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Graduate studies in mathematics.

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Doctoral Programs

Mathematics.

This Ph.D. program — our most popular — is designed to train first-rate academic researchers in a broad range of subdisciplines, as well as mathematical scientists working in the private sector or the government.

ALGORITHMS, COMBINATORICS, AND OPTIMIZATION (ACO)

Offered in collaboration with the College of Computing and the School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, this program equips students with a strong fundamental academic base that will enhance their research options.

COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING (CSE)

A highly interdisciplinary program, CSE emphasizes the integration and application of principles from mathematics, science, engineering, and computing to create computational models for solving real-world problems. BIOINFORMATICS This multidisciplinary field merges concepts from the physical sciences, life sciences, computer science, and engineering to solve fundamental and applied problems in biology and medicine.

QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES (QBIOS)

This interdisciplinary program prepares a new generation of researchers for discoveries and careers at the interface of physical, mathematical, computational, and biological sciences.

MACHINE LEARNING (ML)

This program focuses on the development of computer programs capable of both teaching themselves and performing without requiring explicit programming when new information is processed.

Master's Programs

We offer Mathematics and Computational Sciences and Engineering (CSE) at the M.S. level, and there are also two additional master’s options:

QUANTITATIVE AND COMPUTATIONAL FINANCE (QCF)

Managed by the Scheller College of Business, this program provides students with the skills to lead in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of the models used in the financial sector.

Offered jointly with the School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, this program emphasizes the discipline as a science applicable to the technological environment. It provides the background for a successful career in statistics.

IMPRESSIVE RANKINGS

The School of Mathematics is currently ranked No. 20 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, and No. 33 worldwide, according to Shanghai Ranking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities.

HIGHLY DISTINGUISHED FACULTY

More than 50 permanent faculty members are world leaders in virtually every field of pure and applied mathematics, with 75% holding individual research grants at any time, and 16 having received American Mathematical Society fellowships.

LOW STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO

Our 110:55 Ph.D. student-to-permanent faculty ratio is one of the nation’s lowest for a math program, which ensures an intensive level of interaction between students and faculty and the highest student satisfaction rating of any school on campus.

100% POST PH.D. EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS RATE

All our Ph.D. students start rewarding careers immediately after graduation, with over half entering academia as professors or postdoctoral associates. Employers have included many leading math departments (such as MIT, Cambridge, Princeton, University of Chicago, UCLA) and well-known organizations from a diverse range of sectors in government and industry (such as Amazon, META, Wells Fargo, and Sandia National Labs).

The deadline for Fall 2024 admission is December 15, 2023. Students with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics or related fields and good preparation for graduate study may apply for admission directly into the doctoral program. Completion of the master's degree is not a prerequisite. Other requirements include the TOEFL exam for international students. Virtually all students admitted to our PhD programs are offered full financial support including tuition waivers and stipends in the forms of teaching or research assistantships.

Fore more information

Please see math.gatech.edu/grad-programs or contact the school’s graduate advisors at [email protected].

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Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Mathematics

PhD Mathematics Website

The students must complete 36 hours of coursework as follows:

• At least 30 hours must be in mathematics courses at the 6000-level or higher. 1
• At least 6 hours must form the doctoral minor field of study.
• The overall GPA for these courses must be at least 3.0.
• These courses must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of at least C.

1 Work on a master's thesis (thesis hours) may not be counted toward this requirement, but coursework for the master's degree may be counted. The coursework is subject to breadth requirements guaranteeing exposure to five areas of mathematics (these requirements are discussed more fully on the School of Mathematics website).

Minor requirement. The minor field of study should consist primarily of 6000 -level (or higher) coursework in a specific area outside the School of Math, or in a mathematical subject sufficiently far from the student’s thesis work. A total of 6 credit hours is required and must be passed with a grade of B or better. These courses should not include MATH 8900 and must be chosen in consultation with the PhD advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies to ensure that they form a cohesive group which best complements the students research and career goals. A student wishing to satisfy the minor requirement by mathematics courses must petition the Graduate Committee for approval. Courses used to fulfill a Basic Understanding breadth requirement in Analysis or Algebra should not be counted towards the doctoral minor. Upon completing the minor requirement, a student should immediately complete the Doctoral Minor form.

Prior to admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree, each student must pass the comprehensive examination, which consists of written exams and an oral examination in the student's proposed area of specialization. Doctoral students must also satisfy the Institute's requirements with respect to the dissertation and final oral examination.

All PhD programs must incorporate a standard set of  Requirements for the Doctoral Degree .

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Graduate Education

Office of graduate and postdoctoral education, doctoral degrees.

Earning a doctoral degree at Georgia Tech opens many doors for our students. There are several reasons to continue your education to this level: a deep interest in the subject of your program; a desire to pursue an academic career as a researcher and/or educator; or to continue to sharpen your skills in order to work in a particular industry. Completing a doctoral degree can provide you with technical tools and the confidence to use them to create innovative solutions.

The Office of Graduate Education has prepared an admissions checklist to help you navigate through the admissions process.

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Ph.d. program in algorithms, combinatorics and optimization.

Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization (ACO) is an internationally reputed multidisciplinary program sponsored jointly by the College of Computing , the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering , and the School of Mathematics . The Program sets very high standards for admission and graduation , and boasts world-class faculty with research interests spanning a wide expanse of topics, from ones purely theoretical to others more applied. The ACO Program curriculum provides required course work designed to ensure that students have a strong fundamental academic base that serves to facilitate and enhance their research options. We have essentially eliminated the traditional walls that usually separate academic units: any program faculty member can supervise the research of any ACO student regardless of departmental affiliation. All we ask is that the work produced be first rate. ACO alumni have been very successful and have won prestigious awards from a variety of research and professional societies. Graduates of the Program can be found in myriad settings in both academe and industry; some have even chosen careers in finance. Prospective students please visit Admissions .

• Final ACO Doctoral Examination and Defense of Dissertation of Jing Yu: July 19, 2024
• Final ACO Doctoral Examination and Defense of Dissertation of Abhishek Dhawan: May 30, 2024
• Final ACO Doctoral Examination and Defense of Dissertation of Kevin Shu: April 15, 2024
• Final ACO Doctoral Examination and Defense of Dissertation of He Jia, February 16, 2024
• ACO Defense of Research Proposal of Jai Moondra, January 17, 2024
• ACO Faculty Greg Blekherman becomes Fellow of the American Mathematical Society
• ProTrAC Workshop: Prasad Tetali turns 60!
• ACO Defense of Research Proposal of Aditya Pillai, August 25, 2023
• ACO Defense of Research Proposal of Xiying Du, August 18, 2023
• ACO Defense of Research Proposal of Mengqi Lou, August 14, 2023

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College of Computing

Ph.d. in algorithms, combinatorics & optimization.

The degree program is administered by an oversight committee drawn primarily from the sponsoring units. The study of discrete structures is a rapidly growing area in computer science, applied mathematics, and operations research, most obviously in the analysis of algorithms, combinatorics, and discrete optimization. Collaborative work among the three traditionally separate disciplines is already common.

The doctorate in ACO will prepare students for careers in this exciting and expanding field. Students are expected to be well prepared in at least one of the three fields represented by the sponsoring units (computer science, mathematics, and operations research). Each student in the program is admitted through one of the three sponsoring units, which serves as the home department. Coursework is drawn from all three disciplines. The research advisor may be any member of the ACO program faculty, which is drawn from the three sponsoring units.

View the joint Ph.D. ACO degree website for program details .

If this kind of work interests you and fits with your career aspirations, why not go ahead and  apply ?

From the Catalog:

Christine Heitsch

Christine Heitsch is Professor of Mathematics at Georgia Tech, with courtesy appointments in Biological Sciences and Computational Science & Engineering as well as an affiliation with the Petit Institute for Bioengineering & Bioscience.

She is also Director of the new Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology (SCMB), an NSF-Simons MathBioSys Research Center, and finishing her tenure directing the GT Interdisciplinary Mathematics Preparation and Career Training (IMPACT) Postdoctoral Program.

Heitsch's research interests lie at the interface between discrete mathematics and molecular biology, specifically combinatorial problems "as motivated by" and "with applications to" fundamental biomedical questions like RNA folding.

Students interested in pursuing graduate studies in discrete mathematical biology can do so through a number of GT PhD programs including Bioinformatics or Quantitative Biosciences as well as Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization (ACO), Computational Science & Engineering (CSE), and (of course) Mathematics.  

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• 2021 Fall MA 4320 : Complex Analysis (MWF 11:00- 11:50AM)
• Mollene Denton CSE-Math PhD student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2019 Fall - present
• Guangyu Cui Math PhD student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2020 Fall - present
• Ho (Mark) Law CSE-Math PhD student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2020 Fall - present
• Mengyi Tang Math PhD Defense on Nov 3, 2023 School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech Thesis title: Mathematical Approaches to Identification Problems - Counting, RNA folding and PDE Identification Post-gradaute first position: Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting (2024-)
• Ben Ide Math PhD Defense on May 12, 2022 School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech Thesis title: A Novel Delay Differential Equation Model of the Germinal Center Reaction and an Algorithm for Minimum Length Surveillance Paths Post-gradaute first position: Xanadu (2023- )
• Haodong Sun CSE-Math PhD Defense on April 8, 2022 School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech Thesis title: Optimal Motion Planning and Computational Optimal Transport. Post-gradaute first position: Wells Fergo (2022- )
• Yuchen (Roy) He Math PhD Defense on April 9, 2021 School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech Thesis title: Mathematical and data-driven pattern representation with applications in image processing, computer graphics and infinite dimensional dynamical data mining. 2022 Sigma Xi Best Ph.D. Thesis Award , Georgia Tech Post-graduate first position: Postdoc at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China Postdoc at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (Deferred due to COVID) Current position : Tenure-track Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
• James Money PhD Defense on April 25,2006 Department of Mathematics, University of Kentucky Thesis title: Variational methods for image deblurring and discretized Picard method. post-graduate first position: Tenure-track Assist. Prof. at North Carolina Central Uni. (currently Idaho National Laboratory)
• Dr. Hao Liu Post Doc (Mentor: Prof. Wenjing Liao), 2018 Fall - 2021 Spring School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech
• Dr. Martin Huska Research fellow, University of Bologna, Italy Visiting Postdoc at Georgia Tech, Sping 2019
• Dr. Maryam Yashtini IMPACT post Doc, 2014 Fall - 2017 Spring School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech
• Dr. Seong Jun Kim Post Doc (Mentor: Prof. Haomin Zhou), 2014 Spring - 2016 Spring School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech
• J. Cui (Agnes Scott College), C. Guo (Agnes Scott College), T. Trent (Emory University), and J. Washington (Spelman College)
• 2010 Spring Undergraduate research, MA 4080 Senior Project I:Elisa Trejo
• 2010 Spring Undergraduate research, MA 2699 Research for credit: Kevin Lewis, and Trevor Siu <
• 2010 CEISMC , Teacher Professional Development Experiences Talk on July 16, 2010
• 2010 Fall Undergraduate research, MA 4090 Senior Project II: Elisa Trejo
• 2010 Fall Undergraduate research, MA 2699 Research for credit: Kevin Lewis
• 2011 Spring Undergraduate research, MA 2689, MA 2699: Kevin Lewis, and Mok, Youngtaik Kevin Lewis PURA Award President's Undergraduate Research Award, Spring 2011
• 2011 Fall Undergraduate research, MA 4080 Senior Project I: Joshua Liu
• 2012 Fall Undergraduate research, MA 4699 Undergraduate research course: Tylor Cox
• 2013 Spring Undergraduate research, MA 4699 Undergraduate research course: Tylor Cox Undergraduate Award , School of Mathematics, Spring 2013
• 2014 Spring Undergraduate research: Chenxing Wang and Lin Li
• 2015 Spring Undergraduate research: Sayem Hoque
• 2015 Fall Undergraduate research: Sayem Hoque, Kumbit Hwang. Undergradaute Advising: Chris Kwan.
• 2016 Spring Undergraduate research: Sayem Hoque, Kumbit Hwang (MA 4699), Nick Selby (MA 4699). Undergraduate Advising: Chris Kwan. Kumbit Hwang, Best Junior Undergraduate Award , School of Mathematics, Spring 2016 Nick Selby, Best Oral Presentation Award , 11th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. College of Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, April 19, 2016
• 2016 Summer Undergraduate research: Kumbit Hwang
• 2016 Fall Undergraduate research: Sayem Hoque, Kumbit Hwang (MA 4699), Undergraduate Advising: Chris Kwan.
• 2017 Spring Undergraduate research: Sayem Hoque, Kumbit Hwang (MA 4699), Undergraduate Advising: Chris Kwan.
• 2017 Summer Undergraduate research: Jun Xiang and Sayem Hoque
• 2018 Spring Undergraduate research: Hyunsu Park and Joshua Baker
• 2019 Fall undergraduate research: Josh Li
• 2020 Spring undergraduate research: Peiyao Wu and Yujian (Tim) Hu
• 2020 Fall undergraduate research: Peiyao Wu and Yujian (Tim) Hu
• 2021 Summer undergraduate research: Tiankuo (Hanson) Zhang
• 2021 Fall undergraduate research: Tiankuo (Hanson) Zhang and Angela Morales
• 2022 Spring undergraduate research: Tiankuo (Hanson) Zhang
• 2022 Summer undergraduate research: Bijie Liu
• 2022 Fall undergraduate research: Sanjay Srihari and Tiankuo (Hanson) Zhang
• 2023 Spring undergraduate research: Sanjay Srihari, Richard Yu and Tiankuo (Hanson) Zhang
• 2024 Fall undergraduate research: Ta'Destiny Geiger
• Yaghoub Rahimi: Math PhD student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2020 Summer - 2021 Summer (co-work)
• Gyujin Park: Math MS student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2021 Fall - 2023 Fall (Academic advisor)
• Allegra Allgeier: ML-Math MS student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2022 Summer - 2022 Fall (Reading)
• Umer Ahmed: Math PhD student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2022 Fall (Reading)
• Xuanang Li: Math PhD student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2022 Fall (Reading)
• Rundong Du: CSE-Math PhD student, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2013-2018 School of Math advisor (Thesis Advisor: Prof. Park, Haesun (CSE))
• Eric Sabo: Math PhD students, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2015 Fall- 2016 Spring Research and reading
• Sharika Boddie: Math PhD students, School of Mathematics, Georgia Tech 2015 Spring Advising
• Y. Wang: 2013 Fall Reading course MA 8900
• Fan Zhou: 2013 Spring Reading course MA 8900
• 2023 Spring MA 6645 : Numerical Approximation Theory
• 2022 Fall MA 4320 : Complex Analysis
• 2022 Fall MA 6701 : Math Methods of Applied Sciences I
• 2022 Spring MA 6646 : Numerical ODE (MW 9:30-10:45AM)
• 2021 Fall MA 6640 : Numerical PDE (MW 9:30-10:45PM)
• 2021 Fall MA 4320 : Complex Analysis (MWF 11:00- 11:50PM)
• 2021 Spring MA 4320 : Complex Analysis (MW 11:00- 12:15PM)
• 2020 Fall MA 4320 : Complex Analysis (MWF 11:00- 11:50AM) 2020 Fall MA 6643 : Numerical Linear Algebra (MW 12:30-1:45PM)
• 2020 Spring MA 6646 : Numerical Methods for Ordinary Differential Equations(TR 1:30-2:45PM)
• 2019 Fall MA 6640 : Introduction to Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equation (MWF 9:05-9:50AM) 2019 Fall MA 4320 : Complex Analysis
• 2016 Fall MA 2552 : Section F, Differential Equations 2016 Fall MA 2552 : Section K, Differential Equations
• 2013 Spring MA 6645 : Numerical Approximation Theory
• 2012 Fall MA 2403 : Differential Equations (Section L) 2012 Fall MA 6640 : Introduction to Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equation
• 2012 Spring MA 6646 : Numerical Methods for Ordinary Differential Equations
• 2011 Fall MA 2403 : Differential Equations (Section C) 2011 Fall MA 2403 : Differential Equations (Section G)
• 2011 Spring MA 6645 : Numerical Approximation Theory
• 2010 Fall MA 2413 : Differential Equations (Honors Class) 2010 Fall MA 6514 : Introduction to Methods of Applied Mathematics (Industrial Mathematics I)
• 2010 Spring MA 6646 : Numerical Methods for Ordinary Differential Equations
• 2009 Fall MA 1502 : Calculus II
• 2009 Spring MA 2403 : Differential Equations 2009 Spring MA 6645 : Numerical Approximation Theory
• 2002 Fall Undergraduate level MA 109 College Algebra
• 2002 Fall Graduate level MA 537 Numerical Analysis
• 2003 Fall Undergraduate level MA 123 Elementary Calc. and its Applications
• 2003 Fall Graduate level MA 625 Numerical Methods for Diff. Equ.
• 2004 Spring Graduate level MA 537 Numerical Analysis
• 2004 Spring Graduate level MA 611 Reading course
• 2005 Spring Undergraduate level MA 321 Introduction to Numerical Methods
• 2005 Spring Graduate level MA 537 Numerical Analysis
• 2005 Fall Undergraduate level MA 109 College Algebra
• 2005 Fall Graduate level MA 625 Numerical Methods for Diff. Equ.
• 2006 Fall Undergraduate level MA 114 Calculus II
• 2006 Fall Undergraduate level MA 321 Introduction to Numerical Methods
• 2007 Spring Undergraduate level MA 113 Calculus I
• 2007 Spring Graduate level MA 537 Numerical Analysis
• 2007 Spring Graduate level MA 611 Reading course (S.Torrealba)
• 2007 Fall Undergraduate level MA 321 Introduction to Numerical Methods
• 2007 Fall Graduate level MA 625 Numerical Methods for Diff. Equ.
• 2007 Fall Graduate level MA 611 Reading course (A. Misra)
• 2008 Spring Undergraduate level MA 321 Introduction to Numerical Methods
• 2008 Spring Undergraduate level MA 471 Advanced Calculus II

Graduate Education

Graduate admission application.

For general questions regarding the application process, please refer to the  Applicant/New Student FAQs   or   contact the department   to which you are applying. Once you have submitted your application, updates regarding your application status can be found on your application status page .

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Doctoral Degrees

College of computing, algorithms, combinatorics, and optimization (ph.d.), computational science and engineering (ph.d.), computer science (ph.d.), human-centered computing (ph.d.), machine learning (ph.d.), college of design, architecture (ph.d.), building construction (ph.d.), city and regional planning (ph.d.), music technology (ph.d.), college of engineering, aerospace engineering (ph.d.), biomedical engineering (ph.d.), chemical engineering (ph.d.), civil engineering (ph.d.), electrical and computer engineering (ph.d.), engineering science and mechanics (ph.d.), environmental engineering (ph.d.), industrial engineering (ph.d.), materials science and engineering (ph.d.), mechanical engineering (ph.d.), nuclear engineering – medical physics option (ph.d.), nuclear engineering – nuclear enterprise management option (ph.d.), nuclear engineering (ph.d.), operations research (ph.d.), robotics (ph.d.), college of sciences, applied physiology (ph.d.), bioengineering (ph.d.), bioinformatics (ph.d.), biology (ph.d.), chemistry (ph.d.), earth and atmospheric sciences (ph.d.), mathematics (ph.d.), ocean science and engineering (ph.d.), physics (ph.d.), psychology (ph.d.), quantitative biosciences (ph.d.), ivan allen college of liberal arts, digital media (ph.d.), economics (ph.d.), history and sociology of technology and science (ph.d.), international affairs, science, and technology (ph.d.), public policy (ph.d.), scheller college of business, management (ph.d.).

H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering

College of engineering, ph.d. in operations research.

The core strength comprising the discipline of Operations Research (OR) at Georgia Tech resides in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE). One of the largest programs in the country, approximately half of the entire ISyE faculty is directly responsible for the OR program through teaching and research activities that span virtually every topic and sub-discipline related to the field's basic methodologies of optimization, stochastics/applied probability and simulation. Most important, the OR faculty in the School currently counts among its members some of the most important figures in their respective concentrations, also making the program one of the strongest anywhere.

Students pursuing a degree in Operations Research (OR) are exposed to a host of research activities in the School. As one would expect from a program as large as ours, the range and depth of these activities are substantial. Depending upon your taste, your background, or your career intentions, you can engage in research that spans from the most fundamental/theoretical to work that places greater emphasis on applications. No matter your inclination, as an OR student, you can generally find several faculty doing work in your chosen concentration.

Students are attracted to our OR degree from a variety of academic disciplines and specializations. Most prominent are applicants from mathematics/mathematical sciences, theoretical computer science, and various engineering majors such as electrical and industrial engineering. However, it is not uncommon to also find qualified students from fields such as physics, economics, and statistics.

New Ph.D. students are admitted for each Fall semester only, and the admissions process is coordinated by the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Decisions on applicants to our various Ph.D. programs are determined jointly by a committee of faculty members, potential faculty research advisors, and the Associate Chair. All applicants must select and apply to a specific degree program, although it is possible in some cases to switch programs after enrollment.

A prior Master's degree is not a requirement for admission into our Ph.D. programs, and students can earn an M.S. degree typically within the first two years of Ph.D. study. For those unsure about applying to a Master's program versus a Ph.D. program, please note that students in our Master's programs are not guaranteed admission into a Ph.D. program here; we do offer a simplified application scheme. If you are interested in research and a Ph.D. degree, you should apply to a Ph.D. program directly.

Application Requirements

• Transcripts : Transcripts of prior academic work are required, as is evidence of an earned Bachelor's degree. Applicant transcripts should demonstrate strong academic preparation and capability, especially in advanced mathematics and computing coursework. Those with less preparation in mathematics and engineering are expected to use coursework at Georgia Tech to quickly establish proficiency. 
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) : Scores from the general test are required, and strong performance on the quantitative section is expected. Scores from the Mathematics Subject Test are not required, but can help a student demonstrate proficiency in advanced mathematics.  **The GRE is optional for the 2024 admissions cycle for Ph.D. applicants.**   However, if you decide not to submit GRE scores, the rest of your academic record should make up for the lack of the test score. If you have GRE test scores and wish to submit them for Fall 2023, they will be accepted and considered.  
• Statement of Purpose : The written statement of purpose should describe clearly why the applicant wishes to pursue the Ph.D., including research and career goals. While the statement should describe past experiences, it should also identify clearly the research area of interest to the applicant and the members of our faculty that might serve as research advisor(s).
• Resume: A resume outlining academic experience, research experience and accomplishments, industry experience, specific skills, and outside interests of the applicant is required.
• Letters of Reference:   Three (3) credible letters of reference are required that attest to the preparation of the applicant and the likelihood for success in a Ph.D. program. At least two (2) letters should be from faculty members.  

Each year, we receive many more applications from qualified students than we have the capacity to admit into our programs. To help admitted students learn more about our programs and meet potential research advisors, we hold an invitation-only Ph.D. Applicant Visit Day annually in early March.  

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Career Paths

ISyE produces well-rounded graduates who go on to make an extraordinary mark on the world through their leadership in engineering and technology. With broad skill sets and innovative minds molded by the number one school of industrial engineering in the country, our graduates are out changing the world and paving the way for future generations..

A sample of companies our Ph.D. graduates launched their careers with

• BHP Billiton
• Norfolk Southern
• Descartes Associates
• GE Global Research
• JP Morgan Chase
• Suntrust Bank
• Delta Technologies
• Capital One
• United Airlines

A sample of academic institutions our Ph.D. graduates launched their careers with

• MIT (Sloan/ORC)
• Carnegie Mellon (Business, Statistics)
• Purdue (Industrial Engineering)
• Harvard (Statistics)
• Iowa (Business)
• Arkansas (Industrial Engineering)
• Texas-Austin (Operations Research)
• Northwestern (IEMS, Business)
• Lehigh (Industrial Engineering)
• Florida (Industrial Engineering)
• North Carolina-Chapel Hill (Operations Research, Business)
• Middle East Technical University [Turkey] (Industrial Engineering)
• Duke (Business)
• Chicago (Business)
• Minnesota (Industrial Engineering)
• University of Chile (Industrial Engineering)
• Texas A&M (Industrial Engineering)
• Virginia Tech (Industrial Engineering)

Prospective Student Resources

New student checklist, graduate orientation resources, graduate handbook, financial aid.

Yes, the IELTS exam is accepted. See here for score requirements:  https://www.grad.gatech.edu/english-proficiency  

Transfer credit is accepted only in rare cases, and must be approved by the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies, ISyE. The review and approval process typically takes place during a student’s first semester in the program. A maximum of six total credit hours are transferrable. 

You may begin your application here: http://www.grad.gatech.edu/apply-now

Applicants should track their status through the CollegeNet online status check found here: https://www.grad.gatech.edu/status-checking

All ISyE Ph.D. students receive some type of funding and this is typically via a graduate assistantship (GRA or GTA). Sometimes students are supported by external fellowships. Please see here for more information on support: https://www.isye.gatech.edu/academics/doctoral/current-students/financial-support  

It is common for Ph.D. students to earn a Master’s degree as they progress through their Ph.D. program of study. That is, appropriate courses taken as part of their Ph.D. program are often applied to satisfy relevant degree requirements for a single Master’s degree. The review and approval process must go through the Associate chair for Graduate Studies.  Ph.D. students will not however be granted multiple Master’s degrees from ISyE. 

No. All Ph.D. students studying in ISyE receive financial support in the form of a graduate assistantship. There is no separate application required.  https://www.isye.gatech.edu/academics/doctoral/prospective-students/financial-support

Yes. ISyE Ph.D. students must be enrolled in the Atlanta campus.

Exceptions are given to applicants from countries where English is the SOLE OFFICIAL language of instruction. An applicant is also exempt if they have studied for at least one academic year at a U.S. college or university. Please visit https://grad.gatech.edu/english-proficiency for further information on the English Proficiency requirements for international students.

Applicants are required to submit a Statement of Purpose describing his or her motivation for pursuing the Ph.D. in ISyE, including a description of current research interests. Additionally, all applicants are required to submit transcripts of prior academic coursework, official GRE exam scores, and three recommendation letters.  

Please review the Georgia Tech English Proficiency Requirements here: https://grad.gatech.edu/english-proficiency .

The best preparation for a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering or Operations Research at Georgia Tech is a technical program in mathematics, industrial engineering, operations research, statistics, or computer science. Students are expected to have strong understanding of calculus, applied probability, statistics, linear algebra, and computing. Also desirable are proof-based mathematics courses.  

Please see our admissions page here for additional information:  https://www.isye.gatech.edu/academics/doctoral/phd-industrial-engineering/admissions

The application deadline for our Ph.D. program is December 15. We offer fall admission only and classes begin in August.

Copies of your transcripts should be uploaded with your online application. If you are admitted to the program and decide to enroll, you will be required to have official transcripts sent to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Graduate Studies Georgia Institute of Technology 631 Cherry St., Room 318 Atlanta, GA 30332-0321

Our goal is to have all Ph.D. applications reviewed and official admissions decisions out by the end of February. 

Please refer to our ISyE Graduate Handbook .

Please visit our website for information related to: Admissions, Curriculum, Specializations, Financial Support, Research Faculty, Placement, etc.  https://www.isye.gatech.edu/academics/doctoral/industrial-engineering

Academic recommendations are strongly preferred. We require a total of three and they should be very strong. 

Academic recommendation letters are strongly preferred.  We ask for three letters of recommendations and they should be very strong.    

Graduate Program

Interested in joining our phd program .

Find out more here . All our PhD students receive 5 years of full financial support. Applied Math alert! We currently have several generous grant-funded research assistantships (no teaching assistantship duties) available on a competitive basis for excellent PhD students committed to working in applied mathematics.

We are noted for the friendliness of our faculty and students, and for our flexibility in adapting programs to the needs of each individual student. The department has particularly active research groups in additive combinatorics, algebra, algebraic geometry, analysis, applied mathematics, geometry, number theory, and topology.

Program information and resources.

Graduate Degree Programs     Detailed information about our graduate degrees including the MA and PhD degrees.

How to Apply     Information for prospective graduate students.

Written Qualification Exam Study Guide     Find out how to study for the written qualification exam. 

Awards     Find out more information about awards given to graduate students. 

Prospective Students     For students looking to join the department.

Current Students     Information for students who are already a part of the department. 

Graduate Guidebook     All the information that prospective students need to know before applying. 

Need more Info?

Contact our Grad Programs Team (consisting of David Gay, Laura Rider, Rinakia Jones) : [email protected]

Cheri Bliss Director of Graduate Admissions and Student Services University of Georgia Graduate School [email protected]

We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience.  Click here to learn more about giving .

Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.

Office of International Education

International student and scholar services, graduate out-of-country tuition waiver.

Georgia Tech is committed to “improving the human condition in Georgia, the United States, and around the globe”. Georgia Tech’s Office of International Education is able to administer the graduate out-of-country tuition waiver to current students holding F-1 visas and experiencing unforeseen financial difficulties that could prevent students from reaching their academic goals.

Graduate out-of-country tuition waivers are awarded to a limited number of students who are not funding by their department and are able to demonstrate they are experiencing unexpected financial difficulties. Those who are approved for the graduate out-of-country tuition waiver and are classified under the out-of-country or out-of-state tuition rate will have their tuition reduced down to the in-state tuition rate.

The waiver is not a scholarship, but rather a way for students to continue their studies during short periods of financial stress. Therefore, this waiver should not be seen as a long-term solution to ongoing financial stress. Students experiencing long-term financial stress can review OIE’s website on Financial Assistance for International Students and contact OIE by emailing [email protected] for additional information. Since there are a limited number of waivers available per semester, OIE strong encourages students experiencing financial difficulties to research other ways to finance their education.

Please expand the accordions below for information regarding the Out-of-Country Tuition Waiver application cycle.

Application Opens

Application Closes

Recipients Notified

May 13 at 4:00 PM ET

June 10 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of July 8

Spring 2025

October 7 at 4:00 PM ET

November 4 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of December 9

Summer 2025

February 3 at 4:00 PM ET

March 3 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of April 7

May 12 at 4:00 PM ET

June 9 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of July 14

Spring 2026

October 6 at 4:00 PM ET

November 3 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of December 8

Summer 2026

February 2 at 4:00 PM ET

March 2 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of April 6

May 11 at 4:00 PM ET

June 8 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of July 13

Spring 2027

October 5 at 4:00 PM ET

November 2 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of December 7

Summer 2027

February 1 at 4:00 PM ET

March 1 at 4:00 PM ET

Week of April 5

Eligibility

Applicants and recipients of the Graduate Out-of-Country Tuition Waiver should demonstrate academic achievement, community involvement, and leadership skills as well as financial difficulties.

1. Applicant must have been enrolled full-time for at least one (1) semester at Georgia Tech in F status prior to the semester for which they are applying. Students returning from a leave of absence are unfortunately not eligible until they have completed at least one full-time semester after their return.

2. Applicant must be a master's student who has not received funding from their department for the semester in which they are seeking the waiver (e.g., GRA, GTA, Fellowship, etc.). There may be limited exceptions where PhD students may be eligible to apply, if they have lost their departmental funding.

3. Applicant must be enrolled full-time for the semester in which he/she will receive the waiver. Exceptions may be made in an applicant's final semester or summer.

4. Applicant must be able to demonstrate extreme financial need based on unexpected difficulties that are out of the student's control (e.g., death/illness/loss of employment of financial supporter, natural disaster/political instability/severe inflation or de-valuation affecting source of funding).

5. Active involvement in GT student organizations, community service, or volunteer activities while at Georgia Tech.

6. Minimum 2.50 cumulative Georgia Tech GPA. *Applications will not be considered if GPA does meet minimum requirement at the time of submission.

7. An application must be submitted each semester for which you would like to be considered for the Graduate Out-of-Country Tuition Waiver.

8. Eligible and approved students can receive the Graduate Out-of-Country Tuition Waiver no more than two times for the duration of their studies.

Submitting an Application

The Graduate Out-of-Country Tuition Waiver application can be found in iStart under Programs and Events. If you encounter any issues accessing or filling out the e-form during the application period, please e-mail us at least five business days before the application deadline: [email protected] . We will not be able to assist with technical issues after the application closes. Please read all instructions carefully and send any questions to [email protected] .

This notice applies to all information and resource materials provided by the OIE for the domain oie.gatech.edu and for all other information provided by OIE in any media format. It is provided for informational purposes only, and is not represented to be error free, complete, accurate or current. The information contained herein is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for the legal advice or legal opinions of a licensed professional. Users should contact their own personal attorney or licensed professional to obtain appropriate legal advice or other professional counseling with respect to any particular issue or problem.

OIE is a unit of the Vice Provost of International Initiatives in the Office of the Provost .

M.S. in International Security

The single-year Master of Science in International Security (M.S. ISEC) offers students the opportunity to understand conceptual foundations and practical policy analysis of issues related to international security. The curriculum allows students to customize their program of study among a diverse set of subjects — including 21st-century great power rivalry; defense policy analysis and military strategy; crisis decision-making; comparative forms of statecraft; transnational terrorism; peacekeeping; regional security; geopolitics of energy; cross-cultural bargaining and negotiations; and cyber warfare. In addition to exposure to qualitative and quantitative research methods, students can acquire proficiency with tools such as data and visual analytics and modeling and simulation—in understanding ongoing international security challenges.

A 30-credit hour course load prepares graduates with the substantive knowledge and skills to distill, assess, and communicate the drivers and strategic consequences associated with emerging global security problems as experts and leaders in foreign and security policymaking, defense planning, the intelligence community, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. The International Security program is part of the Nunn School’s mission of developing global policymakers for the 21st century.

The M.S. ISEC is also offered in a fully online format for working professionals. Learn more about the online program on the Georgia Tech Professional Education website .

Degree Requirements – 30 credit hours

Program Benefits

Problem Solving

The program provides students with the theoretical foundation and practical policy analytical skills to tackle issues directly related to contemporary International Security.

Scientific Analysis

Students develop a toolkit in visual analytics and modeling and simulation to understand ongoing international security challenges.

Career Development

Georgia Tech offers career counseling to help students discover their strengths and limitations, type of work environment they would excel in, and specific career interests.

Graduate Advising / Admissions

Chris McDermott Associate Director of Academic Programs - Advising

Habersham Building 781 Marietta St. NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0610 Email:  [email protected] Twitter: @NunnSchoolGT

More About Advising

Relevant Links

Online M.S. ISEC

Admissions Instructions

Student Handbook

Admissions FAQ

Meet Our Alumni

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OpenAI Unveils New ChatGPT That Can Reason Through Math and Science

Driven by new technology called OpenAI o1, the chatbot can test various strategies and try to identify mistakes as it tackles complex tasks.

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By Cade Metz

Reporting from San Francisco

Online chatbots like ChatGPT from OpenAI and Gemini from Google sometimes struggle with simple math problems . The computer code they generate is often buggy and incomplete. From time to time, they even make stuff up .

On Thursday, OpenAI unveiled a new version of ChatGPT that could alleviate these flaws. The company said the chatbot, underpinned by new artificial intelligence technology called OpenAI o1, could “reason” through tasks involving math, coding and science.

“With previous models like ChatGPT, you ask them a question and they immediately start responding,” said Jakub Pachocki, OpenAI’s chief scientist. “This model can take its time. It can think through the problem — in English — and try to break it down and look for angles in an effort to provide the best answer.”

In a demonstration for The New York Times, Dr. Pachocki and Szymon Sidor, an OpenAI technical fellow, showed the chatbot solving an acrostic, a kind of word puzzle that is significantly more complex than an ordinary crossword puzzle. The chatbot also answered a Ph.D.-level chemistry question and diagnosed an illness based on a detailed report about a patient’s symptoms and history.

The new technology is part of a wider effort to build A.I. that can reason through complex tasks. Companies like Google and Meta are building similar technologies, while Microsoft and its subsidiary GitHub are working to incorporate OpenAI’s new system into their products.

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