Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Applied Mathematics Ph.D. program at Illinois Tech is a flagship graduate program that prepares talented mathematicians and statisticians for careers in research or academia. The program includes advanced coursework, independent study, and original research, with almost 100 percent job placement at graduation.

Program Details

• Program Type: Doctoral
• Degree: Ph.D.
• Department: Applied Mathematics
• College: College of Computing
• Program Location: On Campus
• STEM Designated: Yes
• Meets F-1 Visa Requirements: Yes

Career Opportunities

Career opportunities exist across industries, as many need mathematics experts. Some potential career paths include:

• Actuary
• Operations researcher/analyst
• Mathematician/statistician
• Post-secondary mathematics/science teacher
• Post-secondary mathematics/science administrator

Curriculum

The program covers a wide range of topics in applied mathematics and statistics, including mathematical courses offered in popular graduate programs such as Data Science, Financial Technology, and Computational Decision Science and Operations Research.

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in mathematics or applied mathematics is typically required, although candidates with a strong background in mathematics from another field are also eligible.
• A cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 is usually required.
• TOEFL scores, if required, should be a minimum of 80/550 (internet-based/paper-based test scores).
• A two-page professional statement of goals/objectives and a curriculum vitae must be submitted.
• Three letters of recommendation are required.

Research Areas

The Department of Applied Mathematics is a vibrant research hub with internationally recognized faculty working in a variety of applied research areas, including:

• Computational mathematics
• Stochastic analysis
• Statistics
• Data science
• Applied discrete mathematics
• Optimal control

Faculty

Some of the featured faculty members include:

• Igor Cialenco, Professor of Applied Mathematics
• Jinqiao (Jeffrey) Duan, Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics
• Sonja Petrović, Professor of Applied Mathematics
• Fred J. Hickernell, Professor of Applied Mathematics
• Maggie Cheng, Professor of Applied Mathematics and Director, Center for Interdisciplinary Scientific Computation
• Chun Liu, Chair, Department of Applied Mathematics and Professor of Applied Mathematics

Alumni Outcomes

Illinois Tech’s Ph.D. program in Applied Mathematics has a strong track record of alumni success, with graduates going on to work at top companies and institutions, including:

• Goldman Sachs
• UBS
• Amazon
• University of Michigan
• DePaul University
• United Airlines
• Grant Thornton
• Start-ups and early-stage companies

Some notable alumni include:

• Yicong Huang, Senior Quantitative Analyst at Constellation
• Xiao Huang, Applied Scientist at Amazon
• Jeffrey Mudrock, Instructor of Mathematics at College of Lake County
• Lluís Antoni Jiménez Rugama, Algorithmic Trading Quant at UBS
• Julienne Kabre, Postdoctoral Associate at Baylor University

Scholarships

The Department of Applied Mathematics and the College of Computing offer generous scholarships in the form of teaching or research assistantships that cover tuition and provide a competitive monthly stipend. All applications are automatically considered for full scholarship, with no additional application process required. The scholarships are awarded to top candidates based on the strength of their entire portfolio, departmental needs, and availability of funds. Full consideration is given to applications for Fall semesters received before the priority deadline of January 31.