The Department of Mathematics offers graduate studies leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Candidates for graduate degrees must meet university degree requirements found in the “Graduate Education” section of the UCSB online catalog as well as departmental requirements.
Admission
Candidates for admission to graduate programs offered by the Department of Mathematics are required to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general and mathematics subject test scores. Applicants whose native language is not English, are required to take either the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. Exceptions to this requirement will be considered for those students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate education at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English. The minimum TOEFL score for consideration 80 when taking the internet-based test (IBT). The minimum IELTS score for consideration is an Overall Band Score of 7 or higher. TOEFL or IELTS scores must not be more than two years old at the time of application to UCSB.
All applicants must fulfill the scholarship requirements for graduate study. Applicants to the master’s programs must hold a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or a closely related field. Evaluation of the candidate’s past work will be made by the admissions committee, and supplemental undergraduate courses will be required when necessary. Applicants to the master’s program in Applied Mathematics must have had undergraduate coursework in linear algebra, differential equations, advanced calculus, and in some area in which mathematics is applied. Applicants to the doctoral program must have a strong undergraduate background in the mathematical sciences.
In the following description of the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in mathematics, frequent mention will be made of “area requirements.” Area requirements exist in the disciplines of algebra, analysis, applied mathematics, geometry/topology, and other areas in probability and statistics. Students whose primary interest is in the area of statistics or probability should apply for admission to the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability, not to the Department of Mathematics. The area requirements are fulfilled by satisfactorily completing an examination and a one-year graduate course within the discipline. Complete descriptions of various area requirements and how they may be satisfied can be found in the publication Graduate Program Handbook, which is available on our website. Contact the staff graduate advisor at math-gradinfo@math.ucsb.edu, or at the following address:
Department of Mathematics
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
This information can also be obtained via our website at www.math.ucsb.edu/grad.
Master of Arts—Mathematics, Plan 1 Thesis (Requirements - PDF)
Master of Arts—Mathematics, Plan 2 Exam (Requirements - PDF)
Master of Arts—Applied Mathematics, Plan 1 Thesis (Requirements - PDF)
Master of Arts—Applied Mathematics, Plan 2 Exam (Requirements - PDF)
Doctor of Philosophy—Mathematics (Requirements - PDF)
Optional Interdisciplinary Emphases
Students pursuing a doctoral degree in Math may petition to add the following Optional Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Emphases: Bioengineering, Computational Science and Engineering (CSE is available to both Master's and Doctoral Students).
Requirement sheets for each emphasis may be found on this page.