FAQs about Applying to the TCU Math Grad Program
- Applications open for Fall 2027.
- Applications have a formal deadline of January 1.
- We do continue to look at applications after the deadline until all positions are
filled, but it is your best bet to submit the application on time.
- It is possible to apply to the Masters or PhD program for admission in the Spring semester (deadline October 1), but no financial aid will be offered at that time for PhD students, and in general there is no financial aid for Masters students at any time.
PhD students: Yes. Students admitted to the PhD program receive free tuition, a stipend ($30,500 per year, as of the 2026-27 academic year), and 85% of their student health insurance cost paid. PhD applicants desiring financial aid must normally submit by the Fall application deadline (January 1).
Students who receive financial aid work either in the Mathematics Clinic (10 hours per week) or teach one class (training and additional guidance from a faculty mentor are provided).
MS and MAT students: Students admitted to the Master's program do not receive financial aid from TCU.
Yes. This is very common.
Student applicants should have a B.A. or B.S., with a mathematics major or 24 semester hours of mathematics, including courses in elementary calculus of one and several variables, linear algebra, and at least 8 hours of advanced undergraduate courses in mathematics beyond calculus. At least one (but preferably both) of Real Analysis or Abstract Algebra should have been taken at the undergraduate level. Note that having these courses on the transcript does not necessarily guarantee admission; this is just a minimal requirement.
It is possible to apply without a mathematics major, but the student must have taken the courses listed above.
Yes. Normally all Ph.D. students obtain an M.S. degree after two years in the program, before getting the Ph.D.
Go to TCU Graduate Application
You need to supply
- a CV,
- all transcripts (unofficial, electronic ones are preferred) from all colleges and universities attended [it is recommended that international applicants obtain a transcript evaluation from an evaluation service, but it is not required],
- GRE General Test scores (highly recommended but not required),
- personal statement (about your interests and plans and why you are interested in the program),
- 3 recommendation letters from professors sent directly by them.
- You should also submit any thesis or research papers if you have done any work like
that.
The General GRE is highly recommended. If every other item in your admissions materials are superior, then we can consider the application without the GRE score.
All applications submitted through the portal are evaluated, even if the student is unable to pay the application fee. At a certain point in the process, finalists for the open positions will not move forward unless the application fee is paid. At that point, finalists may request a waiver if that is needed.
You will also need to submit language test scores if you are an international student; unofficial copies of the scores are sufficient for our evaluation. The minimum scores are officially 80 for the TOEFL or 6.5 for the IELTS; it is also possible to get these language requirements waived through an interview process. These can be addressed later in the process of admission; the mathematical parts of the application are the most important parts.
On the application, International students will also be asked to submit forms related to getting visas, but those can be submitted blank. Really, those are only needed later if you are admitted into the program.
It is recommended that international applicants obtain a transcript evaluation from an evaluation service, but it is not required.
The research fields of the (primarily) pure mathematics faculty in the TCU Department of Mathematics are:
- Differential Geometry
- Global Analysis
- Number Theory
- K-Theory
- Operator Algebras
- Algebraic Geometry
- Harmonic Analysis
- p-adic Groups
- Algebraic Topology
- Signal Processing & Data Science
If a student is working on a Ph.D. dissertation, it will be within one of the areas listed above, and a strong foundation in pure mathematics will be part of the training in any of these fields.
No. It is not necessary for students to select an advisor in the mathematics faculty before being admitted.
It is not likely that a professor will agree to be a student's mentor until after they have already been part of the program and have passed the required exams.
However, it is fine for students to email professors and ask them questions.
- It is important that advanced mathematics courses such as Real Analysis and Abstract Algebra are on the transcript, with very good grades.
- Your recommenders should be professors who can attest to your ability to work independently and to your aptitude for excelling in theoretical mathematics research.
- Examples of mathematical work written by the student are often helpful.
- The Quantitative portion of the GRE General Test should be 160 or higher.
- We are a small, primarily pure mathematics program.
- Our faculty give students lots of individual attention.
- We prepare our students for working afterward, incorporating professional development and training in coding, data science, pedagogy, all through weekly graduate student seminars.
- Students interested in doing research in statistics or applied mathematics or mathematics education should choose a different Ph.D. program.
- Our students have secured good academic and nonacademic jobs after graduating with Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Mathematics from TCU.