Mailing Address: 155 S. 1400 E. Rm 233, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0090
Office Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday through Friday
Web Address: www.math.utah.edu
Phone: 801-581-6851
Email: office@math.utah.edu

Department Chair:  Tommaso de Fernex, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Director: Sean Lawley, Ph.D.
Graduate Directors: Tom Alberts, Ph.D. & Srikanth Iyengar, Ph.D.
Contacts for Prospective Students: advisor@math.utah.edu (undergraduates) & tooman@math.utah.edu (graduates)

Mission Statement

The Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah is committed to excellence in research and teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Its mission is:

• To provide each student at the University of Utah with a rigorous and effective mathematical education, be he or she the general student, the professional for whom mathematics is a tool, the future engineer or scientist, or the future mathematician.

• To contribute significantly to the creation and development of mathematical ideas and techniques, both within the discipline and for users of mathematics in other disciplines or in industry.

• To increase the public understanding of mathematics and of the central role it plays in science and technology.

Overview

The Department of Mathematics, housed in the College of Science, advances the University’s teaching and research missions through broad, high-impact instruction and internationally recognized scholarship in both pure and applied mathematics. The department delivers mathematics coursework across campus and offers various undergraduate and graduate degrees. With an accomplished faculty and a highly regarded postdoctoral program, the department is distinguished by the breadth and excellence of its research, strong external funding and faculty awards, and a collaborative environment that attracts top talent. It is deeply committed to teaching excellence, education and training at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and meaningful student engagement through abundant research opportunities, strong support for graduate students and postdocs, and dedicated administrative leadership that helps sustain student success and strong placement outcomes.

Types of Degrees

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science

• Bachelor of Science

• Minors

• Master of Science

• Master of Statistics

• Master of Arts/Master of Science

• Doctor of Philosophy

• Graduate Certificate

Undergraduate Program

The Department of Mathematics is highly ranked among universities in the United States for excellence in teaching and research.  As a department, our goal is to ensure that every student benefits from a rigorous and effective mathematics education that enhances skills within the discipline and in other fields.  We prepare our students for meaningful and transformative careers in a number of ways:

• Exceptional learning experiences.  Our students select from a rich set of course offerings that is both deep and wide.  Whether our students are preparing for careers in mathematics or other fields, they are able to design study programs with highly engaged professors who are leaders in their fields.  Our faculty brings decades of experience and a deep commitment to student development to the classroom.

• Critical thinking.  While many of our students pursue advanced degrees, many others go on to careers in industry and research. Studying mathematics teaches students to think critically, which prepares them to succeed in careers that require valuable analytical, computational, and problem-solving skills.

• Research opportunities.  Our faculty members work directly with undergraduate students to help them participate in research through the Introduction to Research class, individual introduction to research experiences, and individual research projects.

• Student advising.  Students work with academic advisors and career coaches to develop a program and skills that will prepare them for the next steps on their academic and career path.

• The T. Benny Rushing Mathematics Center (commonly referred to as the Math Center) offers free tutoring, a computer lab, group study rooms, and individual study desks.  It also offers part-time, on-campus employment opportunities.

• Scholarships. The math department awards many scholarships to undergraduate students each year.

For information on math placement please visit https://www.math.utah.edu/undergraduate/placement.php.

Graduate Program

The graduate program offers Ph.D. and master’s degrees in Mathematics, as well as a Master’s in Statistics (Mathematics). Mathematics faculty carry out research in most of the major disciplines of mathematics, in both pure mathematics and applied. Faculty actively supervise graduate student research projects in individualized or small group settings. 

Our former graduate students have gone on to mathematical careers both in academia and industry.   A partial list of academic institutions and industries where our alumni have found positions is available at https://www.math.utah.edu/graduate/career.php.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are automatically considered for TA positions. In some semesters Ph.D. students become RAs, depending on availability of research funding. Support comes with a stipend, tuition waiver, and health insurance.

Financial aid is not available for students in the master’s programs. Master’s students are responsible for paying tuition.

Areas of Research Specialization

• Algebraic Geometry

• Applied Mathematics

• Commutative Algebra

• Data Science and Machine Learning

• Differential Equations

• Ergodic Theory/Dynamics

• Geometry/Topology

• Materials and Fluids

• Mathematical Biology

• Number Theory

• Numerical Analysis

• Optimization and Inversion

• Probability

• Representation Theory

• Statistics

See https://www.math.utah.edu/research/ for more information about department research.

Full information on graduate programs can be found in the graduate handbook, available at https://www.math.utah.edu/dept/gradbull.pdf.