Funding Sources

An offer of admission to the Ph.D. program includes an offer of financial support from the Department of Mathematics. Applicants need not complete any special form in order to be considered for financial support.

First Year Students

Admitted students are offered a departmental fellowship for their first year, so that they have no teaching assistant duties then.

Continuing Graduate Students

Continuing graduate students in the Department of Mathematics are generally awarded Teaching Assistantships (TAs) or in some cases Research Assistantships (RAs), though a few fellowships also exist. Financial support is renewed for students making satisfactory progress towards their degrees, up to a total of five years, with the type of award varying.

Financial Support

The department provides full financial support -- including tuition, individual medical insurance, and monthly stipend -- for up to five years, assuming students are making satisfactory progress toward the degree. For students with outside awards such as external fellowships, the department will supplement such awards to bring funding up to the level of our standard package. While students are guaranteed full support during the 9-month academic year, the level of summer support varies, depending on how much of the summer students remain at MIT and the level that they choose to work during that time.

For more detailed information regarding the cost of attendance, including specific costs for tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing and food as well as transportation, please visit the SFS website.

International Students

Because of visa requirements of the Department of Homeland Security, international students with full TA or RA appointments are not eligible to pursue any additional work during the regular semester. International students are eligible to work on campus (not off-campus) during MIT's Independent Activity Period and the summer term. International students who wish to pursue employment off-campus must apply for Optional Practical Training or Academic Training; see the International Students Office for more details.

Employment

Students are discouraged from accepting additional employment during the fall or spring semester if it would involve more than 3-4 hours per week beyond their TA and RA duties. Employment opportunities both inside and outside the department may be available during the summer.

More information on summer support may be found on the Summer Support Page.