MCS Minor
Important Announcement: The MCS program stopped accepting new majors and minors on September 1, 2022. All students currently enrolled in the MCS major or minor will be able to complete these degree programs. Starting on September 1, 2022, students interested in Mathematical & Computational Science should explore the opportunities in the new Data Science program. The Data Science B.S. has requirements very similar to those of MCS.
The minor in Mathematical and Computational Science is intended to provide an experience of the four constituent areas: Computer Science, Mathematics, Management Science and Engineering, and Statistics.
Requirements:
- 6 courses in the MCS core programs: Math, CS, MS&E and Statistics (23-25 units)
- 3 elective courses (8-10 units)
Total units: 32 (minimum)
All courses for the minor must be taken for a letter grade, if offered. The minor consists of 9 courses for a minimum of 32 units. A grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 is required for courses fulfilling the minor.
After declaring the minor in Axess, students must submit the MCS Minor form to the mcs-inquiries [at] lists.stanford.edu (Student Services Officer), Sequoia Hall, Room 222, before they can be approved.
Required Courses
1 Math Core course
Select one of the following:
- Math 51 or
- Math 104
2 Computer Science Core courses
Select two of the following:
- CS 106A
and either
- CS 106B or
- 106X
1 Management Science and Engineering Core course
Select one of the following:
- MS&E 211 or
- MS&E 221
2 Statistics Core courses
Select two of the following:
- Stats 116*
and either
- Stats 191 or
- Stats 200
3 MCS Minor Electives
Three courses from the following, two of which must be in different departments.
- CME 108, 206, 302, 211
- CS 103, 107, 108, 110, 140, 143, 154, 157, 161, 164, 194, 221, 223A, 225A, 228, 229, 243, 248
- Econ 102C, 140, 160, 179, 181
- EE 261, 263, 278, 282, 364B
- MS&E 211, 212, 221, 226, 251
- Math 104, 106, 108, 109, 110, 113, 174, 116, 131P, 136, 171, 172
- Phil 151
- Stats 191, 200, 202, 203, 208, 215, 217, 219
Substitutions
Other upper-division courses appropriate to the program major may be substituted with consent of the program director. Undergraduate majors in the constituent programs may not count courses in their own departments.
*Stats 116 cannot be substituted or waived.
Students may not overlap ("double-count") courses when completing multiple major and/or minor requirements, unless:
Overlapping courses constitute introductory skill requirements (for example, introductory math or a foreign language).
Typical paths to the minor:
Freshman: MATH 21, CS 106A, CS 106B
Sophomore: MATH 51, MATH 52, STATS 116 (take MATH 52 before)
Junior: MS&E core, Statistics core, MCS elective 1
Senior: MCS elective 2, MCS elective 3
Freshman: (AP Calculus), MATH 51, MATH 52, CS 106A
Sophomore: CS 106B, STATS 116 (take MATH 52 before)
Junior: MS&E core, Statistics core, MCS elective 1
Senior: MCS elective 2, MCS elective 3
Not sure if the MCS minor is the right minor for you?
Take a look at the Data Science minor and Statistics minor also offered by the Department of Statistics.