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General Requirements for the Major or Minor

General university degree requirements stipulate that 1) at least four units of the major or three units of the minor be taken in residence at Puget Sound; 2) students earn at least a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken for the major or the minor; and 3) all courses taken for a major or minor must be taken for graded credit. Any exceptions to these stipulations are indicated in the major and minor degree requirements listed below.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science offers courses cross-listed as both Mathematics and Computer Science as indicated in their course descriptions. A student majoring or minoring in both Mathematics and Computer Science may apply only one such course to both majors, to both the major and the minor, or to both minors.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics

This degree is awarded on the basis of a course of study that meets the following requirements.

  1. Completion of the calculus sequence (through MATH 280) and MATH 290.
  2. Completion of CSCI 161, MATH 260, or equivalent.
  3. Completion of five upper-division units in mathematics to include the following:
    • MATH 300
    • MATH 480 or MATH 490.

Notes for majors

  1. For the purposes of major requirements, upper-division courses in mathematics are those at the 300-400 level.
  2. A student majoring in mathematics must earn a grade point average of at least 2.00 in all upper-division major courses.
  3. A student majoring in mathematics must complete at least four units of the required upper-division courses in the major at Puget Sound. One of these four units may be a course taken as part of a study-abroad program.
  4. Currently-offered sets of related upper-division courses to provide depth in the major include MATH 301/302, 335/471, 340/345, 350/355, 375/376, 480/481, 490/491.
  5. Students majoring in mathematics should take CSCI 161 in their first two years.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

This degree is awarded on the basis of a course of study that meets the following requirements.

  1. Completion of CSCI 161, 261, 240, 281, 291, 361, and 475.
  2. Completion of MATH 210. MATH 290 and MATH 300 may be substituted for MATH 210, if the student earns a C or higher in both courses.
  3. Completion of two upper-division CSCI electives.
  4. Completion of the Capstone CSCI 440.

Notes for majors

  1. For the purposes of major requirements, upper-division courses in computer science are those at the 300-400 level.
  2. A student majoring in computer science must earn a grade point average of at least 2.00 in all upper-division major courses.
  3. A student majoring in computer science must complete at least three units of the required upper-division courses for the major at Puget Sound. One of these three units may be a course taken as part of a study abroad program.
  4. Students majoring in computer science are encouraged to take MATH 210 in the first two years.

Requirements for the Minor in Mathematics

  1. Completion of five units in mathematics, two of which must be numbered 170 or higher.
    1. MATH 103 and MATH 110 do not count toward a minor in mathematics.
    2. One unit of credit taken from Computer Science, either 141 or a course numbered 161 or higher, may count toward the minor and, if it is numbered 200 or higher, may count as one of the mathematics courses numbered 170 or higher.
    3. HON 213 may count toward the 170-level requirement.
    4. PHIL 240 may count toward the minor. It will not count as one of the required mathematics courses numbered 170 or higher.
    5. First-year Seminars do not meet the requirements of the minor.
  2. Maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 in the five units.

Requirements for the Minor in Computer Science

  1. Completion of CSCI 161 and 261.
  2. Three units from CSCI 240, 281, 291, 310, 315, 325, 335, 361, 370, 425, 431, 455, 475, 481, MATH 210. MATH 290 and MATH 300 may be substituted for MATH 210, if the student earns a C or higher in both courses.

Notes for the major and minor

Although there is no time restriction on when a course taken in the past can apply to a major or minor, students who plan to use a course taken several years ago as a prerequisite for a current course should consult the instructor to determine if they are adequately prepared.