Ph.D. in Mathematics

Welcome to the Department of Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics at Boston College seeks to advance mathematics through a commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and service to the community. The faculty has a strong research reputation, with highly regarded research groups in the areas of Algebraic Geometry, Geometry, Number Theory, Representation Theory, and Topology.

The department’s Ph.D. program was launched in 2010 and now supports 25 to 30 graduate students, attracting doctoral students from top programs both nationally and internationally. Service contributions include extensive work with pre-collegiate math teachers, involvement with mathematics policy questions at the state and national levels and support for scholarship in mathematics through the organization of international scholarly meetings and the editing of high-quality journals.

As you explore Boston College, you will no doubt be impressed by the strength of our graduate programs and the depth of the resources we offer to support outstanding graduate study. On-campus, one-third of all students are graduate welcome to the department of mathematics students; they are a vital part of the intellectual life of the university. Graduate students across all Boston College programs contribute to and benefit from the charism of a Jesuit university, combining a zest for academic achievement with a climate that fosters personal growth and a caring concern for the individual.

Our location in Boston—a world-renowned center for mathematics—also provides a vibrant intellectual climate in which our graduate students thrive.

Education with a heart and soul—and the power to transform

Boston College, the first institution of higher education to operate in the city of Boston, is today among the nation’s foremost universities, a leader in the liberal arts, scientific inquiry, and student formation.

Grounded in the ideals that inspired our Jesuit founders, Boston College urges students to look inward but always to reach out—to develop their minds and talents to the fullest and use them in service to others.

About the Morrissey College

The Robert J. Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences fosters the rigorous intellectual development and the religious, ethical, and personal growth of its students. Morrissey College faculty and students directly engage the world’s most pressing problems, using their gifts to enhance the common good.

The Morrissey College offers graduate programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Students emerge prepared to thrive in a broad range of careers and ready to serve as capable and passionate leaders, working as a leaven for good in communities around the world.

As the oldest and largest division of Boston College, the Morrissey College embodies the Jesuit, Catholic commitment to the depth of inquiry, academic excellence, and educating the whole person through a formative engagement with the liberal arts.

Why Boston College?

When students enter Boston College, they take the first steps on a journey of discovery—one that stimulates their intellectual, personal, ethical, and spiritual growth. The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences' programs ask students to learn about themselves, their communities, and the world, to search for truth wherever they go, and to use their talents to improve the lives of others.

Those who seek an education that lasts a lifetime will find the challenge and support to build meaningful and fulfilling futures.

1. A Dynamic Liberal Arts Education

Explore the range of disciplines that shape well-educated people prepared to thrive in the 21st century. A liberal arts education at Boston College develops valuable skills, including critical thinking, ethical decision-making, effective communication, and the capacity to see the human experience from a range of perspectives.

2. Intellectual Rigor

Morrissey College challenges students to discover and achieve their full potential. Renowned faculty, innovative courses, and off-campus opportunities expand students’ knowledge and experience.

3. Jesuit, Catholic Tradition

Intellectual rigor, integrating knowledge, student formation, care for individuals, using our education in service to others—these Jesuit, Catholic values define the Boston College experience.

4. Inquiry Across Disciplines

Here, scholarly collaboration draws research and teaching beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. The Core Curriculum, the Institute for the Liberal Arts, the Institue for Integrated Science and Society, and a variety of research projects bring together students and faculty from different areas of inquiry.

5. The Benefits of Boston

With more than 50 institutions of higher learning in the metropolitan area, Boston is truly one of the preeminent college towns. It’s also a world-class city full of history, scientific and tech innovators, culture, and internship possibilities.

6. Alumni Network

Students benefit from the connections and support of the tight-knit and loyal network of nearly 180,000 Boston College alumni.