Re: Computational Mathematics and Computer Science
- From: Rick Decker <rdecker@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:20:09 -0400
LonesomeToo wrote:
Hi. I'm trying to decide between colleges and one of the schools on my list doesn't offer a major in computer science (although a minor is offered) but offers a major in 'Computational Mathematics'. Is COMPUTational Mathematics related anyhow with the more theoretical COMPUTer Science ? Is there any connection between these fields of study (besides the first six letters) ?
First, a disclaimer: I can only speak with any authority on US colleges and universities. That said, it is unusual for a school to offer a major in computational mathematics and not in computer science. Such a situation sometimes arises in joint mathematics/computer science department where the department has decided that there isn't enough staff, say, to offer a righteous major in compututer science and so offers a hybrid consisting of something like this:
Calculus I, II Discrete Mathematics Computer Science I, II Algorithms Linear Algebra Differential Equations Numerical Methods (along with enough other courses to fill in the major)
The intent of such a major is to prepare the student to understand enough programming and mathematics to investigate and implement solutions to a wide range of computation-intensive mathematical problems. Opinions differ among practitioners in CS and Math about whether this constitutes a legitimate major, but my opinion is that such a program, if done well by people competent in their fields, should at least not be dismissed out of hand. If, on the other hand, it appears that such a major is a half-hearted attempt to shoehorn in something that has the word COMPUT in its title, taught by people with little expertise in the area, (especially if there are only two or so faculty with any solid credentials in Computer Science) then my advice would be to look at another school.
[Bear in mind that my description above is quite general and so might not accurately reflect the offerings of the department you're looking at. I'll be happy to be more specific if you want to name the college you're talking about or the exact components of their major.]
Since you appear to be interested primarily in CS, rather than mathematics, I'll omit any discussion of how this differs from a conventional Math major. However, what you'll be missing in CS will likely include exposure to some or all of these standard topics: machine organization, programming languages, theory of computation, operating systems, compilers, database theory, machine architecture, and, generally, at least half of what would be covered in a CS major.
Also, if I only have a minor in Computer Science is it still possible
for me to apply to graduate school (Phd) for Computer Science ?
Yes, but it's rare. For one thing, the admission committee will look at your undergraduate transcript and realize that you'll need to complete a fair number of courses before you've accumulated enough experience to be comparable to those entering students who graduated with a CS major. Second, and probably more important, is that the admissions committee will be looking for potential to do research in computer science. This means that letters of reference are even more important in graduate school than they are for undergraduate admission. With just a minor in CS, you wouldn't have gotten to the stage where your professors in college can do much more than make unsubstantiated guesses about your abilities to undertake academic-quality research and the committee will almost surely recognize that this makes you a risky admit.
How do admission officers at Universities see such people who major in one thing and want to earn a Phd in another thing ?
If you go that route, I'd recommend that you pick the closest-related major you can, perhaps in mathematics or electrical engineering. Having a less related major will make your acceptance into a Ph.D. program at a good-quality university risky, at best (though I do know of a philosophy major who went on to obtain a Ph.D. in CS).
[While I'm on the subject, permit me to make a highly personal and opinionated rant: Don't consider getting a Ph.D. in anything unless you're certain that you want to spend your life teaching at the college level and/or really love to do research. The process of getting a Doctorate is often described as about as enjoyable as a bout of cholera, except that it lasts years longer. Your mileage may vary, of course, but the advantage of being around as long as I have is that it gives me license to blather from time to time.]
I hope this has been of help; I apologize for its length. Feel free to ask for more advice--I suspect you'll get quite a bit here.
Regards,
Rick
.
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