Concentrations

• Applied Mathematics (APMA)
• Applied Mathematics & Biology (APMA-Bio)
• Applied Mathematics & Computer Science (APMA-CS)
• Applied Mathematics & Economics (APMA-Econ)

Declaring a Concentration

Concentration requirements

The official concentration requirements are detailed in the University Bulletin (click below to view each concentration's Bulletin page):

APMA  APMA-Bio  APMA-CS  APMA-Econ

We try to implement these requirements in ASK as faithfully as possible, but sometimes there are requirements in the Bulletin that are not easy to implement in ASK. Please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies at apma-dus@brown.edu if you find a discrepancy between the Bulletin and ASK.

Course substitution considerations

• Course substitutions are approved by concentration advisors on a case-by-case basis taking into account a student’s entire course plan. Just because a course substitution is approved for one student does not mean that it will be approved for another, because those students may have different course plans.
• For joint concentrations, concentration advisors must also confer with the other department regarding substitutions for the other department’s courses.
• As a general rule, concentration requirements that list specific courses tend to be inflexible. The main exception to this is for calculus and linear algebra.
• Calculus and linear algebra substitutions: If students have taken a required calculus or linear algebra course prior to matriculating at Brown and they cannot obtain transfer or AP credit for this course, then many concentration advisors will allow the calculus or linear algebra course to be replaced with a higher level APMA or Math course that builds on calculus or linear algebra, respectively, and that is not used elsewhere in the concentration. Calculus or linear algebra substitutions still require concentration advisor approval, though.

Writing requirements

• University writing requirements are detailed here.
• APMA, APMA-CS, and APMA-Econ require that students satisfy both writing requirements using approved courses as detailed here.
• APMA-Bio allows students to satisfy the 2nd writing requirement using either an approved course (see here) or by submitting a writing sample in accordance with the policies for other Biology concentrations. The details of how to submit a writing sample are detailed here. Note that using a writing sample requires pre-approval from the concentration advisor prior to doing the writing.
• Whenever possible, we encourage students to satisfy the 2nd writing requirement within the concentration. APMA 1971 (Independent Study) is always WRIT designated. Some upper-level APMA courses and senior seminars are also WRIT designated, depending on instructor preference.

Honors

• Each of the APMA-related concentrations allow exceptional students to pursue honors. Honors requirements and guidelines can be found here.

Double concentrations

• Information about double concentrations can be found here.
• The APMA A.B. and the APMA-Econ concentrations allow calculus, linear algebra, and two additional courses to overlap with other concentrations.
• The APMA Sc.B., APMA-Bio, and APMA-CS concentrations allow calculus, linear algebra, one intro CSCI course, and two additional courses to overlap with other concentrations.
• Departments do not coordinate about their overlap rules. You must simultaneously satisfy the overlap rules of all of your concentrations.

Transfer credits

• Pre-matriculation concentration credits: Courses must be approved for equivalency and Brown course credit, but the number of courses that can be used for concentration credit is unlimited.
• Post-matriculation concentration credits: Courses must be approved for equivalency and Brown course credit.
  • APMA - no limit
  • APMA-Bio - no limit
  • APMA-CS - limit of 2 (A.B.) or 3 (Sc.B.) total in the concentration (see here for details)
  • APMA-Econ - limit of 2 per semester and 1 per summer (see here for details)

Professional tracks

• All APMA concentrations have options that allow students to pursue professional tracks. Professional tracks require the integration of full-time work experiences into your studies at Brown. Detailed requirements can be found on the Bulletin pages for each of our concentrations.

Graduation