Math Degree Requirements

This page details the Math Major and Minor requirements. Please refer to the Caltech Catalog (Section 3, Information for Undergrads) for detailed information about the core institute degree requirements. The information below outlines the course requirements for an undergraduate math degree which are above and beyond the core institute requirements.

MATHEMATICS OPTION (MA)

Degree Requirements

1. Ma 2
2. Ma 3 or Ma 140 a 
3. Ph 2 bc or Ph 12 bc
4. Ma 5 abc, Ma 10, Ma 108 abc, Ma 109 abc
5. Ma/CS 6 a or Ma 121 a
6. Ma/CS 6 c or Ma 116 a or Ma/CS 117 a
7. 45 additional units in Ma numbered 110 to 190 or ACM numbered 95 or above. Courses in other options with high mathematical content may be used to fulfill this requirement with the approval of the undergraduate option representative for mathematics. Of these 45 units, at most 18 can be from courses other than Caltech Ma courses.  
8. Math majors must take two quarters (18 units) of a single course, chosen from the Ma course listings with numbers between 110 and 190, inclusive. In years where one of these courses is given as a one-term course only, it cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. These two quarters may be used to meet requirements 2, 5, 6 or 7.
9. Requirements 1–6 may NOT be taken on a pass/fail basis unless completed during the fall or winter of freshman year or when the course is only offered as pass/fail.
10. Passing grades must be earned in a total of 486 units, including the courses listed above.