Information for International Applicants
Please see the pages on How to Apply for the MS Programs in Mathematics or How to Apply for the PhD Program in Mathematics.
English proficiency
All international applicants must satisfy the English Proficiency Requirement for Admission.
For International students applying to the PhD program after 2009: A minimum TOEFL iBT speak score of 20 (or TSE 42) is required to even be considered for the Math Ph.D. program at Illinois. The only exceptions will be for those applicants exempt from the English requirement for admission, http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/admissions/instructions/04c or those applicants with at least 5 years of fellowship support from another source.
For students whose native language is not English the University admission requirements include proof of proficiency in English, as measured by the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System). For more information on these requirements for admission see http://www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/taengprof.htm.
In addition, International Teaching Assistants must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English, as measured by the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT), the IELTS, the TSE (Test of Spoken English), or the university-administered EPI (English Proficiency Interview) test. For more information on these requirements for appointment as an International TA see http://cte.illinois.edu/testing/oral_eng/main.html. Students who do not satisfy these requirements are not eligible to receive appointments as Teaching Assistants in the classroom.
International students who have studied in the United States may be exempt from the English admission requirement, but must still submit the TOEFL or equivalent to qualify as a teaching assistant.
Declaration of Finances
International students must submit the Declaration and Certification of Finances form along with the required bank statement. More details can be found at http://www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/instructions/04d. Your application will be reviewed without the declaration of finances form, but the form must be submitted before you are officially admitted, so it is advisable to submit it with your application in order to avoid delays in your visa later. If you are offered a teaching assistantship, a bank statement showing about $3300 US to cover any additional cost of living will be sufficient. Please note that you are not required to pay this amount, only to show evidence of such finances in a bank account. For all other international students, the bank statement must show resources for the full cost.
Information for International Applicants from the University of Illinois Graduate College
International Students and Scholars Office at the University of Illinois
Student Organizations at the University of Illinois
There are hundreds of student organizations at the University of Illinois. At this webpage, you can search for those of interest to you. For example, search for “China” to find organizations of Chinese students. Most of the organizations have a webpage and people you can contact even before you arrive in Illinois.