Mathematics and Computer Science (BA)

Program Description

An interdisciplinary major offered jointly by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, providing the opportunity to study both computer science and such relevant mathematics courses as analysis, algebra, probability, and statistics.

Honors Program in Computer Science and Mathematics

The prerequisite for declaring this major is completion of either CSCI-UA 101 Intro to Computer Science or CSCI-UA 102 Data Structures (depending on placement) with a C or better.. This is a twenty-course (80-credit) interdisciplinary major offered by the Departments of Computer Science and Mathematics.

The honors degree will be awarded to students with outstanding performance in the program. To be eligible for this distinction students must:

1. Complete all college BA requirements including at least 64 credits of graded work in the College of Arts & Science.
2. Complete all of the course requirements for the program.
3. Maintain a grade point average of 3.65 or better in the major sequence (including honors requirements) AND maintain a general grade point average of 3.65 or better.
4. Request admission to the honors program by completing the Honors Admission Request Form.
5. Meet with the computer science Program Administrator and Director of Undergraduate Studies to discuss the program requirements once you have been admitted.
6. Meet with your mentor at least twice during the academic year, once in October and once in March, prior to registering for the following semester.
7. Students are required to submit a copy of their completed thesis to their Faculty Advisor, as well as to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Marsha Berger - berger@cims.nyu.edu.

Guided research, sponsored by either department, should be presented at the Dean’s Undergraduate Research Conference which takes place in late April. Students are expected to dedicate 10 to 20 hours per week toward their research. The research project can also be completed through the mathematics summer research program (SURE or AM-SURE). Students who participate in the SURE program are required to present their research at the undergraduate research forum at Courant in the fall semester of their senior year.

Admissions

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU.  For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply. 

Program Requirements

The prerequisite for declaring this major is completion of either CSCI-UA 101 Intro to Computer Science or CSCI-UA 102 Data Structures (depending on placement) with a C or better. This is an interdisciplinary major (eighteen courses/72 credits) offered by the Department of Mathematics with the Department of Computer Science.

Students may double-count no more than two courses towards both this joint major and the requirements of another major or minor. A grade of C or higher is necessary in all courses used to fulfill joint major requirements (courses taken under the Pass/Fail option cannot be counted toward the major). Interested students should consult with the directors of undergraduate studies in both departments for additional information.

¹

The foreign language requirement is satisfied upon successful completion through the Intermediate level of a language. This may be accomplished in fewer than 16 credits, but those credits must then be completed as elective credit.

²

The mathematics requirements (ten courses/40 credits) are as follows. Students must choose one calculus sequence or the other and cannot mix courses from both. Students also cannot register simultaneously for separate courses within the two sequences.

³

If MATH-UA 235 Probability & Statistics is taken, then MATH-UA 233 Theory of Probability or MATH-UA 238 Honors Theory of Probability and/or MATH-UA 234 Mathematical Statistics may not be counted toward the major requirements; also note that if MATH-UA 233 Theory of Probability or MATH-UA 238 Honors Theory of Probability and/or MATH-UA 234 Mathematical Statistics is taken, then MATH-UA 235 Probability & Statistics may not be counted toward the major requirements. In addition, all mathematics electives for the joint major must be numbered at or above MATH-UA 120 Discrete Mathematics.

⁴

Students who take MATH-UA 252 Numerical Analysis or MATH-UA 258 Honors Numerical Analysis as one of their mathematics electives for this major must contact the director of undergraduate studies in computer science before registering for CSCI-UA 421 Numerical Computing.

⁵

This course does not count towards the joint major but is a required prerequisite for CSCI-UA 101 Intro to Computer Science.

Sample Plan of Study

¹

Two of the three must be drawn from a list of specific advanced electives in the program of study

Recommended Sequence for Majors in Mathematics

For students placing into Calculus I (MATH-UA 121):

• First semester: Calculus I (MATH-UA 121), possibly with Discrete Mathematics (MATH-UA 120)
• Second semester: Calculus II (MATH-UA 122), and Discrete Mathematics if not yet taken
• Third semester Calculus III (MATH-UA 123) and Linear Algebra or Honors Linear Algebra (MATH-UA 140 or 148)
• Fourth semester: Analysis or Honors Analysis I (MATH-UA 325 or 328)

For students placing into Calculus II (MATH-UA 122):

• First semester: Calculus II (MATH-UA 122) and Discrete Mathematics (MATH-UA 120)
• Second semester: Calculus III or Honors Calculus III (MATH-UA 123 or 129), and Linear Algebra or Honors Linear Algebra (MATH-UA 140 or 148)
• Third semester: Analysis or Honors Analysis I (MATH-UA 325 or 328)

For students placing into Calculus III (MATH-UA 123):

• First semester: Calculus III or Honors Calculus III (MATH-UA 123 or 129), possibly with Discrete Mathematics (MATH-UA 120)
• Second semester: Linear Algebra or Honors Linear Algebra (MATH-UA 140 or 148), and Discrete Mathematics (MATH-UA 120) if not yet taken
• Third semester: Analysis or Honors Analysis I (MATH-UA 325 or 328)

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:

1. Skills in writing computer programs and designing software systems.
2. An understanding of the foundational algorithms and data structures used in computer software.
3. An understanding of what is going on "under the hood" of computer software in terms of the underlying computer architecture and operating systems.
4. Advanced knowledge of some specific areas of computer science and its applications.
5. Proficiency in the foundations of modern mathematics, including discrete mathematics, calculus, analysis, and algebra.
6. The ability to communicate mathematically, including understanding, developing, and critiquing mathematical arguments and rigorous proofs.
7. The ability to apply mathematical ideas and methods to questions and problems both within and outside of the mathematical sciences.
8. Advanced knowledge in some specific areas of mathematics, such as differential equations, geometry and topology, complex analysis, probability and statistics, number theory, or numerical analysis.

Policies

Policies Applying to the Major

Note: Students must complete CSCI-UA 101, Introduction to Computer Science (or higher) with a grade of C or better before they may declare a major in this department.

Restrictions on Majors

Please note the following restrictions on the majors in our department:

1. Tandon students are not permitted to declare a major in Computer Science, Computer Science/Math, Computer Science/Economics, or Computer Science/Data Science at CAS, as there are similar programs available at Tandon.
2. Data Science majors are not permitted to declare a double major in Computer Science, Computer Science/ Math or Computer Science/Economics, as there is significant course overlap. Students interested in Computer Science, Data Science and Math should consider a joint major in Computer Science/ Data Science.

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

College of Arts and Science Policies

A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.