Programs Should I Switch My Major to Math+CS for Better Grad School Applications?

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The discussion revolves around the dilemma of whether to switch from a physics and computer science (CS) major to a math and CS major. The individual is considering the implications of this switch on their graduate school applications, particularly for applied math. They express a preference for taking graduate-level courses in combinatorial game theory and other areas of interest rather than focusing on logic and theoretical CS courses required for the math and CS track. There is a debate on whether graduate schools prioritize the specific courses taken or the degree itself. The consensus suggests that while courses are important, the individual’s concern about losing the opportunity to take more relevant graduate courses in their field of interest is significant. The discussion highlights the importance of aligning academic choices with career goals in applied math.
Dazedandconfu
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again, I am in a bit of a dilemma, as my screen-name would suggest lol
so I am currently in physics+CS and I am wondering if i should switch to math+CS, but if i switch to math+CS and ill have to take more logic and theoretical CS courses, which I am not too interested in, if i stay in physics+CS , ill have more space to take graduate level math courses in my field of interest (combinatorial game theory), I am interested in applying to grad school in applied math, any advice on whether switching into the Math/CS would look better on my application or the Physics/CS with more higher math courses in my field of interest
as always, any help much appreciated
 
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If you want to get into a math program, do math.
 
iv already taken a lot of math courses (cal 2,3,4, lin alg. ode, pde, discrete math, probability, analysis,) and I am planning on taking combinatorics(graduate), game theory(graduate) and optimization(graduate), its just i don't have any undergrad logic, abstract algebra and theoretical CS courses, which are required for the math+CS thing, i guess I am asking if grad. schools look at the courses you've taken or at the degree,
 
Dazedandconfu said:
iv already taken a lot of math courses (cal 2,3,4, lin alg. ode, pde, discrete math, probability, analysis,) and I am planning on taking combinatorics(graduate), game theory(graduate) and optimization(graduate), its just i don't have any undergrad logic, abstract algebra and theoretical CS courses, which are required for the math+CS thing, i guess I am asking if grad. schools look at the courses you've taken or at the degree,

Yes they look at the courses but why are you even considering staying in physics?
 
because otherwise i'll have no space to take the interesting graduate courses mentioned above and ill have to take a bunch of logic and computability courses, which i don't find particularly interesting , and i don't think they'll be very useful for grad school in applied math
 
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
Hello, I’m an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in both computer science and physics. I was wondering if anyone here has graduated with these degrees and applied to a physics graduate program. I’m curious about how graduate programs evaluated your applications. In addition, if I’m interested in doing research in quantum fields related to materials or computational physics, what kinds of undergraduate research experiences would be most valuable?

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