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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; students double-majoring in math and another subject may use two cognates for Math electives. 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)

Some courses often approved as COGNATES for Mathematics Minors

  • BEPP 452 (STAT 452), CSE 260, CSE 261, CIS 160.

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 4300, 4320, 4330, and 5120 or Systems Engineering ESE 210, 3010, ESE 325, or Econ 2300, or ENM 375, 503 or BIOL 431, 485.

    Note: Since some courses have similar content, there are restrictions on courses in the following list:

    List A:   Math 4300   Stat 4300  CIS 2610   Econ 2300   Systems 3010   ENM 3750, 5030

    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 5100 for either Math 4300 or Stat 4300, and Stat 5110 for Stat 4310.

  • Computer and Information Science 2610, 2620, 5110.
  • Electrical and Systems Engineering 530, 630, 632, 674.
  • Engineering Mathematics 251, 321, 375, 503.
  • OPIM 930.
  • STAT 5410

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.