<p>Has anyone taken an engineering grad level class as an undergrad? How difficult are they compared to other classes? The class I am looking at only has math 54 as a pre req which I took last semester. This is the course description:</p>
<p>Topics include complex variable methods, contour integration, solution of Laplace's equation via analytic function theory; asymptotic methods for evaluating integrals and solving differential equations; introduction to calculus of variations with applications; introductory integral equations. The course is intended to expose students in engineering and physical sciences to a range of methods for solving equations associated with mathematical models of physical processes.</p>
<p>How is the grading in grad classes? Would I be at a disadvantage if I did not have all the engineering experience that the grad students had?</p>
<p>I took a grad class thru the CivE department and I don’t think you’ll be at a disadvantage so long as you’ve completed the prereq, which it sounds like you have. Grad classes are kind of grade inflated, and your homework tends to be graded more on effort than on getting the right answer. If you’re interested in grad school, though, you will probably be required to take this kind of class when you are actually a grad student. So I dunno, if I were you I would lean towards taking some other interesting-sounding grad class just to avoid doing this class twice.</p>
<p>OK, let me put it this way (a friend of mine has experience in the eng. grad dept) - you’ll look like and feel like an idiot if you aren’t a very mature student. The prerequisites aren’t always followed in these classes - professors tend to be fairly free with what they do. And the grad students in engineering at a school like Berkeley may consist of plenty of near 4.0s in engineering + several publications type people who know a ton about their fields, and have a real REASON to be taking the class (and hence better maturity to handle things).</p>
<p>Basically, it will be somewhat embarrassing if you commit to doing the work unless you really have a reason to be doing it.</p>
<p>E.g. going into an advanced class on diff. eqs for engineering and physics majors when you have no clue why the stuff is useful and why that level of depth is necessary is asking for pain. Going into it thinking “OK, just an extension of diff. eqs from 54” is a bad idea.</p>
<p>If you are interested in researching something which will require you to solve those kinds of equations, then go for it and be prepared to work hard to follow the material.</p>
<p>I think this varies in terms of departments. Usually, graduate depts want you to take courses at their school, and what they may waive are specific course requirements that you have taken equivalents of in undergrad - even then, often they don’t want to do this.</p>
<p>This is because these courses can be serious stuff, which you may not absorb very well if you took them early on, and they like their students to graduate having passed a certain standard at their schools themselves.</p>
<p>grad classes are the way to go, although most graduate students (especially in engineering) will have more math than math 54. but that’s what top students do is take grad classes.</p>