Undergraduate Bulletin

Spring 2025

Requirements for the Major and Minor in Applied Math and Statistics (AMS)

Acceptance into the Applied Mathematics and Statistics Major

Qualified freshman and transfer students who have indicated their interest in the major on their applications may be admitted directly as a degree major or as a pre-major. Pre-majors are placed into the Area of Interest (AOI) program and to be eligible for the degree, they must be admitted to and declare the major. The requirements and application process for matriculation are detailed below. 

Intellectual honesty and academic integrity are cornerstones of academic and scholarly work. The department may table any applications for major/minor admission until academic judiciary matters are resolved. An academic judiciary matter will be identified by a grade of “Q” in the instance of a first offense.

Applications for major admission are reviewed twice per year and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. Students must meet the following requirements:

    • Grades of B-minus or better in linear algebra (AMS 210 or MAT 211) and multivariable calculus (AMS 261 or MAT 203),
    • An overall GPA of 2.8 or better in all attempts of calculus (calculus I, II, III, A, B, C) and linear algebra,
    • At most one of the courses in calculus (calculus I, II, III, A, B, C) and linear algebra may be repeated, and
    • Completion of course evaluations for all transferred courses that are to be used to meet requirements of the major.

AOI in Applied Mathematics and Statistics (GAM) students must complete these requirements no later than one year after they enroll in the first course that applies towards major entry, and apply for admission by the application deadline immediately following completion of the above requirements, but not later than the one year limit. These AOI students who meet the above criteria within the stated time limit are guaranteed admission. All other students fulfilling the requirements are not guaranteed acceptance. Admission is competitive and contingent upon program capacity.

Requirements for the Major

The major in Applied Mathematics and Statistics leads to the Bachelor of Science degree. Completion of the major requires approximately 46 credits.

Study Within the Area of the Major

1. Required courses in Applied Math and Statistics

Note: The following alternate calculus course sequences may be substituted for AMS 151, AMS 161 in major requirements or prerequisites:
MAT 125, MAT 126, MAT 127 or MAT 131, MAT 132

2. One AMS approved computing course; approved AMS courses may include

  • AMS 325 Computing and Programming Fundamentals in Applied Mathematics and Statistics
  • CSE 101 Computer Science Principles
  • CSE 114 Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
  • ESG 111 Programming for Engineers

3. 27 credits of AMS courses numbered 301 and above, or approved non-AMS upper-division mathematically oriented courses, subject to the following constraints:

(a) AMS 301 must be taken
(b) Either AMS 310 (Survey of Probability and Statistics) or AMS 311 (Probability Theory) must be taken
(c) Either AMS 315 or AMS 361 or MAT 303 must be taken.
(d) At most 6 of the remaining 18 credits can be counted from the following courses: AMS 475, AMS 476, AMS 487, non-AMS upper division mathematically oriented courses. Typical non- AMS upper division mathematically oriented courses are ECO 321, ECO 348, CSE designated courses numbered 302 and above (excluding 312), and MAT designated courses numbered 310 and above.

4. Upper-Division Writing Requirement: 

All degree candidates must demonstrate skill in written English at a level acceptable for Applied Mathematics and Statistics majors. AMS students must register for a course designated by the University as WRTD (e.g., AMS 300). 

Grading

All courses taken to satisfy requirements 1, 2, and 3 above must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or higher.

Double Majors

The Department urges students in other majors who are considering a double major with AMS first to select individual AMS courses on the basis of their academic interests or career plans. Only after a student has taken several AMS courses should he or she decide on this as a second major.

On the other hand, AMS students are strongly encouraged to double major (or to minor) in another discipline. Popular choices for AMS double majors include computer science and economics.

Actuarial Science

The AMS major covers the mathematical sciences topics tested in the first actuarial examination and part of the second actuarial examination. For more information about actuarial science as well as study materials to help prepare for actuarial examinations, students should see the Department's actuarial advisor. Also see the Web site http://www.soa.org for details.

The Accelerated B.S./M.S. Program in Applied Mathematics and Statistics

The accelerated B.S./M.S. program in applied mathematics and statistics allows students with superior academic records to use up to six graduate credits toward both the B.S. and M.S. degree requirements, thus reducing the normal time required to complete both programs to five years (ten semesters). For detailed program requirements, please refer to the Graduate Bulletin.

The advantage of the accelerated program is that the M.S. degree can be earned in less time than that required by the traditional course of study. The M.S. degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics normally requires three to four semesters of study after completion of a bachelor's degree. The in-depth training of a master's degree is required by many employers for professional positions in applied mathematics and statistics (beyond beginning programmer analyst jobs).

For more details about the B.S./M.S. program, see the undergraduate program director or graduate studies director in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics.

The Combined B.S./M.P.H. Program in Applied Mathematics and Statistics

The combined B.S./M.P.H. program allows students with superior academic records to use up to 12 graduate credits toward both the B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics and the M.A. in Public Health degree requirements, thus reducing the normal time required to complete both programs to five years (ten semesters). For detailed program requirements, please refer to the Grad­uate Bulletin or contact the undergrad­uate program director in Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics or graduate studies director in the Department of Public Health.

Requirements for the Minor

The minor in Applied Mathematics and Statistics is designed for students who take a limited amount of mathematics in their major. The AMS minor must include at least 18 credits in courses that are not used to satisfy the requirements of the student's primary major; therefore, students in majors requiring a substantial amount of mathematics may find that a double major with AMS requires fewer credits. Admission to the minor is competitive and contingent upon program capacity.

A.  Calculus: AMS 151, AMS 161 (See Note)
B.  Linear algebra: AMS 210 or MAT 211 
C.  Core AMS courses: AMS 301 and AMS 310 or AMS 311
D.  AMS electives: three additional 300+ level AMS courses with the exception of AMS 300, 301, 310 or 311 if used as a requirement in C. At most one of the AMS upper division electives can be from among AMS 475, 476, 487.

Note:  The following alternate calculus course sequences may be substituted for AMS 151, AMS 161 in requirements for the minor or prerequisites:

MAT 125, MAT 126, MAT 127
or MAT 131, MAT 132
or MAT 141, MAT 142
or Level 9 on the MPE