F.A.Q.



How do I apply to the program (without a teaching assistantship)?

An up-to-date list of instructions is available on our Prospective Graduate Students page.

How do I apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship?

During the graduate program application process, applicants may be considered for a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) position by completing a GTA Assistantship application. LINK Without this application, the committee and the GPO will assume that you are not interested in such a position. 

  • International graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) must have a minimum score of 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) to be eligible to teach at Auburn. New GTAs are expected to achieve this qualification within a year of arriving at Auburn. A score of at least 23 on the speaking section of the iBT TOEFL, or a score of at least 7.0 on the speaking section of the IELTS, or a score of at least 4.4 on the iTEP speaking test is accepted as equivalent qualification. The iTEP speaking test is regularly administered at Auburn University prior to the beginning of classes. Alternatively, the language requirement for GTAs may be met by passing the course INTL-1820, Classroom Communication Skills for International GTAs.

While we accept applications year-round, we strongly advise prospective GTAs to apply for Fall admission due to availability of teaching positions.

What are the benefits of being a GTA?

  • Graduate students with qualifying teaching assistantships receive a full tuition waiver covering over 100% of the minimum hours required to complete their degree programs (at the master's or doctoral level). General information on the tuition fellowship is available on the Graduate School website. For GTAs in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the maximum number of hours covered by the tuition waiver is 38 for a master's degree and 75 for the doctoral degree.
  • A monthly stipend/salary is also paid based upon the amount of assigned teaching.
  • The department provides training on good pedagogical techniques in the classroom.
  • The teaching experience gained from being a GTA is viewed favorably by many search committees for faculty positions.

Do I need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)?

All applicants must take the GRE and have the official test results sent to the Graduate School, but the subject test is NOT required.

Do international students need to take the English tests?

International students with a degree from an American or Canadian university in a province other than Quebec do not need to take the TOEFL.

Auburn does require the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to be taken. (Successful international applicants must score at least 550 on the TOEFL paper version (pBT), 213 on the computer version (cBT), and 79 on the internet version (iBT). Additionally, successful applicants must score minimums of 16 on the listening, reading, speaking, and writing components of the iBT. Auburn University's ETS institution code is 1005.)

We will accept a TOEFL score providing Auburn University receives an official copy from ETS before the expiration date of your test.

Auburn will also accept a 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.

International graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) must have a minimum score of 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) to be eligible to teach at Auburn. New GTAs are expected to achieve this qualification within a year of arriving at Auburn. A score of at least 23 on the speaking section of the iBT TOEFL, or a score of at least 7.0 on the speaking section of the IELTS, or a score of at least 4.4 on the iTEP speaking test is accepted as equivalent qualification. The iTEP speaking test is regularly administered at Auburn University prior to the beginning of classes. Alternatively, the language requirement for GTAs may be met by passing the course INTL-1820, Classroom Communication Skills for International GTAs.

See also the webpage for the Auburn University Graduate School.

Do you offer any Research Assistantships?

From time to time, faculty members have grants that can pay graduate students, but they are usually reserved for students engaged in their doctoral research.

What areas of research might I study at Auburn?

The internationally known faculty of around fifty (50) professors work in areas of applied mathematics, pure mathematics, and statistics; some pursue interdisciplinary mathematics. The Research page of our website has more information on the various fields of study engaged in by members of our department.