Advising for Joint CS/Math Majors

Information Resources:

• Joint CS/Math Major requirements (catalog)
• HMC Common Core (catalog)
• CS Course Precedence Diagram
• Overload Policy
• List of Integrative Experience Courses
• List of Frosh Aerobic PE Courses
• H&SS Revised Curriculum FAQ
• H&SS Advising Handbook

General Comments:

• Mailing Lists
  • All Joint CS/Math Majors should subscribe themselves to the cs-majors-XX-l@hmc.edu mailing list, where XX is the year you expect to graduate (10, 11, 12, ...). Some very important announcements go to this list. Despite the name, these lists are for both CS majors and CS/Math majors.
    
    
• The Common Core:
  • You must attempt all Common Core courses within your first 5 semesters.
  • However, the standard first-year courses have a shorter 4-semester deadline.
  • If you test out of BIO 52 but are required to take a replacement biology course, that course must still be taken within the first 5 semesters.
    
  • Similarly, if CS 5 Green requires you to take a second CS or Biology course, this must be finished within the first 5 semesters.
  • Try to finish the core in 4 semesters. Sometimes there are schedule conflicts in the fifth semester between required Core courses and desirable CS or Math courses, and petitions to delay finishing the Core make the Scholarly Standing Committee unhappy.
    
    
• CS Classes:
  • All required CS courses are offered every semester. Sometimes they're offered at Pomona, but these are considered equivalent. You can also take upper-level CS electives at Pomona and CMC.
  • CS 105 (Computer Systems) and CS 131 (PLs) have two sections offered in the Fall and one in the Spring; CS 81 (Logic and Computability) and CS 140 (Algorithms) are the other way around. It's much easier to get into these courses in the semester with two sections!
  • CS 140 (Algorithms) is also listed as MATH 168 with different prerequisites. Nevertheless, experience suggests that taking CS 70 first can definitely help.
  • If you're planning to take the CS GRE, it would help to have finished all the required CS courses before the exam, which usually is taken in the Fall of the senior year. (Sometimes other schedule constraints make this impossible, however.)
    
    
• Colloquium:
  • The colloquium requirements should be fulfilled in the Junior and Senior years. (First-years and sophomores are welcome to attend colloquium talks, however!)
  • It doesn't matter what order you take CS colloquium (two semesters), Math Colloquium, or Math Forum.
  • Usually these are taken one per semester, starting Fall of the Junior year, but students occasionally take two in a single semester.
  • The course number for CS colloquium is CS 195. (Before Fall 2010, the course numbers were CS 193, 194, 195, and 196 for CS colloquium corresponded to Fall/junior, Spring/junior, Fall/senior, and Spring/senior, and you could take any two.)
    
    
• Clinic:
  • Because the Joint Major does not require CS 121, it's easier for Joint majors than for CS majors to take clinic in the junior year (often followed by a research project as a senior).
  • However, there is some thought that grad-school bound students might be better off doing an independent research project as a junior (or during the summer); grad schools are very interested in hearing about your research ability, and it's hard for a professor to say much when writing a letter of recommendation just a few weeks into a research project.
  • Joint Majors registering for clinic should register for CSMT 183 (Fall) and CSMT 184 (Spring), instead of signing up for Math or CS clinic directly.
  • Students in the Joint Major cannot do a thesis instead of taking clinic.
  • Joint Majors are divided evenly between Math and CS for clinic; we ask for your preference, but can't always satisfy everyone. Students who have taken CS 121 as an elective are strongly preferred for CS clinic, though there are no guarantees either way.
    
    
• Double Majors:
  • Double majors (CS/Math and Physics, CS/Math and Economics, ...) have exactly the same CS/Math requirements as anyone else in the CS/Math major.
    • Consequence 1: Although the CS department believes in the value of a broad education, it also believes that the CS/Math degree certifies a certain level of experience and accomplishment; the CS department will not waive requirements just to make it easier to double major. (For example, you have to complete CS/Math Clinic to get a CS/Math degree; signing up for a Physics clinic or a Math thesis won't suffice.)
    • Consequence 2: If you satisfy the CS/Math requirements, you get the degree; there aren't any extra requirements or restrictions for double majors. In particular, if a course satisfies a CS requirement, it doesn't matter whether or not it satisfies a requirement in another major.
  • One small restriction: the joint CS/Math major cannot be combined as a double major with CS or with Math.
  • Be warned that the CS department cannot control the policies of other departments, who may have different policies regarding "double counting" courses.
    
    
• Humanities
  • All students must fulfill the HSA Requirements (currently HSA 10 plus ten other courses satisfying various distribution criteria).
  • Every student has a humanities advisor (usually their HSA 10 professor) who can answer questions about the requirements.
  • The first semester college-wide writing course WRIT 1 is a requirement separate from the 11 required HSA courses.
    
    
• Integrative Experience
  • Students graduating in May 2011 or earlier need at least one course that has been certified as an Integrative Experience.
  • For students graduating later, this requirement no longer applies.
    
    
• Physical Education:
  • You need 3 PE credits (Frosh PE + 2 others).
  • Each semester, the PE Department distributes a list of PE courses that can be used to fulfill the Frosh Aerobic PE requirement. A full season in an intercollegiate team or approved club sports team can fulfill the Frosh PE requirement.
  • After the Frosh year, a single full season in an intercollegiate team or approved club sports team can fulfill both of the remaining PE requirements.
  • Students must officially register for a team they play on, just like registering for any other class, or else PE credit will not be awarded.
    
    
• Graduation:
  • You need both cumulative and major GPAs of 2.00 or better.
  • You need 3 PE credits (Frosh PE + 2 others) and (until May 2011) at least one IE course
  • You need at least 8 units of electives (at least 3 units of Math, and at least 3 units of CS). Although research historically has not counted as a CS elective, two semesters of (3-unit) CS research with the same advisor can count as a single (3-unit) elective.
  • The only courses you should take Pass/Fail are "extra" electives that you don't need; all required courses and electives that count towards fulfilling the major requirements need letter grades.
  • You need 128 units total, an average of 16 units per semester.
  • There are 37.5 units in the (revised) Common Core, 30 units in the HSA requirements (not counting HSA 10 in the Common Core), and 46.5 units in the Joint Major requirements, and 3 units of PE requirements, and 37.5+30+46.5+3 is 117. Thus, in addition to the formal requirements you must take at least 11 more units; these can be anything you want!

Comments on Specific Semesters:

Semester 2 (Spring of Freshman Year)

• Geoff says: Frosh who are planning a CS major should consider taking Math 55, especially if they have grad-school plans.

Semester 3 (Fall of Sophomore Year)

• MATH 60 and MATH 65
• If you didn't successfully complete all the first-semester courses, you must finish them off this semester.
• Geoff says: Traditionally a tough semester (E&M, Stems, often CS 70). Consider lightening load if student is having trouble. Postponing CS 70 is a popular option, as is postponing Stems.
• Try to finish up the Common Core
• If the Core courses are not a problem, a few students take CS 70 and CS 81 simultaneously.
• Aim for at least 48 units completed
• Should finish CS 60 by this semester (likely for anyone wanting to be a joint major)

Semester 4 (Spring of Sophomore Year)

• If you didn't successfully complete all the first-year Spring courses, you must finish them off this semester.
• Should finish MATH 55 and CS 70 by this semester.
• Spring is a good time to take CS 81 and/or CS 105, as there are two sections of each.
• Aim for at least 64 units completed

Semester 5 (Fall of Junior Year)

• The Common Core must be completed by the end of this semester.
• CS 195 (CS Colloquium) or MATH 198 (Math Forum) required, the first of four such semesters. Students may double up, but typically take one per semester for their last four semesters.
• Fall is a good time to take CS 131 and/or CS 140, as there are two sections of each.
• MATH 165 (Numerical Analysis) is a Fall-only course.
• Aim for at least 80 units completed

Semester 6 (Spring of Junior Year)

• CS 195 (CS Colloquium) or MATH 198.
• MATH 164 (Scientific Computing) is a Spring-only course.
• This is a good semester to finish off CS 81 and/or CS 105, if not already completed, as there are two sections of each.
• Taking CS 121 (LSD) slightly improves the odds of being assigned to a CS clinic, rather than a Math clinic. However, joint majors are evenly divided between the departments, and there is no guarantee where you'll end up.
• Think about the PE requirements.
• Aim for at least 96 units completed

Semester 7 (Fall of Senior Year)

• CS 195 or MATH 198 or MATH 199 as required.
• CS 195 is required, if you have never taken it before.
• CSMT 183 (CS/Math Clinic) is required, if it has not yet been completed
• CS 81 required if not completed, to permit PLs the following semester.
• If you haven't taken MATH 165 (Numerical Analysis) by this semester, you'll have to take MATH 164 (Scientific Computing) in the Spring.
• Fall is a good time to take CS 131 and/or CS 140, as there are two sections of each.
• Think about the PE requirements
• Make sure all requirements can be completed in one more semester.
• A graduation form is due at the registrar by the end of the semester; if you don't turn it in before the Spring semester starts, you won't graduate.
• Aim for at least 112 units completed

Semester 8 (Spring of Senior Year)

• CS 195 or MATH 198 or MATH 199 as required in order to have had two semesters of CS colloquium, 1 semester of Math Colloquium, and 1 semester of Math Forum.
• CSMT 184 (CS/Math Clinic) required, if not already taken.
• MATH 164 (Scientific Computing) required, if it or Math 165 (Numerical Analysis) were not already taken.
• Must have 128 units
• Must have taken an IE course
• Must have taken 3 PE courses (Frosh PE + 2 others)
• Must have completed all of the Joint Major requirements, including electives.