Courses in Other Departments

Cognates and Electives for Math Majors and Minors

A cognate gives you extra flexibility. For each Math program, you are required to take a certain number of math electives. You are allowed the flexibility to substitute at most one cognate for a Math elective. All cognates require the approval of the Undergraduate Chair <UGradChair AT math.upenn.edu> and must be part of a well planned selection of electives within the Major.

Some Courses Often Approved as COGNATES (Major or Minor)

Astronomy 011, 012, 111, 410
Biology 412, 414, 437, 446, 535, 537
Computer and Information Science 320 The courses CIS 110, 120 and 121 cannot be counted as cognates.
Economics 104, 212, 242, 245
FNCE 205, 206, 235
Insurance 260
Mechanical Engineering 210, 211, 221
Systems Engineering 302
Philosophy 006, 411, 413 (not Phil 005)
Physics 140, 150, 151, 170, 171
Statistics 431, 476

Some courses often approved as COGNATES for Mathematics Minors

INSR 253, CSE 260, CSE 261, CIS 160.
Students can count one of these cognate courses towards a Math Minor. Math Majors can count one of the above cognates toward a Math Major, and two if they are double majors.

Courses counting as inside the Math. Dept.

The following courses count as being inside the Math. Department as far as the Major or Minor is concerned. This means that that counting them toward a Math Minor or Major does not change the number of cognate courses above which can also be counted.

Statistics 430, 432, 512, and 541 or Systems Engineering ESE 301, ESE 325, or Econ 103, or ENM 503.
Note: Since some courses have similar content, there are restrictions on courses in the following two lists:

List A: Math 430 Stat 430 Econ 103 Systems 301 ENM 503

Math Major or Minor Elective Credit: At most one of these from List A.
Cognate: A second course from list A can count as a Cognate -- but not as a Math elective
In applying the above rules, students may substitute Stat 510 for either Math 430 or Stat 430, and Stat 511 for Stat 431.
Computer and Information Science 262, 511.
Econ 222 (old number: Econ 115).
Electrical and Systems Engineering 530, 630, 632, 674.
Engineering Mathematics 321, 503
OPIM 930.
STAT 541

Some courses which are not approved as COGNATES
for Mathematics Majors or Minors

OPIM 101 and 102.

Note: Other courses might also be approved;
see the Undergraduate Chair.

To the Penn Math Undergrad Web Page.
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