A minor is offered in applied mathematics. Declaration of a minor is open to any student enrolled at CU Boulder, regardless of college or school.
The minor in applied mathematics was developed to provide in-depth training in mathematical techniques and computational methods well beyond the training usually received by science and engineering majors. The minor currently offers three tracks: general emphasis, scientific computing and mathematical software, or probability and statistics. The goals of each track are to introduce students to more advanced mathematical techniques and problem-solving strategies. Such skills are becoming increasingly important for students who expect to participate in areas requiring analysis or modeling of real world situations.
The department also offers a minor in statistics which was developed to provide in-depth training in statistical methods and techniques well beyond the training usually received by science and engineering majors. The ability to understand, visualize and analyze data is becoming an increasingly important skill in many disparate fields. This minor offers undergraduate students from any major the opportunity to develop their statistical knowledge.
Requirements
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for the applied math minor are two semesters of calculus and computing experience, as provided by APPM 1650, CSCI 1300, CSCI 2275 or CHEN 1310.
Residency
A minimum of 20 credits at the 2000 level and above is required. At least three APPM or STAT courses, two of which must be at the 3000 level or above, need to be taken on the Boulder campus. No more than 9 credits may be applied from transfer work; of those, no more than 6 credits may be 3000 level or above.
Minimum Grades
A cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better is required in the courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for this minor. Each individual course that is counted towards these degree requirements must be passed with a grade of C- or better.
Required Courses and Credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | 20 | |
| APPM 2350 | Calculus 3 for Engineers | 4 |
| or MATH 2400 | Calculus 3 | |
| APPM 2360 | Introduction to Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| APPM 3310 | Matrix Methods and Applications | 3 |
| Choose one area of emphasis: | ||
| General Emphasis: | ||
| Choose two of the following three courses: | ||
| Methods in Applied Mathematics: Fourier Series and Boundary Value Problems | ||
| Methods in Applied Mathematics: Complex Variables and Applications | ||
| Numerical Methods and Scientific Computing | ||
| One 3-credit upper division APPM or STAT course at the 3000 or 4000 level | ||
| Scientific Computation Emphasis: | ||
| Scientific Computing in Matlab 1 | ||
or APPM 3650 | Algorithms and Data Structures in Python | |
| Numerical Methods and Scientific Computing and Numerical Differential Equations | ||
| Probability and Statistics Emphasis: 2 | ||
| APPM 3570 | Applied Probability | 3 |
| One of the following sequences: | ||
| Statistical Methods and Application I and Statistical Methods and Applications II | ||
| Markov Processes, Queues, and Monte Carlo Simulations and Introduction to Mathematical Statistics | ||
| 1 | APPM 3050 is not appropriate for junior or senior aerospace engineering sciences majors. These students should substitute another upper division applied math course. |
| 2 | A student cannot earn a minor in statistics and a minor in applied mathematics with probability and statistics emphasis. |
Plan(s) of Study
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| APPM 1350 | Calculus 1 for Engineers | 4 |
| APPM 1650 | Python for Math and Data Science Applications or Computer Science 1: Starting Computing or Programming and Data Structures or Aerospace Computing and Engineering Applications | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 7 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| APPM 1360 | Calculus 2 for Engineers | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 4 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| APPM 2350 | Calculus 3 for Engineers | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 4 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| APPM 2360 | Introduction to Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 4 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| APPM 3310 | Matrix Methods and Applications | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| One of the following for 3 credit hours: | 3 | |
| General Emphasis: | ||
| Numerical Methods and Scientific Computing or Methods in Applied Mathematics: Complex Variables and Applications | ||
| Scientific Computing Emphasis | ||
| Scientific Computing in Matlab 1 or Algorithms and Data Structures in Python | ||
| Probability and Statistics Emphasis | ||
| Applied Probability or Applied Probability | ||
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Course based on Minor Track: | 3 | |
| General Emphasis | ||
| Methods in Applied Mathematics: Fourier Series and Boundary Value Problems | ||
| Scientific Computation Emphasis | ||
| Numerical Methods and Scientific Computing | ||
| Probability and Statistics (Choose ONE) | ||
| Statistical Methods and Application I | ||
| Introduction to Mathematical Statistics | ||
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Course based on Minor Track | 3 | |
| General Emphasis | ||
ONE 3-credit APPM or STAT course at the 3000 or 4000 level | ||
| Scientific Computation | ||
| APPM 4610 | Numerical Differential Equations | 3 |
| Probability and Statistics | ||
| If STAT 4000 was taken in the Fall: | ||
| Statistical Methods and Applications II | ||
| If STAT 4520 was taken in Fall: | ||
| Markov Processes, Queues, and Monte Carlo Simulations | ||
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 34 | |