Master of Science

The M.S. program in Computational and Mathematical Engineering is very unique. In today's engineering and sciences, "mathematical modeling" and "computational mathematics" are key phrases. ICME leverages a deep background in mathematical and computational modeling with computing and an exceptional breadth in traditional science and engineering fields. It is also an excellent preparation for future entry into a Ph.D. program at Stanford or elsewhere. Individual programs can be customized to enhance any area of physical sciences or traditional engineering fields through course electives. Apart from individually designed electives, we will offer two pre-designed tracks in the ICME M.S. program in 2012-2013: Computational Geosciences (CompGeo) and Computational Medicine (CompMed).Information about the CompGeo program can be found at the CompGeo website . Information about CompMed will be posted when as it becomes available. In the meantime, please direct your questions about CompMed to the ICME director. In 2012-2013, there is no separate admissions process for students interested in these tracks. Students apply to ICME M.S. program as usual and may indicate their interest in these tracks in their statement.

The M.S. degree in Computational and Mathematical Engineering may be a terminal degree or a stepping stone to the Ph. D. program. Master's students who have maintained a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 are eligible to take the Ph.D. qualifying exam; those who pass this examination may transfers to the Ph.D. program after the first academic year and will be considered a second year Ph.D. student.

The master's program consists of 45 units of course work taken at Stanford, which usually takes between 4 and 6 quarters to complete. The core course requirements are identical to those for the Ph.D. program. No thesis is required; however, students may become involved in research projects during the master's program, particularly to explore an interest in continuing to the doctoral program. Although there is no specific background requirement, significant exposure to mathematics and engineering course work is necessary for successful completion of the program.

Requirements

A candidate is required to complete a program of 45 units of courses numbered 200 or above. Courses below 200 level will require special approval from the program office. At least 36 of these must be graded units, passed with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better. Master’s students interested in continuing to the doctoral program must maintain a 3.5 or better grade point average in the program.

Requirement 1

Students must demonstrate foundational knowledge in the field by completing the courses in two of the three core parts:

Requirement 3

9 units of focused graduate application electives, approved by the ICME graduate adviser, in the areas of engineering, mathematics, physical, biological, information, and other quantitative sciences. These courses should be foundational depth courses relevant to the student's professional development and research interests.

Requirement 4

3-6 units of programming course work demonstrating programming proficiency. Recommended courses include CME211, 212 and 213. All graduate students in the program are required to complete programming course at the level of CME213 or higher.

Requirement 5

3 units of  ICME graduate seminars or other approved seminars. Additional seminar units may not be counted towards the 45-unit requirement.

Prerequisite Courses

Note: Fundamental courses in mathematics and computing may be needed as prerequisites for other courses in the program.Check the prerequisites of each required course. Preparatory courses include such subjects as: calculus, linear algebra and differential calculus of several variables, integral calculus of several variables, ODEs with linear algebra, linear algebra and matrix theory, vector calculus for engineers, linear algebra and PDEs for engineers, introduction to scientific computing, linear algebra with application to engineering computations, PDEs in engineering, Computer Programming in C++ for Earth Scientists and Engineers, Introduction to Large-Scale Computing in Engineering, numerical linear algebra, programming methodology, programming abstractions, machine learning, introduction to optimization, theory of probability, and data mining and analysis.

Computational Geoscience Track

The Computational Geosciences track is designed for students interested in the skills and knowledge required to develop efficient and robust numerical solutions to Earth Science problems using high-performance computing. The CompGeo curriculum is based on four fundamental areas: modern programming methods for Science and Engineering, applied mathematics with an emphasis on numerical methods, algorithms and architectures for high-performance computing and computationally oriented Earth Sciences courses. Earth Sciences/computational project courses give practice in applying methodologies and concepts.  CompGeo students are required to complete general and focused application electives (Requirements 2 and 3) from the approved list of courses from the Computational Geosciences program as well as completing EARTHSYS310 seminar as part of Requirement 5.  See http://pangea.stanford.edu/programs/compgeo/. All other requirements remain the same as set forth above.

Note: Students interested in pursuing the ICME M.S. track in CompGeo should obtain pre-approval from the Computational Geosciences Program Director.

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