Information and Policies
Introduction
Applied mathematics is a field of research specializing in the development and application of analytical and numerical tools and techniques toward the solution of complex quantitative problems in science and engineering. A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Applied Mathematics prepares graduates for careers in the industry (usually in research and development) or academia (either in teaching and/or in research at university or governmental laboratories or agencies). It can be a terminal degree, or prepare students for graduate school in applied mathematics or related fields.
The applied mathematics major at UC Santa Cruz provides students with a holistic training in mathematical modeling. The core of the degree program includes six courses that introduce modern analytical (and semi-analytical) techniques as well as general aspects of scientific computing. Students gain further depth or breadth by taking two (or more) electives among a large list of upper-division or graduate courses offered by applied mathematics faculty or in related subject areas. Finally, students learn to apply the techniques and tools learned through two capstone courses that focus on modeling “real- life” quantitative problems in science and engineering. In these courses, students also learn additional skills such as mathematical abstraction, critical thinking, and disciplinary communication.
The major has been designed to allow students to easily pursue an additional minor or major in an area of applications of mathematics (such as physics, astrophysics, Earth sciences, computer sciences, computer engineering, electrical engineering), and/or to pursue the 4+1 pathway into the Master of Science (M.S.) degree program in Scientific Computing and Applied Mathematics also offered by the Department of Applied Mathematics.
Academic Advising for the Program
The Baskin School of Engineering (BSOE) Undergraduate Advising Office is located in the Baskin Engineering Building, Room 225. It can be contacted by email at advising@soe.ucsc.edu or at the Undergraduate Advising website.
Transfer students to the program should consult the Transfer Students section of the Baskin Engineering Undergraduate Affairs page.
Getting Started in the Major
It is recommended that high school students intending to apply to this major have completed four years of mathematics (through advanced algebra and trigonometry) and three years of science in high school. Comparable college mathematics and science courses completed at another institution also serve to properly prepare students for these majors
Program Learning Outcomes
Recipients of a B.S. degree in applied mathematics at UC Santa Cruz are expected to have the following skills and experiences:
- To be able to take a real-life science or engineering problem, and create a mathematical model for it, under supervision of a professor.
- To be competent with a number of analytical methods for the solution of linear algebra problems, ordinary and partial differential equations.
- To be competent with constructing numerical algorithms for the solution of linear algebra problems and ordinary differential equations.
- To be competent in at least two scientific computing languages such as: Fortran, C, Python, R, Matlab, etc. and to be familiar with other computational elements such as Unix-type operating systems, the use of compilers, professional scientific computing libraries, efficient IO algorithms, data visualization tools, etc.
- To be able to analyze critically the results from the model obtained, and identify when the model is inappropriate.
- To be able to communicate clearly and coherently with professionals (orally and/or in writing), in order to: (1) understand what is needed of the mathematical model prior to the investigation; and (2) report on the results of the model after the investigation
Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process
Major Qualification
In order to be admitted into the applied mathematics major, students must be listed as a proposed major within the School of Engineering or within the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences. Please refer to Prepare to Declare a BSOE Major.
Transfers to the program should consult the Transfer Students section of the Baskin Engineering Undergraduate Affairs page.
In addition to being listed as a proposed School of Engineering or Physical and Biological Sciences major, admission to the applied mathematics major is based on passing the following foundational courses:
Foundation Courses
One of the following series:
Plus these courses:
| AM 30 | Multivariate Calculus for Engineers | 5 |
| CSE 16 | Applied Discrete Mathematics | 5 |
Plus one of the following:
| AM 10 | Mathematical Methods for Engineers I | 5 |
| MATH 21 | Linear Algebra | 5 |
Plus one of the following:
| AM 20 | Mathematical Methods for Engineers II | 5 |
| MATH 24 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 5 |
Declaration of the major can happen no sooner than the student's second quarter, and no later than the campus deadline.
At most, one unsuccessful attempt (grade C-, D+, D, D-, F, or NP) for a foundation course is permitted.
Appeal Process
Denials of admission to the major may be appealed by submitting a letter to the School of Engineering Undergraduate Advising office, addressed to the program undergraduate director within 15 days from the date the notification was mailed. The appeal letter must describe why the prior performance is not an accurate reflection of the student's potential. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the Undergraduate Advising office will notify the student and their college of the decision.
How to Declare a Major
There are five steps to declaring a BSOE major. For a detailed guide to this process, please consult Baskin Engineering's Declare Your Major website.
Transfer Information and Policy
Transfer Admission Screening Policy
To be considered for admission to the applied mathematics major, incoming transfer students should complete the following courses:
All of the following courses:
| AM 10 | Mathematical Methods for Engineers I | 5 |
| AM 20 | Mathematical Methods for Engineers II | 5 |
| AM 30 | Multivariate Calculus for Engineers | 5 |
| CSE 16 | Applied Discrete Mathematics | 5 |
Plus one of the following options:
Transfer students should have completed as many general education requirements as possible if they wish to graduate in two years.
Getting Started at UCSC as a Transfer Student
Transfer students should declare their major in their first quarter at UC Santa Cruz. Instructions for declaring a major in the Baskin School of Engineering are on the department's major declaration page.
Letter Grade Policy
The Baskin School of Engineering requires letter grades for all courses in an engineering major.
Course Substitution Policy
Undergraduate engineering students who wish to substitute a major course with a course from UC Santa Cruz must first consult the School of Engineering Undergraduate Advising Office. The advising office requires a Petition for Course Substitution be approved before credit for an alternate course can be applied to any School of Engineering major requirement. Petition forms are available at the undergraduate advising office and online.
Petitions and procedures for approval must be obtained from and submitted to the Undergraduate Advising Office.
Double Major Policy
Students who are planning a double-major with physics can replace the AM 100, AM 112 and STAT 131 (or CSE 107) courses with the PHYS 116A, PHYS 116B, and PHYS 116C series. Special approval by both undergraduate directors will be required to do so.
Honors
Students must obtain a GPA of 3.8 or higher in the courses in the major to be considered for the distinction of “Highest Honors in the Major.” Students must obtain a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the courses in the major to be considered for the distinction of “Honors in the Major.” The School of Engineering reserves the right to withhold honors based on other criteria, such as an incident of academic dishonesty.
School of Engineering Policies
Please refer to the School of Engineering's Admission to School of Engineering Majors section of the catalog for additional policies that apply to all School of Engineering programs. These policies include admission to the major and the need for students to obtain preapproval before taking courses elsewhere.
Requirements and Planners
Course Requirements
Course requirements are divided into foundational lower-division courses and advanced upper-division courses:
Lower-Division Courses
Choose one of the following series:
Credit for one or both MATH 19A and MATH 19B may be granted with adequate performance on the CEEB calculus AB or BC Advanced Placement examinations.
Plus one of the following courses:
| AM 10 | Mathematical Methods for Engineers I | 5 |
| MATH 21 | Linear Algebra | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses:
| AM 20 | Mathematical Methods for Engineers II | 5 |
| MATH 24 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 5 |
Plus one of the following options:
Plus the following course:
| CSE 16 | Applied Discrete Mathematics | 5 |
Plus one of the following programming courses
| CSE 20 | Beginning Programming in Python | 5 |
| CSE 13S | Computer Systems and C Programming | 7 |
| CSE 13E | Embedded Systems and C Programming | 7 |
The programming requirement can be satisfied if students have a prior programming course, AP credit, or clearing the “Test-out” bar.
Lower-Division Electives
Students are required to take two lower-division electives from the following list, in preparation for the-upper division electives they are later required to take. Students are encouraged to plan ahead carefully in consultation with undergraduate advising in making their selection.
EART, ECE, PHYS lower-division electives
Students interested in EART, ECE, PHYS upper-division electives should consider taking some of the following PHYS lower-division electives:
CSE or ECE lower-division electives
Students interested in CSE or ECE upper-division electives should consider taking some of the following CSE or ECE lower-division electives (in addition to possible PHYS electives):
| CSE 30 | Programming Abstractions: Python | 7 |
| ECE 9 | Statics and Mechanics of Materials | 5 |
ECON lower-division electives
Students interested in ECON upper-division electives should consider taking some of the following ECON or STAT lower-division electives:
| ECON 1 | Introductory Microeconomics: Resource Allocation and Market Structure | 5 |
| ECON 2 | Introductory Macroeconomics: Aggregate Economic Activity | 5 |
| STAT 5 | Statistics | 5 |
Lower-division electives for mathematical biology
Students interested in mathematical biology (in particular AM 115) should consider taking some of the following BIOL or BIOE lower-division electives:
Upper-Division Courses
Complete the following core courses:
| AM 100 | Mathematical Methods for Engineers | 5 |
| AM 147 | Computational Methods and Applications | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses:
| AM 112 | Introduction to Partial Differential Equations | 5 |
| AM 212A | Applied Partial Differential Equations | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses:
| AM 114 | Introduction to Dynamical Systems | 5 |
| AM 214 | Applied Dynamical Systems | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses:
| AM 129 | Foundations of Scientific Computing for Scientists and Engineers | 5 |
| AM 209 | Foundations of Scientific Computing | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses:
| STAT 131 | Introduction to Probability Theory | 5 |
| CSE 107 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 5 |
Students who intend to pursue an M.S. degree in scientific computing and applied mathematics later are strongly encouraged to take the AM 212A and AM 214 options.
Upper-Division Electives
Students are required to take three upper-division elective courses from the following list of possible electives. Note that many of these electives have lower- division prerequisites. Students should plan carefully which ones to take to ensure they are prepared for their selected upper-division electives. Also note that enrollment in the graduate courses is by permission of the instructor, who will verify adequate preparation.
Possible AM Electives
Any 5-credit upper-division AM course that is not already a core course. Any 5-credit graduate AM course with the exception of AM 200, AM 209, AM 211, AM 212A and AM 214.
Possible CSE Electives
Note that many require lower-division CSE courses. Lecture-lab combinations count as one course.
| CSE 101 | Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms | 5 |
| CSE 102 | Introduction to Analysis of Algorithms | 5 |
| CSE 106 | Applied Graph Theory and Algorithms | 5 |
| CSE 140 | Artificial Intelligence | 5 |
| CSE 142 | Machine Learning | 5 |
| CSE 144 | Applied Machine Learning | 5 |
| CSE 160 | Introduction to Computer Graphics | 5 |
| CSE 160L | Introduction to Computer Graphics Laboratory | 2 |
| CSE 161 | Introduction to Data Visualization | 5 |
| CSE 161L | Data Visualization Laboratory | 2 |
| CSE 162 | Advanced Computer Graphics and Animation | 5 |
| CSE 162L | Advanced Computer Graphics and Animation Laboratory | 2 |
Note that most of these courses require CSE 101 as prerequisite and that enrollment restrictions vary and might apply to any of the CSE courses listed here on short notice. CSE 101, CSE 102, CSE 140, CSE 142, CSE 144 are courses for which enrollment restrictions may apply, and that may only be appropriate for double-majors (or major-minor combinations). CSE 162 & CSE 162L is a course that has more than one upper-division prerequisite beyond those that are already part of the core requirements. This course may only be appropriate for double-majors (or major-minor combinations).
Possible EART Electives
Note that many require lower-division PHYS or CHEM courses:
Either of the following courses:
| EART 125 | Statistics and Data Analysis in the Geosciences | 5 |
| EART 225 | Statistics and Data Analysis in the Geosciences | 5 |
Either of the following courses:
| EART 172
/OCEA 172
| Geophysical Fluid Dynamics | 5 |
| EART 272
/OCEA 272
| Geophysical Fluid Dynamics | 5 |
Possible ECE Electives
Lecture-lab combinations count as one course.
| ECE 101 | Introduction to Electronic Circuits | 5 |
| ECE 101L | Introduction to Electronic Circuits Laboratory | 2 |
| ECE 103 | Signals and Systems | 5 |
| ECE 115 | Introduction to Solid Mechanics | 5 |
| ECE 135 | Electromagnetic Fields and Waves | 5 |
| ECE 135L | Electromagnetic Fields and Waves Laboratory | 2 |
| ECE 141 | Feedback Control Systems | 5 |
| ECE 153 | Digital Signal Processing | 5 |
Note that most of these courses require ECE 101 as prerequisite. ECE 141 and ECE 153 are courses that have more than one upper-division prerequisite beyond those that are already part of the core requirements. These courses may only be appropriate for double-majors (or major-minor combinations).
Possible ECON Electives
Note that many require ECON lower-division courses:
| ECON 100M | Intermediate Microeconomics, Math Intensive | 5 |
| ECON 100N | Intermediate Macroeconomics, Math Intensive | 5 |
| ECON 113 | Introduction to Econometrics | 5 |
| ECON 166A
/CSE 166A
| Game Theory and Applications I | 5 |
ECON 166A is a course that has more than one upper-division prerequisite beyond those that are already part of the core requirements. This course may only be appropriate for double-majors (or major-minor combinations).
Possible MATH Electives
Note that many MATH electives require MATH 100 as a prerequisite.
Possible OCEA Electives
Note that some require lower-division PHYS electives, or upper-division ESCI electives:
| OCEA 260
/EART 260
| Introductory Data Analysis in the Ocean and Earth Sciences | 5 |
| OCEA 286 | Introduction to Ocean Modeling | 5 |
Either of the following courses:
Either of the following courses:
Possible PHYS Electives
Note that many require lower-division PHYS courses:
Possible STAT Electives
| STAT 132 | Classical and Bayesian Inference | 5 |
All students, but especially those doing a double major or a major-minor combination, may also petition to count courses that are not already on the list as electives, subject to approval
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
The DC requirement in the Applied Mathematics B.S. is satisfied by completing the capstone course AM 170A (see below).
Comprehensive Requirement
Students satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement by receiving a passing grade in the two Mathematical Modeling courses:
Planners
The following are four sample academic plans that students can use to plan their sequence of courses in the major. The first two plans are suggested guidelines for students who begin their studies in their frosh year. Such students, if they plan carefully, will have several openings free to take other breadth courses they find interesting, or pursue an additional minor or major. The other two plans are for students transferring to UC Santa Cruz as juniors.
Plan One: This planner is for a student entering UCSC in their frosh year who is prepared to go directly into MATH 19A or MATH 20A.
The SI general education requirement is satisfied by passing the capstone course AM 170B. The MF general education requirement is satisfied by passing any of the lower-division mathematical foundations requirements.
Plan Two: This planner is for a student entering UCSC their frosh year who needs to take preparatory courses prior to MATH 19A to ensure a successful outcome in this course.
The SI general education requirement is satisfied by passing the capstone course AM 170B. The MF general education requirement is satisfied by passing any of the lower-division mathematical foundations requirements.
Plan Three: This is a sample planner for a transfer student. It assumes the student has taken the majority of their general education requirements prior to joining UCSC.
Plan Four: This is a sample planner for a transfer student interested in the 4+1 program (e.g. thesis track; replace Independent Study with M.S. elective for coursework track). Note that students must take the graduate version of PDEs and Dynamical Systems courses (212A and 214 respectively) to count toward the M.S. core requirements. One additional elective must be taken during the M.S. year to ensure that there are at least 35 credits taken as a graduate student.