Go to www.math.fsu.edu/apply to learn how to submit an application! Your application will include an updated CV, listing all your post-secondary educational and professional activities.

Here is the direct link to the University online application: http://admissions.fsu.edu/graduate

All MS and PhD students are admitted for the Fall term only. The Fall term normally begins in the last week of August.

December 15th is the due date for PhD degree applications to receive full consideration for admission and financial aid for the following August.

April 30th is the due date for MS degree applications to receive full consideration for admission.

Consult the Director for questions about the degree majors. Specific questions about the Actuarial Science track may be sent to the Coordinator of Actuarial Science. Questions about financial support may be directed to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies.

The Financial Mathematics major leads to a graduate degree in mathematics and requires an undergraduate background in mathematics courses equivalent to those included in a mathematics major. Applicants should have experience with proof-based mathematics courses at the advanced undergraduate level, and with using computers to solve mathematical problems.

Also, please consult the FSU Math Graduate Program page for further information about graduate study at FSU.

Admission checklist: Required

1. Please include a CV with your application, including the years of study at all institutions of higher education that you attended, along with any significant jobs you held after earning your first Bachelor's degree.
2. The following specific math courses are required prerequisites:
   • Calculus I, II, and III (multivariate calculus)
   • Differential equations
   • Linear algebra
   • Probability and Statistics
   • For PhD applicants: proof-based Real Analysis or Advanced Calculus

     Representative texts include:

     • W. Rudin, Principles of Mathematical Analysis, 3rd edition; or
     • S. Abbott, Understanding Analysis, Springer.
3. You should have experience with proof-based mathematics courses at the upper-division level.
4. You should have some experience, prior to the first semester, programming in a high level computer language like C++, Fortran, Python, or Julia. Some C++ resources are listed on our C++ Resources page.

Admission checklist: Recommended

• For admission to the MS degree, the following is recommended:
  • Real Analysis or Advanced Calculus.

    See above note.

  • Numerical Analysis.

    Some prior exposure to numerical methods of mathematics is recommended to prepare for MAD 5403-04 Foundations of Computational Mathematics in the first year of the program.

  • Finance and Economics.

    Some prior coursework in economics and/or finance is recommended.

• For admission to the PhD degree, the above courses are recommended, and in addition:
  • A two-semester sequence in Advanced Calculus; and
  • Several other upper division mathematics courses, to prepare for the required graduate analysis course in the first year.

How much does it cost to study at FSU? Do you give any financial aid?	Visit the Financial Aid page to learn about financial aid and the FSU tuition page for cost of registration at FSU. Currently, PhD students making timely progess toward the degree are financially supported with a Departmental Teaching Assistantship or University Fellowship that includes a stipend and most tuition. MS students are normally self-funded, but in some years the Department has a few tuition waivers available.
Should I apply for the MS or PhD?	The MS degree in Financial Mathematics is a two-year coursework degree aimed at professional preparation for the quant world. Students considering the PhD degree need a stronger mathematical background and a greater degree of independence. The PhD usually takes 5 or 6 years to complete, and PhD students normally earn the MS degree after the first two years.
If I am admitted for the MS degree only, can I switch to the PhD?	If you were admitted as an MS student, but wish to pursue the PhD, you may elect the first year PhD qualifier courses, and if successful apply after one year to transfer to the PhD degree. Transfers to the PhD degree are competitive and not guaranteed. See the Director for more information.