The application submission process for all programs is handled by the New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science. They forward applications to us for evaluation only once they are complete. We recommend using the online application. Please note non-degree applicants must submit a paper application obtained directly from the Graduate School of Arts and Science.  You may use the Supporting Materials Tracking System to check whether your application is complete. You may contact Graduate Enrollment Services by phone: 212-998-8050, or email: gsas.admissions@nyu.edu.  Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.  Graduate Enrollment Services is located just north of Washington Square Park at One-Half Fifth Avenue. Turn right at the statue of Cervantes.

Admission is very competitive for all Mathematics in Finance programs. The classes require a high level of mathematical talent and specific preparation. It is vital that your application give an accurate and complete picture of your background, talents, and interests. Please follow the detailed guidelines below as well as those of the Graduate School to maximize your chance of admission and prevent misunderstandings.

The application for the full-time MS program, the part-time MS program, or the part-time Certificate program consists of the following parts:

• The application itself (online application preferred)
  
• A statement of purpose
• 3 recommendation letters
• One academic transcript from each institution attended should be uploaded as part of your online application
  
• GRE score (note:  we do not accept GMAT)
• TOEFL score for international students (this is not required if you have an undergraduate or more advanced degree from an English-speaking university)
• A resume

Applicants for non-degree study are required to submit only:

• The application itself
  
• If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you should apply for non-degree study by using the online application. If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, please write gsas.admissions@nyu.edu. In that message, (1) confirm you have read the instruction materials, (2) indicate the program of study in which you are interested and the term for which you will apply, and (3) indicate the visa type you already have or will request. Graduate Enrollment Services will correspond with you about your eligibility for non-degree study. If appropriate, they will send you a paper application.
• Please refer to the "Non-degree application instructions" in the Application Resource Center at gsas.nyu.edu for more information
  
• A statement of purpose
• Official transcripts from all colleges or universities you attended
• A resume

Someone who has taken classes as a non-degree student may apply to the part-time MS program or Certificate program by submitting the remaining materials and a new statement of purpose. International students requiring student visas can only apply for full-time study.

Application deadlines

All application materials and credentials must have arrived at the Graduate School by the deadline. Take the GRE test early. It generally takes 4 weeks for your official test results to be made available. You should list code 2596 for the NYU Graduate School in your request to Educational Testing Service for forwarding official scores for TOEFL and GRE. To expedite the processing of your application, you may also include copies of your results. In some cases we may be able to start evaluating an application with only unofficial transcripts or GRE scores. Official transcripts and GRE scores are required eventually.

Full-Time Masters in Mathematics in Finance: February 15. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications before the deadline. Full time students are accepted only for a Fall start date. If you have been accepted by another program with a deadline for a reply but would prefer Courant, please contact us, mathfinapp@cims.nyu.edu as soon as possible. Space permitting, we are sometimes able to consider applications received after the formal deadline.

Part-Time Masters in Mathematics in Finance: August 1 for Fall, December 1 for Spring.

Non Degree and Certificate program: August 1 for Fall, December 1 for Spring.

Notification of Acceptance Status
Official notification is made only by Graduate Enrollment Services by a letter of admission or of rejection.  We request that applicants not email the Program Administrator to ask if they have been admitted unless they are faced with a deadline from another university to which they must respond. Due to the large number of applications processed during March, it can take several weeks from the time of our decision until applicants receive their official notification letters. For this reason, we usually send an unofficial congratulatory email to successful applicants when decisions have been reached.

Part-time acceptances for Fall are usually not made until after the full-time class has been assembled, which is mid to late April. Part-time acceptances for spring are made on a rolling basis.

Application guidelines

Careful attention to these guidelines will make your application stronger.

The application itself
Fill in the application completely. Answer all the questions.

Statement of purpose
Explain your view of the finance industry, why you are attracted to it, and what aspects of it you are most interested in. Explain why you have chosen quantitative finance in general and our program in particular. Describe your career plans and goals as clearly as you have them. This can range from: ``a career somewhere in the finance industry'' to: ``running a desk trading exotic emerging market credit derivatives at BNP in London leveraging my language skills and knowledge of Latin American markets''. Describe your background and how it relates to your career plans. What motivated you to choose quantitative finance and why do you feel it is a good choice for you? Describe what you have done to learn about the finance industry and prepare yourself for our program. If quantitative finance represents a change in your career path, explain your decision to switch. Feel free to give other information that will help us understand your application better. Be concise.

Recommendation letters
The most important consideration in admissions decisions is your talent for and preparation in mathematics. This could come from mathematics classes or highly mathematical classes in the sciences or engineering. The most helpful letters are from people who have seen your performance in the most challenging situations and can compare it to others. This generally means instructors in advanced classes that are heavily quantitative or mathematical. If you have significant work experience, we appreciate a letter from a manager who can describe your technical accomplishments. You may submit more than three letters, but please do not do so unless the extra letter adds significant new information. Please avoid the following mistakes:

• The recommendation letter is not a character reference. Avoid writers who do not have first hand knowledge of your technical abilities. This includes deans or officials who have not had you in class, instructors in low level or nontechnical classes such as calculus, literature, accounting, etc., friends, relatives, and colleagues.
• If someone asks you to write the letter yourself, refuse. The recommender may ask you for a resume or a transcript or even some things about yourself you would like to be in the letter. Feel free to provide such information, but under no circumstances should you suggest the actual wording of the letter. We disregard any letter that we feel was written by the applicant. A professional understands better than a student what information a recommendation letter should convey.

The GRE and TOEFL
The general GRE test is required, but we encourage applicants to also submit scores from Subject GRE Tests in mathematics, physics or another highly quantitative discipline.  We may waive the GRE requirement for an applicant with a technical PhD. Please contact us (email: mathfinapp@cims.nyu.edu) to request PhD waiver instructions.
The GRE and TOEFL institution code number for NYU GSAS is 2596.  The GRE does not require a department code.  The TOEFL requires a department code;
please list code 99 if you did not list a code already (the only code that
cannot be used is 00).

Department and Field of Study Codes

The application requires department and field of study codes.  Please enter the corresponding codes as listed below.
Masters Study (full-time and part-time): MATF  MAF
Non-Degree Study: MATF MAF
Dual Degree Study: MATF MAB
Certificate Study: MATC MFM

The resume
Submit a professional quality resume. You can find suggested formats online. For professional or technical jobs, give the dates worked, the division of the firm and the city where you worked. Describe your activities in a few words or bullet points. Please list all major activities even if they are not academic or technical, such as military service, performing arts, religious study, etc., with places and dates if possible. List your educational history with places, dates, and a few details such as areas of concentration, thesis title, awards, GPA, etc.