About PhD Program,
The Department of Mathematics of the University of Pennsylvania offers a full Graduate Program in Mathematics, conferring the degrees of Master of Arts (A.M.), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) . The educational aim of this program is to provide well-rounded mathematical training for a career of research and teaching in mathematics, as well as for other careers which use advanced mathematics in a substantial way.
The purpose of this document is to describe the graduate program in Mathematics at Penn. This program covers a variety of areas, including analysis, geometry-topology, algebra, mathematical physics, combinatorics, logic, and probability. See our Graduate Mathematics Page and our Math Department home page for information about other aspects of this program and of the Penn Math Department as a whole, including its colloquia, seminars and lecture series, and the research interests of the faculty. In addition, Penn offers an interdisciplinary graduate program in Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, for which there is separate application process.
Supplementary information about the program is listed below, concerning graduate fellowships, the financial support package for Ph.D. students, and the Ph.D. thesis.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Do not convert your GPA into a 4.0 scale. You should select “Other GPA Scale,” which allows you to enter a number out of a total (____ out of ____). If your GPA was an 8.5 on a scale of 10, you would enter “8.5 out of 10.” If your GPA was a 143 out of 200, then you would enter “143 out of 200.”
We want to know that (Ph.D.) applicants to our graduate program have sufficient ability in spoken English in order to participate fully in our program. For that reason, applicants are required to submit a TOEFL score (or alternatively, a score on the IELTS–minimum score 7) if their native language is not English (Institution code is 2926 and Department code is 0703), unless their 4-year undergraduate studies were undertaken entirely in a country whose primary language is English.
Ideally, prospective applicants to our Mathematics Ph.D. program should be familiar with the content covered in the syllabus of our Preliminary Exam by the time they enter our program. This content aligns with the material assessed in the Mathematics Subject Test of the GRE. Applicants who have a strong grasp of this material will have the opportunity to start with our Ph.D. level courses, while those who haven’t attained sufficient mastery will commence with master’s-level courses.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Full-time students admitted to our Ph.D. program are offered a financial support package combining fellowships and teaching assistantships, including a fellowship (with no teaching) in the first year and two additional semesters (often in the fourth year). Ph.D. students who are working on funded research projects can receive additional fellowships during which they would not teach. There is also funding provided without teaching responsibilities during three summers. This package, which covers tuition and fees and health insurance and also provides a stipend (See Tax structure), continues for five years for Ph.D. students in good standing who are making timely progress.
The 12-month academic year fellowship stipend will be $41,800 for 2024–25. These amounts are expected to rise in future years, as they have in the past.
Teaching assistants most often run recitations of calculus, meeting with up to four small groups of undergraduates once a week to discuss homework. Other possible TA assignments can include running problem sessions in more advanced courses such as advanced calculus or algebra, or running review sessions or grading for courses in which there are no problem sessions. Counting contact hours, office hours, grading, record keeping, etc., the TA responsibilities take up to twelve hours per week (and replace one of the graduate student’s own courses). Before beginning a teaching assistantship, graduate students go through a two-day TA training program run by the Math Department. There is also mentoring for TA’s during the semester.
Graduate students often teach courses over the summer, for an additional stipend. (Doing this is optional, but is good experience.) Unlike TA responsibilities during the academic year, grad students who teach during the summer have full responsibility for the course, giving the lectures and assigning homework and grades.
Students in the masters or M.Phil. program may also be considered for teaching assistantships, which provide a stipend. These are awarded based on merit and availablity, and are decided on a semester-by-semester basis.
Application Requirement,
Applicants should ensure that their applications are complete and accurate before submitting, as the online system does not permit any changes afterward. A complete application includes the following items:
- Application form
- Transcripts (can be unofficial at this stage)
- Personal Statement
- CV/resume
- Letters of recommendation (at least 3, at most 5)
Application Deadline,
Dec 15, 2024
Application Fee,
The application fee is $90 USD, payable via credit or debit card at the time of submission.
