An admissions committee assesses a variety of factors to determine admission offers. Our goal is to build a balanced cohort that satisfies departmental needs as well as diversity in gender, ethnicity, geographic origin and more. We strive to admit applicants who we believe will excel in all aspects of graduate work including coursework, comprehensive and qualifying exams, and most importantly independent research.

The most recent metrics for students admitted into our program are 

Applicants who are non-native English speakers are required to submit evidence of English proficiency (e.g., TOEFL) as part of their application.   ASU requires international students to have minimum TOEFL scores of 515 (PBT), 213 (CBT), or 83 (iBT). At the department level, we look for scores 15% above the university minima.  The most recent incoming cohort TOEFL averages were 100 (iBT) with an average score of 22 on the speaking portion of the exam.