Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Computational and Applied Mathematics
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Computational and Applied Mathematics
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Computational and Applied Mathematics, students will be able to:
- Apply fundamental mathematics to perform critical analysis of an abstracted version of a real world problem and to build a model that captures the problem’s salient characteristics.
- Design, implement, and debug a computer program to solve a computational problem.
- Critically analyze a mathematical or computational problem, explore techniques to model and solve the problem, and use mathematical or computational methods to produce one or more solutions.
- Interpret a model and its results and communicate the results effectively to non-experts both orally and in writing.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Computational and Applied Mathematics
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Computational and Applied Mathematics must complete:
- A minimum of 17-18 courses (49-53 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 13 courses (37 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Computational and Applied Mathematics | 49-53 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Computational and Applied Mathematics | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Introductory Courses 1 | ||
| CMOR 220 | INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: 2 | 3 | |
| MATRIX ANALYSIS | ||
| MATRIX ANALYSIS FOR DATA SCIENCE | ||
| HONORS LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| LINEAR ALGEBRA | ||
| MATH 101 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I 3 | 3 |
| or MATH 105 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I | |
| MATH 102 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II | 3 |
| or MATH 106 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II | |
| Select 1 from the following: | 3-6 | |
| MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | ||
| HONORS CALCULUS III and HONORS CALCULUS IV | ||
| Intermediate Courses 4 | ||
| CMOR 304 | DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING | 3 |
| CMOR 360 | INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND OPTIMIZATION | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: 5 | 3 | |
| ELEMENTS OF ANALYSIS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ANALYSIS I | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ANALYSIS II | ||
| HONORS ANALYSIS | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | ||
| HONORS PROBABILITY AND MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS | ||
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS FOR DATA SCIENCE | ||
| PROBABILITY | ||
| Advanced Courses 6 | ||
| CMOR 422 | NUMERICAL ANALYSIS | 3 |
| CMOR 430 | ITERATIVE METHODS FOR SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS AND UNCONSTRAINED OPTIMIZATION | 3 |
| Design Project 7 | ||
| CMOR 492 | SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT I | 2 |
| CMOR 493 | SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT II | 2 |
| Elective Requirements 8 | ||
| Select 4 elective courses from department approved electives (see course list below) 8 | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Computational and Applied Mathematics | 49-53 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements | 36-40 | |
| University Graduation Requirements | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | The Introductory Courses requirement is typically fulfilled during the student's first two years. |
| 2 | Students may petition the Director of Undergraduate Studies to substitute MATH 354 for CMOR 302. |
| 3 | Students with prior experience with calculus may replace MATH 101 or MATH 105 with a 3-credit quantitative elective at the 200-level or above, as approved by a CMOR undergraduate advisor (this quantitative elective is in addition to the four electives required below). Entering students should enroll in the most advanced course commensurate with their background; advice is available from the CMOR department during Orientation Week. |
| 4 | The Intermediate Courses requirement is typically fulfilled by the end of the student's third year. |
| 5 | Students who plan to pursue graduate studies in Computational and Applied Mathematics should take MATH 302 and MATH 321. |
| 6 | The Advanced Courses requirement is typically completed by the end of the student's fourth year. |
| 7 | The Design Project requirement is typically fulfilled during the student's fourth year. |
| 8 | To fulfill the remaining Computational and Applied Mathematics major requirements, students must complete 4 additional courses (12 credit hours) at the 300-level or above from department approved coursework (see course list below). At least 2 elective courses (6 credit hours) must be from the departmental (CMOR) course offerings and may not include CMOR 494, CMOR 495 or independent study courses (such as CMOR 490 or CMOR 491). Elective courses from other programs must be chosen from a list approved by the CMOR Undergraduate Committee. At least 2 elective courses (6 credit hours) must be at the 400-level or above. The elective courses completed must be taken for a minimum of 3 credit hours. |
Elective Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CMOR 404 | GRAPH THEORY | 3 |
| CMOR 405 / MATH 423 | PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS I | 3 |
| CMOR 410 | MODELING MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS | 3 |
| CMOR 415 / ELEC 488 / NEUR 415 | THEORETICAL NEUROSCIENCE: FROM CELLS TO LEARNING SYSTEMS | 3 |
| CMOR 416 / ELEC 489 / NEUR 416 | NEURAL COMPUTATION | 3 |
| CMOR 420 | COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| CMOR 421 | HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING | 3 |
| CMOR 423 / CEVE 455 | NUMERICAL METHODS FOR PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | 3 |
| CMOR 435 / MATH 435 | DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| CMOR 442 | LARGE-SCALE OPTIMIZATION | 3 |
| CMOR 446 | GRAPH ALGORITHMS | 3 |
| CMOR 451 | SIMULATION MODELING AND ANALYSIS | 3 |
| COMP 422 | PARALLEL COMPUTING | 4 |
| COMP 441 | LARGE-SCALE MACHINE LEARNING | 3 |
| COMP 522 | MULTI-CORE COMPUTING | 3 |
| ELEC 478 | INTRODUCTION TO MACHINE LEARNING | 3 |
| INDE 517 | MATHEMATICAL OPTIMIZATION FOUNDATIONS OF DATA SCIENCE | 3 |
| INDE 577 | DATA SCIENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING | 3 |
| MATH 322 | INTRODUCTION TO ANALYSIS II | 3 |
| MATH 382 | COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEX ANALYSIS | 3 |
| MATH 410 | CALCULUS OF VARIATIONS | 3 |
| MATH 412 | PROBABILITY THEORY | 3 |
| MATH 425 | INTEGRATION THEORY | 3 |
| MATH 427 | COMPLEX ANALYSIS | 3 |
| MATH 523 | FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS | 3 |
| MECH 420 / ELEC 436 | FUNDAMENTALS OF CONTROL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| MECH 473 | ADVANCED FLUID MECHANICS I | 3 |
| MECH 474 | ADVANCED COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS | 3 |
| STAT 418 | PROBABILITY | 3 |
| STAT 541 | MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS | 3 |
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Computational and Applied Mathematics
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Computational and Applied Mathematics should be aware of the following program restrictions:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.
- Students pursuing the major in Computational and Applied Mathematics may not additionally declare the major in Operations Research.
- Students pursuing the major in Computational and Applied Mathematics may not additionally declare the minor in Operations Research.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research website: https://cmor.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Computational and Applied Mathematics
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Fifth-Year Master's Degree Option for Rice Undergraduate Students
In certain situations and with some terminal master's degree programs, Rice students have an option to pursue a master’s degree by adding an additional fifth year to their four years of undergraduate studies.
Advanced Rice undergraduate students in good academic standing typically apply to the master’s degree program during their junior or senior year. Upon acceptance, depending on course load, financial aid status, and other variables, they may then start taking some required courses of the master's degree program. A plan of study will need to be approved by the student's undergraduate major advisor and the master’s degree program director.
As part of this option and opportunity, Rice undergraduate students:
- must complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree and the master's degree independently of each other (i.e. no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both degrees).
- should be aware there could be financial aid implications if the conversion of undergraduate coursework to that of graduate level reduces their earned undergraduate credit for any semester below that of full-time status (12 credit hours).
- more information on this Undergraduate - Graduate Concurrent Enrollment opportunity, including specific information on the registration process can be found here.
Rice undergraduate students completing studies in science and engineering may have the option to pursue the Master of Computational and Applied Mathematics (MCAAM) or the Master of Industrial Engineering (MIE) degree. For additional information, students should contact their undergraduate major advisor and the MCAAM/MIE program director.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research website: https://cmor.rice.edu/.