the Mathematical Finance M.S. (March 30).

    The application deadline for Spring admission Masters Programs is October 15.

  • The mathematics department does NOT offer fee waivers for students.

    However, the USC Graduate Admissions Office has several categories of applicants who qualify for fee waivers. To see if you qualify, please visit this website: https://gradadm.usc.edu/lightboxes/us-students-fee-waivers/

    We have also secured fee waivers for attendees of NAM Undergraduate MATHFest 2024 or SACNAS NDiSTEM 2024. For details about how to receive this fee waiver, please contact us at mathinfo@usc.edu. NOTE: You must receive the fee waiver prior to starting your application; we cannot reimburse fees already paid.

     

  • Yes for PhD, No for Masters.

    Everyone, regardless of nationality or country of residence, admitted to our PhD Programs receives a comprehensive support package that includes full tuition remission, a competitive stipend, and health and dental insurance.

    We do not offer any financial assistance for our Masters programs. We encourage all Masters applicants who are California residents to apply for California State graduate fellowships.

  • U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents are exempt. For other exemption qualifications, please see
    https://gradadm.usc.edu/prospective-international-students/english-proficiency/

    For international students requiring English Proficiency tests, we require a minimum of

    • 100 on TOEFL or
    • 7.0 on IELTS or
    • 68 on PTE.

    These minima apply to both PhD and Masters programs.

  • Not at all! The majority of our incoming PhD students, about 2/3, come from Bachelor’s programs while the remaining 1/3 come from Masters programs.

    All of our Ph.D. students have the opportunity to earn an “in progress” Masters degree, which is usually conferred in the second year of the program after satisfactory completion of the core course requirements. Students in either PhD program may choose between a Masters Degree in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, or Statistics.

  • Yes. We require applicants to have a GPA above 3.0.

    The minimum GPA requirement for a student to receive a graduate degree, Masters or Doctorate, from USC is 3.0. For this reason, we will not consider any applicants whose current overall GPA or mathematics GPA falls below this minimum threshold.

  • Yes, and requirements vary by program.

    Every applicant is required to have one year* of advanced Analysis (real, complex, or functional). Applicants for our Mathematics programs are also required to have one year* of advanced Algebra (abstract or linear). Some of these courses can be planned for your final semester.

    *In general, one year of a course is interpreted as 2 terms (2 semesters or 2 quarters). Students on the quarter system are encouraged to complete 3 quarters of a sequence if their program offers it (e.g. Real Analysis a/b/c).

    Beyond this, we look holistically for a variety of advanced coursework to demonstrate mastery of foundational material.

  • Reviewers evaluate applications holistically, meaning every part is important and given due consideration. Different applicants have different strengths that distinguish them as excellent fits for our program. We look forward to reading about all of your achievements.

  • Unfortunately, no. The review committee cannot pre-screen applicants.

    Our program is highly selective, but we do consider applicants holistically. If you exceed our minimum requirements for GPA and coursework, and you have a strong passion for mathematics, then we strongly encourage you to apply.

  • We are a small department and hence have small incoming classes. Unfortunately, this means we often turn down exceptional students whom we would otherwise love to admit.

    Our combined PhD program aims for an incoming class of 16 students each Fall, giving a total PhD student population of about 80 students.

  • The difference between the Mathematics and the Applied Mathematics program is whether or not students have a background in Algebra and plan to take the Algebra course (required by the Pure Mathematics program). There is no advantage to applying to both programs. Applicants will not be reviewed twice, even if applying to both programs. We do not have quotas for admissions ratios between the two programs, just an overall limit on our number of combined admissions. Please choose the program based on your experience and your interests.