Admissions
Thank you for your interest in AMSC!
Admission into the AMSC program is competitive with around 10 percent of applicants being admitted into the program each year. In addition to filling out the application form and paying the application fee, you must present a clear and consistent case that you have the background, desire, and ability to complete an AMSC graduate degree. Applicants can find a complete list of admission materials and Frequently Asked Questions on our website. Please check these pages before contacting the AMSC Graduate Office for information.
Deadlines
For best consideration applicants should submit their full application (including letters of recommendation) by January 10. Application Deadline information can be found at: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/programs/AMSC.html.
Preparation for AMSC
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General exam is a requirement. The GRE subject exam is not required but is strongly recommended, especially if you have already taken graduate level material.
It is generally recommended that students coming into AMSC have taken courses in Linear Algebra, Advanced Calculus, Numerical Methods, Differential Equations, and Probability during their undergraduate study. These courses are not requirements, but are suggested courses for students pursing graduate study in Applied Mathematics.
Depending on the area of interest students may also pursue advanced coursework in Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, Biology. AMSC faculty and students are involved in many active research groups. For a list of faculty research groups and interests please visit our research webpage.
The Admissions Committee for the AMSC Program makes its evaluation based on the student's academic record, letters of recommendation, and other components of the application. At a minimum, the following guidelines apply:
- Applicants should have at least a B average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in an undergraduate curriculum which includes a strong emphasis on mathematics. A mathematics preparation at least through advanced calculus in a school of good academic standing will normally be sufficient.
- A previous education in some part of an applications area, and/or basic competence in computational techniques is helpful, although this is not a prerequisite.
Because of the interdiscplinary nature of our program, students may not have the background to be competitive for admission in our program, the graduate school provides various avenues for students to streghten their background before applying to the AMSC program. Please read our admission overview for information about admission statuses.
Standardized Exams
Students entering the program with financial support have average GRE general exam scores of 590 verbal, 796 quantitative, and 4.6 analytical. International applicants who achieve a TOEFL score of 620 (paper based test) (260 CBT, 105 IBT) or higher will have a greater chance to be admitted with financial support than an otherwise similar student with a lower score. Our school code is 5814; our department code for the GRE is 0702, and for the TOEFL and TSE, the department code is 54.
Funding
Students in AMSC find funding from many resources. Applicants in the AMSC program are strongly encouraged to apply for Graduate fellowships from agencies such as NSF, DOE and NASA. Through various affiliations AMSC students often find funding through Teaching Assisantships, Research Grants or Fellowships.
Students seeking funding should mark on their application that they are seeking funding.
For details on funding opportunities please see our funding webpage. We do not provide funding opportunities for spring semester applicants.
Deciding between Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation Concentrations
AMSC offers two concentrations namely Applied Mathematics (AM) and Scientific Computation (SC).
The Applied Mathematics concentration, offers students great flexibility in designing a program that combines a firm foundation in mathematics with advanced study and research in an area of application. In the Applied Mathematics concentration students take courses in Mathematics and and Application area to prepare them for one qualifying exam in Math (e.g. Analysis, ODE, PDE, Probability) one qualifying exam in an area of application (Computer Science, Operations Research, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences) and a third exam in either Math or in the area of application. For a complete list of preliminary requirements click here
The Scientific Computation concentration emphasizes computation and its use in the physical sciences, life sciences, engineering, business, and social science. Students will receive training in the use of computational techniques and associated information technology with correspondingly less emphasis on formal mathematical methods in comparison to the Concentration in Applied Mathematics. Every Scientific Computation student is required to apply the training in computation to a problem in a specific scientific discipline. In the Scientific Computation concentration students take three groups of core courses as their preliminary requirements. The Computational core prepares students with a foundation in computational methods. The Application core provides students with a background in computational methods and mathematical modeling relevant to a chosen science discipline. Finally, the Science core provides a foundation in their science discipline. Apart from the Computational Core, students are required to form a study plan to outline which courses will satisfy these requirements. This gives students and their advisors great flexibility in drafting an appropriate plan of study.
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