Apply to Graduate School
For a complete instructional guide to applying, see the Graduate Admissions' Application Instructions page.
Preparation for Graduate Work
In order to be prepared for the master’s or Ph.D. program, it is recommended to have a B.A. or B.S. in mathematics. Having taken more than the bare minimum of required upper-division classes in the mathematics major will be most helpful.Admission to the Graduate Program
Applications to the graduate program are submitted through the Graduate Division. Your application should include letters of recommendation, transcripts, resume, statement of purpose, and a personal history statement. GRE score are not required for admission.
More information about graduate admissions at UC Santa Cruz is available on the graduate admissions website.
Questions relating to the evaluation of application files may be directed to Lyss Melton, Graduate Program Coordinator/Advisor at mathgradadvising@ucsc.edu.
Application Fee Waivers
30 application fee waivers are available for applicants per application cycle. Both domestic and international applicants are eligible to apply for a fee waiver. To initiate your application, please follow the steps below and email mathgradadvising@ucsc.edu.
To apply for an application fee waiver through the department:
All Students:
- Upload a one-page (500 word maximum) Statement of Financial Need addressed to the Mathematics Recruitment Committee describing your need for financial assistance within your application.
- Include personal resources and other fellowships or grant opportunities that you will pursue to help cover your graduate education expenses.
- Submit your application and request an application fee waiver on the Payment/Fee section of the application. The Statement of Financial need will not be reviewed if your fee waiver is approved by the graduate division.
- If the graduate division denies the fee waiver request, forward the result to mathgradadvising@ucsc.edu. Do not pay the application fee.
- The department will review your statement of financial need and will respond with the waiver decision and provide additional instructions.
- On the "Fee Waiver/Payment" page of the application, Select NO to the question, "Do you believe you will need assistance paying for your application processing fee?"
- Select YES to "Has the program you are applying to agreed to pay for the application processing fee?" The page will tell you a credit card payment is required. Do not pay the application fee.
- The department will review the statement of financial need and will respond with the waiver decision and provide additional instructions.
Please note, only 30 application fee waivers are available per application cycle. All applicants are eligible to apply for a fee waiver and we encourage you to submit the request if it would support you due to financial hardship. If you have applied for and received a fee waiver in a previous application cycle, we are unlikely to grant one for this application cycle.
Financial Support
The Mathematics Department is strongly committed to the financial support of graduate students who are making good progress toward either the master's or the Ph.D. degree. PhD candidates receive a 5-year funding guarantee through the department and graduate division. While we do everything we can to support students, MA applicants should be aware that they are not guaranteed department funding or TAships.
A teaching assistantship (TA) is the most common form of financial support for graduate students in good academic standing. TA appointments are usually made at 50 percent time (an assigned workload of approximately 220 hours for the quarter, or 20 hours per week). Teaching assistants are under the supervision of the faculty member responsible for the course.
All students are strongly urged to complete a Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) each year by the start of fall quarter to determine eligibility for need-based awards. Students are also encouraged to apply for support from the Financial Aid Office as well as from the Mathematics Department.
No need-based fellowship can be awarded to a student who does not have a current FAFSA on file. Students facing special financial hardship are urged to make this known to the department in a timely manner.
The Mathematics Department will do everything in its power to ensure that all students in good standing are granted sufficient financial aid to continue their study of mathematics.
Graduate Program Contacts
