<p>-BUMP-</p>
<p>If you have a Math Advising Question - you can get official answers in this thread (Advising Staff won’t post in other threads - we don’t want to seem like we’re lurking).</p>
<p>Hey! Thanks MathAdvising :)</p>
<p>I forgot about this thread.</p>
<p>Here’s a copypasta from the other thread I started:
</p>
<p>The course at my CCC is articulated as Math 20C ONLY, but it’s very clear to me (after looking over the course websites, slides, lecture materials, and midterms) that the material covered is identical to that in both 20C and 20E. I ordered the 20E book from Amazon so that I can do some of the suggested homework problems before I attempt the exam.</p>
<p>What do you think? Is there any harm in skipping 20E if I pass the exam, or is there some vital material that I’ll be missing out on?</p>
<p>If I do a minor, I’ll be pushing the 230 unit cap for engineering majors when I graduate, so I really don’t want to ‘waste’ the units, so to speak.</p>
<p>@asphyxiac</p>
<p>Because we have found that there is such wide range in the quality of the treatment of vector calculus - from school to school, and even from term to term or instructor to instructor - we require one additional step in order to grant 20E equivalency.</p>
<p>If you feel that your multivariable calculus course did a good job on vector calculus topics (Stoke’s theorem, Green’s theorem, divergence, curl, etc) then you’ll want to sit for the Math 20E Requirement Fulfillment Exam :
[UCSD</a> Mathematics : Math 20E Exam](<a href=“http://www.math.ucsd.edu/programs/undergraduate/math_20E_exam/]UCSD”>http://www.math.ucsd.edu/programs/undergraduate/math_20E_exam/)</p>
<p>Students can make one attempt at the exam. If you pass this quiz, we consider your multivariable transfer course as the equivalent to both 20C and 20E. If you don’t pass - you’ll need to take 20E with us. We give the exam at the start of every quarter (check the web page around August to see the Fall date…).</p>
<p>If you’ve been studying on your own from the Marsden and Tromba book - you should do just fine (there are some sample questions on the website listed above as well).</p>
<p>How much does Math 20B rely on the material of Math 20A? My daughter is getting credit for Math 20A because of her AP score, but is worried she has forgotten a lot of the content since she took it in her junior year of HS.</p>
<p>@Kindafonda</p>
<p>If your daughter is getting credit for 20A from her AP score, she’s covered equivalent of the topics covered in our 20A class and should be ready for 20B. However, should she find that she’s a little rusty once the quarter begins there are plenty of resources available to help.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The obvious place to start would be her instructor and the course Teaching Assistant. Both have office hours and are there to help.</p></li>
<li><p>If that isn’t helpful (or she’s too shy) there’s drop-in tutoring provided by the department free of charge. The schedule varies somewhat depending on the availability of tutors (usually first-year or second-year PhD students or upper-division undergrads) but it’s generally about 8-10 hours/day and 5 days/week. The schedule will show up sometime around the end of week one on the math webpage: [Calculus</a> Lab Schedule](<a href=“http://www.math.ucsd.edu/announcements/seminar-room-schedules/apm-b402a/]Calculus”>http://www.math.ucsd.edu/announcements/seminar-room-schedules/apm-b402a/) </p></li>
<li><p>If she wants something more structured, there are tutor-tables organized by OASIS (the Office of Academic Support & Instructional Service - also free, but sign up early, the fill up quick). Information on OASIS can be found online: [url=<a href=“http://students.ucsd.edu/academics/_organizations/oasis/index.html]OASIS[/url”>OASIS]OASIS[/url</a>]</p></li>
<li><p>If none of that works out, the department maintains a list of private tutors (most of them current, or recently graduated, undergrads or PhD students). These tutors are private contractors, and not monitored, evaluated or employed as such by the department. But we do provide the list as a resource to those who request it.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you. That was very helpful.</p>
<p>I’m in a similar situation in that I scored a 4 on the AP Calculus AB exam in my junior year. However, I could not take Calculus BC my senior year so I forgot a lot. If I am a bio major (pre-med), should I take 10B or 20B?</p>
<p>If I take 20B, will I have more flexibility in changing majors?</p>
<p>@Stchiken</p>
<p>You’ve basically answered your own question. Most Biology majors (with a notable exception of Molecular Biology) only require the 10-series of Math, so you’d be fine with Math 10B. However, should you think you may eventually change majors (and a large number of UCSD students do change majors at some point) and venture into something more quantitative (Chemistry, Engineering, Bioinformatics, Psychology BS, or even…Math) then you may be better off taking 20B (and then 20C). The 20 series does allow for more flexibility in majors.</p>
<p>Of course, taking 10B (and 10C) doesn’t shut the door to those majors…</p>
<p>Certain transfers between the Math 10 and Math 20 sequences are possible, but such transfers should be carefully discussed with an adviser. Able students who begin the Math 10 sequence and who wish to transfer to the Math 20 sequence, may follow one of three paths:</p>
<ol>
<li> Follow Math 10A with Math 20A, with two units of credit given for Math 20A. This option is not available if the student has credit for Math 10B or Math 10C.</li>
<li> Follow Math 10B with Math 20B, receiving two units of credit for Math 20B.</li>
<li> Follow Math 10C with Math 20B, receiving two units of credit for Math 20B and two units of credit for Math 20C.</li>
</ol>
<p>How long does it take for the 20E test out to be graded and the students notified?</p>
<p>@mike1ace</p>
<p>It usually takes the examiner 1-2 days to get the advising staff the results of the 20E exam. Students will get a notification the same day we receive the results (baring unforeseen office emergencies). Approximated credit is usually posted by the next morning. If you don’t hear anything by this Thursday (1/10/13) then send an email to <a href=“mailto:mathadvising@math.ucsd.edu”>mathadvising@math.ucsd.edu</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the quick reply. Just curious how long son would have to keep going to the 20E class if he passes the test. That answers it.</p>
<p>BUMP for important FALL 2013 information:</p>
<p>We’re seeing a lot of the same question at the advising office: some variant of “Courses seem to be full and new freshmen/transfers haven’t had a chance to enroll…what gives?”</p>
<p>Please be aware, many departments (including Mathematics) will hold back seats in popular courses for new students. These seats will be released just before Freshmen and Transfers enroll, allowing these students a variety of class times and instructors to choose from.</p>
<p>For MATH - we are currently holding seats in ALL LECTURES of the following classes:
Math 3C, 4C, 10ABC, 20ABCDEF, 31AH, 102, 109, 170A, 180A</p>
<p>The number being held varies - but if you look at the current enrollment limits for these classes, you’ll see that most discussions are currently ranging limits from 4-25 students. When new students enroll, most of these sections will be increased to limits of 30-35 each…</p>
<p>We work to make sure there are seats available for all students in the classes that they need - we cannot guarantee any specific time slot, or your first choice of instructor - but there should be a space for each student…somewhere in the schedule of math courses.</p>
<p>Hello MathAdvising.</p>
<p>I have a question particular to the UCSD Mathematics Department. </p>
<p>I have read, through your previous posts and guidelines within the UCSD major declaration page, that a major within the same department is not allowed or IS allowed with approval from the Undergraduate Council. “The two majors may not be within the School of Engineering, nor, except with the approval of the Undergraduate Council, within a single department.”</p>
<p>Based on your previous posts there is a suggestion that a second major should not be held within the same department due to overlapping courses. I have found however, that within the mathematics department there is a large variety of course sequences offered.</p>
<p>To the point. The possibility of an applied mathematics and mathematics double major at UCSD is what I wish to learn more about.</p>
<p>I examined the required course sequences for both the applied mathematics and mathematics majors and there are some courses that overlap. My question is – is it possible to allow the overlap of these required sequence courses and “make up” these overlapping course sequences with other courses within the department?</p>
<p>As an example, mathematical reasoning is a required foundation course for both majors. If one took the course once and, to make up for the overlapping requirement, took calculus on manifolds.</p>
<p>Taking this example and applying it to a 2 year schedule of courses substituting overlapping requirements. Would such a proposal be accepted for an undergraduate?</p>
<p>@MXMEM2</p>
<p>While it’s theoretically conceivable to work out a double major plan using Applied Math and Pure Math - I don’t really see that it would be approved. The threshold for an exception to the general policy against double-majoring within the same department is exceedingly high. There would need to be a exceptionally compelling academic reason for the double-major - not just that you have an interest in mathematics, or you want to pursue a rigorous plan of study. Something that explained why just majoring in Math was insufficient.</p>
<p>Note that you can always take more than the required number of courses (as long as you keep within the total unit cap of 200 units) even if you are not a double major…</p>
<p>If you wanted to discuss this more - just send an email to <a href=“mailto:mathadvising@math.ucsd.edu”>mathadvising@math.ucsd.edu</a></p>
<p>What would the best major be if you would like to work in computational neuroscience? Within the math department that is. I am also interested in economics.</p>
<p>@TheKracken5</p>
<p>The answer probably depends on that last bit of your post… and how sure you are of your interest in computational neuroscience. This will determine how generalized you want your major to be…or how specialized - we have options:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you want to keep your options open - maybe you’ll want to work/study further in Econ, maybe in Neuroscience - then you should probably look to the Applied Math major. For the required applied sequences, focus on Probability and Statistics (Math 180ABC, 181ABCE, 185) and then a few Numerical courses (Math 170ABC, 171AB). These will be applicable either way.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are dead set on Computational Neuroscience, then you might want to check out the Math-Applied Science major…this is a sort of ‘choose your own adventure’ program. You’ll take 7 math courses and 7 courses in other science departments (ie Chemistry, CogSci, Biology) that make a cohesive program. You’ll go over your choices with an advisor… but a sketch of the upper division coursework could look like this:</p></li>
</ol>
<p>MATH UD Math 109, 142A-B, 170A-B, 171A-B (or 170A, 180A, 181A-B)</p>
<p>SCIENCE UD Chem 131, 132, 133, Cogs 107A-B-C, BIPN 146</p>
<p>So you’d have some fundamental math theory (109, 142A-B), and some numerical analysis (170A-B) and optimization (171A-B). You could replace the heavy numerical focus with some probability and stats (180A, 181A-B) if you preferred; other courses of interest would be things like 111A-B. You could then complement those math classes with Physical Chemistry (131-132-133), and introductory neuroscience coursework (Cogs and BIPN). </p>
<p>So, once you have a clear idea of your future goals, make an appointment with the major advisor - and chart out one of our programs. You can contact the advisor by email (<a href=“mailto:mathadvising@math.ucsd.edu”>mathadvising@math.ucsd.edu</a>) to set a meeting…</p>
<p>How difficult is it for a freshman to switch from Applied Math to Computer Science, or at least something related to CS?</p>
<p>@Exileon</p>
<p>Switching into any of the majors in the CSE department would require an application and some preliminary coursework - as all of their majors are impacted. You can find more information on the CSE webpages: <a href=“Home | Computer Science”>Home | Computer Science;
<p>Difficulty to switch? I don’t really know - you’d need to have good grades in the CSE screening courses, but it probably depends on how many students apply to transfer in - and how many spots they have available…you’d need to contact an advisor at CSE for that info.</p>
<p>The Math Department does have a major on the mathematical theory underlying computer science - the Math-CS major. It combines some basic math theory related to CS with some core CSE coursework and ends up with a program that deals with subjects like algorithm design, discrete math, combinatorics and computability, logic and probability, data structures and applied algebra. It’s all about the math that underlies modern computer science. It’s not about hardware or software, programming or system design - but about the theory that makes all that stuff possible.</p>
<p>Difficulty to switch? None - we take all interested students, have no screening courses and no prerequisites, you just need to declare using the major/minor tool.</p>
<p>Is there any reason to pick a Math major over the CSE major? I recently was admitted as a transfer into CSE but I have been on the fence about doing a CS degree over a Math-CS degree, because I have some interest in giving analysis and some applied math classes a try. Also, has there been any math majors that successfully completed pre med requirements? Any info is appreciated, I am having a tough time deciding which route to go down. </p>
<p>@CSB111 </p>
<p>You should pick your major based on your interests - so if you are interested in CS, then major in that - if you are interested in Math, then major in math. If you have interest in both - you can major in Math-CS, or double-major, or stay in CSE and get a math minor. It just depends on what topic you are most passionate about. You can always take some Math courses as part of your CSE degree program (as ‘technical electives’). I’d suggest staying in CS for now (since it’s hard to get back in if you leave and change your mind) and try out some Math courses (as electives, or as part of a minor) before making any change in your major.</p>
<p>As to pre-med, yes, math majors can be successful in completing the courses required. In fact, here’s a study (<a href=“http://www.oswego.edu/academics/colleges_and_departments/departments/biology/faculty/mackenzie/homepage/advising/Pre-health_Careers/major_admission_data.html”>http://www.oswego.edu/academics/colleges_and_departments/departments/biology/faculty/mackenzie/homepage/advising/Pre-health_Careers/major_admission_data.html</a>) that shows that math majors are actually more successful than others in getting into med schools. </p>