[Math] Is a good GRE score enough for a non-math graduate to be accepted in a decent pure mathematics graduate program

advicecareer-developmenteducationgre-examsoft-question

I have a computer engineering degree , and i have studied several mathematics courses like single variable and multiples variables calculus , complex variables , probability , numerical analysis … etc

I fell in love with mathematics after graduation and employment , and i'm considering doing postgraduate program in mathematics and change my career into mathematics research

Schools around me (where i have established my living) don't have any different study options suitable for my case , all they offer is a regular 4 years undergraduate program followed by graduate studies as in the typical path

I started to self study mathematics in order to have a high score in mathematics GRE exam so i can apply for a scholarship or find a "paid" graduate program somewhere else .

my question is :

Can a high score in GRE mathematics exam be a substitute for a math
degree ? does it show the required abilities required in decent
mathematics graduate programs ?

Does that sound like a good plan ? any pointers and suggestions would be appreciated

Best Answer

Depends on what you mean by a "decent mathematics graduate program", and depends on what you intend to study in graduate school.

The GRE Mathematics Subject Test focuses highly on "calculus and its applications". The pure topics (abstract algebra, topology, set theory, differential geometry, abstract analysis, etc.) tend to be less emphasised. And the format of the exam (being multiple choice) means questions tend to lean toward computational ones in nature, and less so conceptual ones. (Theoretically a firm grasp of the concrete concepts should allow you to do all the computations; in practice it helps to have good computational abilities since there are lots of questions on that exam.)

This is to say that (a fact that I think most admission committees will recognize to an extent) while a bad GRE math subject score may raise a red flag, a good GRE math subject score cannot be equated with either having necessary advanced backgrounds or high mathematical maturity. So just having a good GRE score is, in most cases, not sufficient to guarantee you a place in a math graduate studies program.

However, neither does having an undergraduate mathematics degree.

How much the GRE score can substitute for an undergraduate degree depends from place to place, but I doubt either is used as the final adjudicator for admission. You also should want to have strong recommendation letters as well as good personal statements.

In your situation, perhaps the best advice you can get is by writing directly to the directors of graduate studies (and also professors with whom you'd like to work on your degree) to seek their opinion. Since you are in a track less taken, it may benefit your eventual application by calling their attention to this fact.

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