Minor to go with double major in math and CS

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the considerations of pursuing a minor alongside a double major in mathematics and computer science, particularly in the context of future academic and career goals. Participants explore the potential benefits of various minors and their relevance to employability and academic requirements.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the advisability of pursuing a minor given their double major and future plans for a PhD in pure math.
  • Another suggests that a statistics minor could be beneficial if the focus is on applied math, particularly in non-statistics courses.
  • A different viewpoint emphasizes that a double major may already provide sufficient coverage, and proposes considering a foreign language minor to meet expectations of math PhD programs.
  • Some participants express that a minor in a field of personal interest, such as chemistry or psychology, could still be valid, despite concerns about perceived focus.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that a double major provides a strong foundation, but there are differing opinions on the necessity and value of a minor. Some advocate for specific minors like statistics or foreign languages, while others question the need for a minor altogether.

Contextual Notes

There are varying institutional policies regarding minors in conjunction with double majors, which may influence participants' perspectives. Additionally, the relevance of specific minors to future academic or career paths remains a topic of exploration.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering a double major in mathematics and computer science, those contemplating additional minors, and individuals interested in academic pathways in mathematics may find this discussion relevant.

TylerH
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I'm double majoring in math and cs and will probably do the 4+1 program to get a MS in applied math. But, since I'm starting with a lot of hours (27), I thought I'd go ahead and get a minor in something. Is it even advisable for me to have a minor?

I'm not sure what field I want to go into. I'll probably go ahead with a PhD in pure math and try to get into academia. The point of the BS in CS is to make me more employable in the private sector, as a backup. So, with that goal, what minors would be helpful?

If there aren't any that are significantly useful in terms of employability, would it look bad if I just took a minor in something I'm interested in? (I don't want to appear as if I'm not focused and can't make up my mind.) I've been considering a minor in chem or psychology, since they're related to my interest in entheogens.
 
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Hey TylerH.

If you are doing applied math where the focus is more on non-statistics courses (differential equations, numerical analysis, etc), I'd recommend doing a few statistics courses to get a stats minor.
 
I think you've probably got your bases covered with the double major combination. My school wouldn't even let us get a minor with a double major.

If you do want to get a minor, it might be worthwhile to think about a foreign language (particularly French or German, maybe ancient Greek or Latin), because a lot of math PhD programs expect you to be able to read papers written by important mathematicians from other countries. Like, you could read Gauss's original work if you knew German, or you could read Newton in the original Latin.
 
20Tauri said:
I think you've probably got your bases covered with the double major combination. My school wouldn't even let us get a minor with a double major.

If you do want to get a minor, it might be worthwhile to think about a foreign language (particularly French or German, maybe ancient Greek or Latin), because a lot of math PhD programs expect you to be able to read papers written by important mathematicians from other countries. Like, you could read Gauss's original work if you knew German, or you could read Newton in the original Latin.

That's a great idea that should have occurred to me. I've been considering moving to Germany later in life.
 

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