# NYU Courant

NYU Courant is a school at New York University focused on mathematics, computing, and data science, known for applied math and AI research. It was founded in 1935 and restructured in 2025.

The Courant Institute School of Mathematics, Computing, and Data Science, commonly known as NYU Courant, is a constituent school of New York University (NYU). It is named after Richard Courant, a mathematician who helped found the institute and served as a professor from 1936 to 1972. The institute specializes in applied mathematics, mathematical analysis, scientific computation, and computer science, with a strong emphasis on partial differential equations and their applications. It is also a major center for research in [artificial intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) and [machine learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/machine-learning), housing several AI labs and contributing to foundational advances in [[deep-learning|deep learning] and [neural networks](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/neural-network). The school's main building, Warren Weaver Hall, is located on Gould Plaza in New York City.

Originally established in 1935 as the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, the institute was reorganized in 2025 to become a full school within NYU, incorporating the Department of Mathematics, the Center for Data Science, and an expanded Department of Computer Science. This restructuring reflects the growing importance of computing and data science in the institute's mission.

## History

Richard Courant left Göttingen University in Germany in 1934 to become a visiting professor at NYU, tasked with building up the Department of Mathematics at the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science. He was later joined by Kurt O. Friedrichs and James J. Stoker. In 1946, the department was renamed the Institute for Mathematics and Mechanics. That same year, NYU Professor Morris Kline began focusing on mathematical problems of electromagnetic wave propagation, leading to the creation of the Division of Wave Propagation and Applied Mathematics.

In 1952, the United States Atomic Energy Commission installed one of the first electronic computers at NYU, which led to the creation of the Courant Mathematics and Computing Laboratory. The institute was at the forefront of advanced hardware use, with an early IBM 7094 and the fourth produced CDC 6600. The Division of Magnetofluid Dynamics was initiated by a project on plasma fusion by NYU Professor Harold Grad in 1954, and the Division of Computational Fluid Dynamics was created in 1978 from a project led by Paul R. Garabedian.

On November 13, 2025, NYU president Linda G. Mills announced that the Courant Institute would become a new school within the university. The decision was based on consultations with faculty-led committees. Mathematics professor Gérard Ben Arous served as the inaugural dean until a permanent dean was found. In August 2026, it was announced that Denis Zorin would serve as Dean of the Courant Institute.

## Academics

The Courant Institute offers undergraduate and graduate programs in mathematics and computer science, with degrees ranging from Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science to Master of Science and PhD. The institute is known for its rigorous curriculum and research output. The mathematics department is consistently ranked #1 in applied mathematics in the United States, with strong programs in analysis (#6 as of 2022) and geometry (#12 as of 2022). In computer science, the institute focuses on machine learning, theory, programming languages, computer graphics, and parallel computing. In 2022, the computer science program was ranked #19 globally, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities placed the institute #9 worldwide in mathematics.

Faculty and alumni have received numerous prestigious awards. Six faculty members have been awarded the National Medal of Science, including Kurt O. Friedrichs, Peter Lax, Cathleen Synge Morawetz, Louis Nirenberg, Charles S. Peskin, and S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan. Mikhail Gromov received the Kyoto Prize, and nine have received career awards from the National Science Foundation. Abel Prizes have been awarded to Lax (2005), Varadhan (2007), Gromov (2009), and Nirenberg (2015). Louis Nirenberg also received the Chern Medal in 2010, and Subhash Khot won the Nevanlinna Prize in 2014. In computer science, Amir Pnueli and [Yann LeCun](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/yann-lecun) won the Turing Award in 1996 and 2018, respectively. Jeff Cheeger was awarded the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences in 2021.

## Research and AI

The Courant Institute is a leading center for research in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Its faculty and researchers have contributed to fundamental advances in [deep learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/deep-learning), including the development of [convolutional neural networks](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/convolutional-neural-network) and [generative models](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/generative-adversarial-network). The institute's AI labs focus on areas such as [computer vision](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/computer-vision), [natural language processing](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/natural-language-processing), and [reinforcement learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/reinforcement-learning). Notable researchers include Yann LeCun, who is known for his work on convolutional neural networks and served as the founding director of NYU's Center for Data Science. The institute also collaborates with industry partners and other academic institutions, contributing to the broader AI ecosystem.

## Admissions and Programs

Admission to the Courant Institute's graduate programs is highly competitive, with acceptance rates ranging from 3% to 29% depending on the program, and an overall rate of 15%. The admissions process is holistic, considering a high undergraduate GPA and GRE scores as typical prerequisites but not strictly required. The institute welcomes applicants from quantitative fields such as economics, engineering, physics, and biology, as well as mathematics. Undergraduate admissions are handled by the NYU undergraduate admissions office of the College of Arts and Science.

The Department of Mathematics offers PhDs in Mathematics, Atmosphere-Ocean Science, and Computational Biology, as well as Master of Science degrees in Mathematical Finance, Mathematics, and Scientific Computing. The Graduate Department of Computer Science offers a PhD in computer science and Master of Science degrees in computer science, information systems (in conjunction with the Stern School of Business), and scientific computing. For the PhD program, every computer science student must receive a grade of A or A− on the final examination for algorithms, systems, applications, and a PhD-level course of their choice, such as cryptography or numerical methods.

## Notable People

The Courant Institute has been home to many distinguished mathematicians and computer scientists. Richard Courant, Kurt O. Friedrichs, and James J. Stoker were early leaders. Later faculty include Peter Lax, Louis Nirenberg, Cathleen Synge Morawetz, and S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan, all of whom made significant contributions to applied mathematics. In computer science, Yann LeCun, a pioneer of deep learning, has been a professor at the institute since 2003. Other notable figures include Subhash Khot, known for his work on the Unique Games Conjecture, and Jeff Cheeger, a geometer. The institute's alumni and faculty have gone on to positions in academia and industry, including at major AI research labs.

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Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/nyu-courant
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
Last updated: 2026-09-12T16:20:25.060127+00:00