Hi, I was wondering what differences there are between a major in computational and applied math vs. a major in math with a specialization in applied math. Thanks in advance!
That’s a really good question. If no one knows enough to answer it here, you should go to the Chicago course catalog and read carefully the degree requirements for each:
http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/thecollege/mathematics/
http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/thecollege/caam/
As I understand it:
– There isn’t a major in “math with specialization in applied math” anymore. What there is, is an option to do a Mathematics BS in Applied Mathmatics, which is different in interesting ways from the new BS in Computational and Applied Mathematics.
– The Math Department BS requires 17 courses beyond the Core. Six of them are basic math courses required of all math majors, four are other basic math courses that create the foundation for applied math, and the rest are courses outside the math department in physical science (including computer science and statistics) or computational neuroscience that are supposed to create a coherent expertise in a substantive field that uses math as a tool. One of those has to be the third quarter of the basic introductory sequence in either physics or chemistry (which all math majors are required to take).
– The CAAM Department BS requires 18 courses beyond the Core. The six courses that are common to all math majors (although in one case there is an option to take a different version offered by the Statistics Department) are also required for the CAAM BS, but the CAAM BS has a lot of other requirements in statistics and computer science (and a couple of required advanced math courses). There are three electives to choose, and they do not necessarily have to be outside Math,. CS, or Stats. You don’t have to take the third quarter of introductory chemistry or physics.
It looks to me like you could satisfy the requirements for the CAAM BS in a manner that would also qualify for the Math/Applied BS, and vice versa (almost, because of the different number of courses required). But if you did that, you would have taken no electives – you would be using the electives in one degree program to satisfy required elements of the other. It’s like the CAAM BS is one particular track for the Math BS, but there are lots of other ways to get the Math BS. And the CAAM BS is a fairly rigid, demanding curriculum that assures you have a solid base in statistics, computer science, and specific math techniques. (I don’t mean to say you could get both degrees awarded for the same courses – even if you took the precise courses, you couldn’t do that.)
Both special BS degrees are relatively new. At the class of 2016 spring convocation, 7 people got a BS in Applied Math, and 7 got the BS in CAAM. (That was the first year CAAM degrees were awarded.) Those are tiny numbers compared to the general math degrees – 78 people got a BS in Mathematics, and another 50-some got BAs. It’s different at other colleges. In the same year, Harvard had 90 people get degrees in applied math and only 30 in straight math. If you look at the enrollment statistics at Chicago, many more people have declared majors in CAAM than in Applied Math. As of last fall, there were 55 declared CAAM majors and only 7 declared Applied Math majors (and over 400 Math majors.
Thank you @JHS !!
This was very helpful!