This is an applied mathematics degree intended for students interested in computational aspects of mathematics, systems analysis, decision sciences, physical sciences, and operations research. It is suitable as preparation for advanced training in applied mathematics, management science, business administration, or operations research.
Mathematics has been called the queen and the servant of the sciences. As an independent discipline, it was first developed by the ancient Greeks, to whom we owe the notion of the “mathematical proof.” In the late seventeenth century, Newton developed calculus to serve as a tool in his treatment of mechanics, allowing him to correctly predict the motion of the planets. This astonishing success definitively demonstrated that mathematics is the ideal language for constructing exact quantitative theories. Today mathematics plays an absolutely fundamental role in physics, economics, and engineering, and plays an ever greater role in fields such as astronomy, chemistry, geology, finance, meteorology, cryptology, ecology, computer science, the social sciences, and a host of other areas. Yet mathematics is also vibrant as a study in its own right, alive with beautiful problems and ongoing developments. These may not be initially motivated by applications, but history indicates that many of the purely mathematical developments of today will become essential to the sciences of the future.
Admission to this major is contingent upon successful completion of all courses in preparation for the major with the designated grade-point average. Students who are completing these preparatory requirements will have "pre-major" status.
Expected April, September 2025
College of Letters and Science
2217 Cheadle Hall, MC 2080,
University of California, Santa Barbara,
SANTA BARBARA,
California,
93106, United States
You are considered a freshman applicant if you have completed secondary school and have not enrolled at any college or university.
English Language Proficiency
The minimum accepted score for admission consideration for the TOEFL is 80 or better on the Internet-based test and 550 or better on the paper-based test.
The minimum accepted score for the IELTS is 6.5 or better band score (academic modules).
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.