Special Pre-enrollment Program in Mathematics at Rutgers
Our two-week orientation program (SPP) will take place from Monday, August 17, 2026 through Friday, August 28, 2026 (no weekend days).
The Written Qualifying Exam schedule is as follows, all IN-PERSON:
- Algebra - Tuesday 8/25/26, 2:00pm-4:00pm - Hill 705
- Complex Analysis and Advanced Calculus - Wednesday 8/26/26, 10:00am - 12:00 noon - Hill 705
- Real Analysis and Elementary Point Set Topology - Thursday, 8/27/26, UPDATED TIME: 12:00pm-2:00pm - Hill 705
We have planned many "Glimpse Talks" by faculty members to give an idea of the research being done at Rutgers. This is also an opportunity for new students to meet each other and to get acquainted with faculty members and continuing graduate students. All Glimpse Talks, Review Problem Sessions, and other presentations will be held in Hill 705.
The following three orientation sessions run by the Global Services and School of Graduate Studies are very important and attendance is required. You will receive an email regarding them. The orientations will be available for viewing online at any time on or after August 1st via Canvas links provided by email or the School of Graduate Studies website: Home | Rutgers School of Graduate Studies
- 1-International Global SGS (School of Graduate Studies) Orientation – International students only (8/25, 26 and 27/2025 (9:00am-5:00pm - Jersey Mike's arena.
- 2-New Teaching Assistant Orientation – Monday, 8/24/26 for all new graduate TAs at Rutgers for the 2026-2027 academic year. There will be two components:
- 2A-Onsite orientation - (8:30am-12:15pm) in Scott Hall (College Ave campus) - Will include meet-and-greet, panel session, breakout sessions, etc.
- 2B-Virtual New Student Orientation on Canvas will be shared in the summer) - Will address various teaching topics, such as preparing for the first day of class, dealing with common challenges, etc.
- 3-New Student Orientation – International and domestic students - Virtual on Canvas - Information will be emailed to you.
- New Student Orientation Virtual Canvas Module for enrolling in benefits (will not be recorded) - MANDATORY
Monday, August 17, 2026
- 9:30am – 10:00am: Breakfast (provided) in Hill 703 (for New Students and Liaison Committee)
- 10:00am – 10:30am: Introduction by the Graduate Director, Fioralba Cakoni, Welcome from the Department Chair, Alex Kontorovich
- 11:00am – 12:00pm: Glimpse Talk by Alex Kontorovich - Learning mathematics by formalizing it
- 12:00pm – 1:00pm: Lunch (provided) in Hill 703 (for New Students, Liaison Committee Members, and Current Students)
- 1:00pm – 1:30pm: Meet with Technology Staff in Hill 705 - Emails, computers, etc.
- 1:30pm – 2:30pm: Glimpse Talk by Paul Feehan - Poincaré conjecture for smooth 4-dimensional manifolds
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
- 9:20am - 10:40am: Real Analysis Problem Review Session - Anupam Nayak
- 11:00am - 12:00pm: Glimpse Talk by Kristen Hendricks - Classical and modern invariants of knots
- 2:00pm - 3:00:pm: Algebra Problem Review Session - Instructor TBA
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
- 9:20am – 10:40am: Complex Analysis Problem Review Session - Ryan McGowan
- 11:00am – 12:00pm: Glimpse Talk by Fioralba Cakoni - Seen and Unseen: Mathematics of Inverse Problems
- 12:00pm-2:00pm: Lunch with New Students, Current Students, and Faculty Glimpse Speakers - Bring your own Brown Bag Lunch
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Glimpse Talk by James Lepowsky – Introduction to vertex operator algebras
Thursday, August 20, 2026
- 9:20am – 10:40am: Real Analysis Problem Review Session - Anupam Nayak
- 11:00am – 12:00pm: Glimpse Talk by Dima Sinapova - Forcing and large cardinals
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Glimpse Talk by Facundo Memoli - The Gromov-Hausdorff distance between spheres
- 3:20pm – 4:40pm: Complex Analysis Problem Review Session - Ryan McGowan
Friday, August 21, 2026
- 9:20am – 10:20pm: Glimpse Talk by Konstantin - Data Driven Dynamics
- 11:00am - 12:00pm: Glimpse Talk by Kasper Larsen - Math Finance
- 12:30pm – 2:00pm: Lunch with new students, any available current students - Bring your own Brown Bag Lunch
- 2:00pm - 3:00pm: Algebra Problem Review Session - Instructor TBA
Monday, August 24, 2026
- 8:30am-5:00pm - New Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation - for all new graduate TAs at Rutgers for the 2026-2027 academic year. There will be two components
- Onsite orientation - in Scott Hall (College Avenue Campus) Will include a meet-and-greet, panel session, breakout sessions, etc.
- Virtual Orientation on Canvas - (links will be shared in the summer) - Will address various teaching topics, such as preparing for the first day of class, dealing with common challenges, etc.
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
- 8:30am-5:00pm - International Global Orientation - Jersey Mike's Arena, Livingston Campus - This orientation welcomes, prepares, and engages new students. Morning session is most important.
- 2:00pm-4:00pm - Hill 705 - Algebra Written Qualifying Exams (IN PERSON)
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
- 8:30am-5:00pm - International SGS Orientation - Jersey Mike's Arena, Livingston Campus - more sessions, but not as important as Monday
- 1:00pm-2:00pm: Glimpse Talk by Shadi Tahvildar Zadeh - What is Mathematical Physics? VIA ZOOM
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Glimpse Talk by Yanyan Li – Yamabe Problem & Its Fully Nonlinear Extensions: Geometry, Analysis, Compactness, and Blow-up
- 10:00am-12:00pm - Hill 705 - Complex Analysis Written Qualifying Exams (IN PERSON)
- TBA - Required Grader Orientation Meeting presented by Professor Ioanna Mavrea regarding grading.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
- 8:30am-5:00pm - International SGS Orientation - Jersey Mike's Arena, Livingston Campus - more sessions, but not as important as Monday
- 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Hill 705 - Real Analysis Written Qualifying Exams (IN PERSON)
- 2:30pm-3:30pm: Hill 116 - Professionalism in the Department - Dima Sinapova and Peter Ullman - MANDATORY for New Graduate Students.
- 3:30pm - 4:00pm: Hill 116 - MANDATORY New Semester Meeting – Kontorovich/Mischaikow - All new and current faculty, lecturers and graduate students
Friday, August 28, 2026
- 10:00am-12:00noon - MANDATORY - New Student Orientation Virtual Canvas Module for enrolling in benefits hosted by HR. Will not be recorded.
- 12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch with New Students, Current Students, and Faculty - Bring your own Bag Lunch
- 1:00pm – 1:30pm: Introduction to Library Resources with Mei Ling Lo - Hill 705
- 1:30pm - 2:30pm - Meeting - Liaison Committee with New Students - Q & A
- 2:30pm-3:30pm - Glimpse Talk by Sagun Chanillo - Nusselt Number & Optimal Bounds for Heat Transport & Coronae on the Planet Venus
August 2026: Virtual New Student Orientation on Canvas hosted by SGS (links will be shared in the summer). It will address various teaching topics, such as preparing for the first day of class, dealing with common challenges, etc.