Graduate School

Graduate school is an opportunity to examine a field of your choice with more specificity and direction. It gives you the tools you need to succeed in the industry of your choice. Preparation for grad school can begin as early as your first year of college. Graduate school constitutes an advanced program of study focused on a particular academic discipline or profession. Traditionally, graduate school has been “academic” (centered on generating original research in a particular discipline), but it may be “professional” (centered on developing skills and knowledge for a specific profession), or a combination of both. Successful graduate work in mathematics requires skills in formal reasoning and in constructing rigorous mathematical proofs. These skills are more essential for success at the graduate level than is the knowledge of any particular topic. The honors sequences will provide training in these skills to a far greater degree than the regular sequences. In fact, a typical graduate admissions committee will look more favorably upon an “A-” earned in a honors sequence than a “A”, or even “A+”, earned in the regular sequence. Most applications for graduate programs in mathematics must be submitted between December and February, so it is best to contact colleges during the summer or access their websites for online applications and additional information. Most universities will require the following materials with their applications: • Three letters of recommendation • GRE general and mathematics subject exams • Personal statement