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.
The lists below are only examples. To see a current complete list of courses approved as cognates, search Path At Penn for courses with the course attribute "Math Outside Math Related (AMOR)". For a current complete list of courses counting inside the Math Department, look for courses with course attribute "MATH Elective (AMMR)."
Some Courses Often Approved as COGNATES (Major or Minor)
- Astronomy 011, 012
- Biology 2150, 4231, 4235, 4536/5535 and 5860
- Computer and Information Science 320 The courses CIS 110, 120 and 121 cannot be counted as cognates.
- Economics 104, 212, 242, 245, 222 (old number: Econ 115).
- Finance 205, 206, 235
- Genomics and Computational Biology 011, 012
- Mechanical Engineering 210, 211
- Electrical and Systems Engineering 302 (beginning in 2019 this is replaced by 402)
- Philosophy 006, 411, 413 (not Phil 005)
- Physics 0140, 0150, 0151, 0170, 0171
- Statistics 4310, 4760
Some courses often approved as COGNATES for Mathematics Minors
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.