Graduate Subject Minors

CMS also offers four subject minors for students wishing to broaden their expertise. Completion of a minor program of study will be recognized on the PhD diploma.

Subject Minor in Computer Science

Students majoring in fields other than computer science may take a subject minor in computer science, provided the program is supervised by a computer science faculty adviser, is approved by the CS graduate option representative, and consists of 45 units sufficiently removed from the student’s major program of study.

Subject Minor in Applied and Computational Mathematics

Applied and Computational Mathematics may be pursued as a minor concentration by undergraduates who are taking degrees in science, mathematics, or engineering. Students must take courses that differ markedly from the major subject of study, including 54 units of advanced courses in applied mathematics. The qualifying courses exclude the basic courses listed under ACM, from ACM 100 to ACM 106, although some flexibility is allowed depending upon the option of origin. The student must pass an oral examination whose subject is directly related to the material covered in the qualifying courses. This oral examination will be waived by the ACM graduate option representative if the student has received a grade of A in every course.

Subject Minor in Applied Computation

The subject minor in applied computation is administered jointly by the applied mathematics and computer science options, and is open to graduate students in all options. This minor emphasizes the mathematical, numerical, algorithmic, and programming methods underlying the application of computation—particularly parallel and concurrent computation—to research in science and engineering.

To pursue the applied computation minor, applied mathematics students should seek a minor adviser in computer science; computer science students should seek a minor adviser in applied mathematics; and students in other options should seek a minor adviser in either applied mathematics or computer science. The minor adviser and the student formulate a program of courses individually tailored to the student’s background and needs, with the objective that the student achieve a level of competence in specific subjects relevant to applied computation that is comparable to that of candidacy-level graduate students in applied mathematics and computer science in these same subjects. These subjects include at minimum mathematical and numerical methods, algorithms, and advanced programming, and may also include other areas of particular relevance to a student’s research area, such as specialized mathematical methods, computer graphics, simulation, or computer-aided design.

Each proposed program must be approved by a faculty committee composed of the option representatives of applied mathematics and computer science, and one faculty member appointed by the chair of each division from which students are enrolled in the program. The number of course units is variable, with a minimum of 45 units of graduate-level courses. The satisfaction of the intended level of competence is assured by the student’s passing an oral examination.

Subject Minor in Computational Science + Engineering

Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) may be pursued as a subject minor by graduate students who are pursuing PhD degrees in any option. The CSE minor is intended to supplement one of Caltech's graduate degrees and is designed for students who wish to broaden their knowledge of CSE beyond their major field of study. For details on minor requirements, visit the CSE Minor website.

Subject Minor in Control and Dynamical Systems

Control and Dynamical Systems (CDS) may be pursued as a minor concentration by graduate students who are taking degrees in science, mathematics, or engineering. The CDS minor is intended to supplement one of Caltech's normal graduate degrees and is designed for students who wish to broaden their knowledge beyond their normal major. Students completing the minor requirements below in CDS will have the phrase "minor in Control and Dynamical Systems" added to their transcript and their graduating degree materials.

A student majoring in another option at the Institute may elect a subject minor in control and dynamical systems. He or she must obtain approval from the CDS faculty of a course of study containing at least 54 units of advanced courses with a CDS listing.

For any questions related to these graduate minors, please contact academicscms.caltech.edu.