Prospective Students
Applicants to the Mathematics graduate programs should have earned the equivalent of a B.S. degree in Mathematics. Applicants to the Statistics (M.S.) program should have a background in mathematics including at least three semesters of calculus and linear algebra. Students with deficiencies may still be accepted into the program, any deficiency to be made up in later work.
Mathematics applicants may apply to either the M.S. or the Ph.D. program. Students who are not yet sure if they may wish to pursue a Ph.D. should apply to the M.S. program. Current M.S. students may apply to transfer into the Ph.D. program before completing the M.S. degree. Students with any deficiencies will normally not be accepted into the Ph.D. program directly.
Deadlines
All applicants to the graduate programs are considered for financial support in the form of graduate teaching assistantships. For full consideration, applications for the Fall semester should be received by February 1, but are accepted after this date. Final applications for admission for the Fall are due by August 1 for U.S. applicants, and by April 1 for international students.
Spring Admission
Most graduate course sequences begin in the Fall semester, so that in general we do not accept applicants for the Spring semester. In some circumstances, however, applications may be accepted for Spring admission; as most assistantship awards are made in the Fall, it may not be possible to obtain an assistantship beginning in the Spring.
For students applying for Fall 2010:
An application to our graduate program consists of the following:
- Application for Admission Form
You may complete a paper Application for Admission Form or Apply Online.
The application fee is waived for all U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents. The Fee is $50 for International Students.
- Transcripts
Two official transcripts are required from each college and university you have ever attended.
- Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required. There is no required form for the letters. At least two should be written by faculty familiar with your academic work. Letters should be sent directly to the Department.
- Statement of Goals
Include a statement indicating your goals in pursuing graduate study in our program.
- GRE
The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is not required for admission. However, we recommend submitting the GRE general test score, and this will be considered as part of the application if submitted. In addition, some university fellowships require this exam for consideration. The University of Arkansas institutional code is 6866.
The application material should be sent to:
Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Mathematical Sciences
SCEN 301
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Additional Information for International Students
- TOEFL
The TOEFL (or IELTS) exam is required for most International students. The requirement for admission is a score of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 79 on the internet-based test; or a score of 6.5 on the IELTS exam.
- Supplemental and Financial Information
This form is required for some International Students, even if financial support is awarded. - Summary of Educational Experience
Submit this form describing your educational background.
For more information about the application process (from the Graduate School): http://www.uark.edu/depts/gradinfo/recruit/applying.html.
Teaching Assistantships
Most graduate students are supported by teaching assistantships. These are half-time positions requiring 20 hours per week. Beginning students usually teach recitation sections supplementing large lectures of calculus, but may also teach two 3-hour,or one 5-hour, College Algebra course. More advanced students may teach a variety of other courses. The current stipend is $10,700 for a 9-month appointment. The assistantship includes a full tuition waiver. Summer support is also avaliable for some graduate students.
International Students are expected to be proficient in spoken English to be awarded an assistantship. Applicants taking the internet-based TOEFL should also take the speaking section; a score of 26 will demostrate English proficiency. Alternatively, international students may take the university's Spoken Language Proficiency Test (SLPT) after they are admitted; it is expected that the student will pass this exam within one year to maintain continued financial support.
Doctoral Fellowships
The University offers two prestigious doctoral fellowships, the Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship (DDF) and the Doctoral Academy Fellowship (DAF). Both are 12-month appointments, providing support for up to 4 years, and supplement the teaching assistantship by an additional $20,000 (DDF) and $10,000 (DAF). For the first year of study, students in our department awarded the DDF have no teaching duties, while the duties are halved for the DAF. To be eligible, applicants to the doctoral program should satisfy the minimum requirements:
- GRE writing score of 5.0
- combined GRE score of 1200 (1300 for the DDF)
- undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or graduate GPA of 3.65 (GPA 3.8 for the DDF in either case).
All applicants meeting these requirements will be considered for nomination.
Degree Programs
The department offers a variety of degree programs which are briefly described below. More detailed information can be found in the Graduate Catalog.
Ph.D. program
The doctoral degree is a research degree intended to prepare students for professional careers mainly, but not exclusively, in academia. The main requirements are passing written qualifying exams in three areas of study, passing an oral candidacy exam in the area of specialization, and writing and defending a thesis. The program includes an optional concentration in Statistics.
M.S. program in Mathematics
This degree is offered under two separate options, a pure math (general) option and a computational mathematics option. The general option is intended for students who plan to be a collegiate teacher of mathematics or may wish to pursue doctoral studies in mathematics. The computational mathematics option is intended for students who intend to specialize in computational and applied mathematics in preparation for professional employment in an interdisciplinary or computationally intensive environment. The requirements include 32 hours of graduate course work and passing comprehensive exams.
M.S. program in Statistics
The program in statistics is intended to provide training for a professional career, principally in applied statistics. The program accepts students with degrees outside of mathematics, as well as mathematics majors. The requirements include 30 credit hours of graduate course work and passing comprehensive exams.
M.A. program in Secondary Mathematics
This program is designed for secondary school teachers of mathematics. It requires 32 hours of course work and passing comprehensive exams.
For further information, contact:
Dr. Mark Johnson, Graduate Program Coordinator
For information specifically about the Statistics program, contact:
Dr. Laurie Meaux, Statistics Division Chair
Department of Mathematical Sciences
1 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: (479) 575-3351
Fax: (479) 575-8630