Mathematics Department graduate students should be aware of the Computational Science, Mathematics, and Engineering (CSME) Graduate Program that leads to a Ph.D. in Mathematics with a Specialization in Computational Science. A "Specialization" is a formal University of California mechanism that allows someone pursuing a Ph.D. in the UC System to obtain the graduate equivalent of a minor in a particular area of specialization.

The CSME Graduate Program, and the impact of the specialization on the Mathematics Department Graduate Program, is described in on the Mathematics Department website and on the CSME Website:

The detailed structure of the CSME training program, and the motivation for its development, is outlined at length in the CSME Proposal Document, and is available on the CSME website at:

Normally a prospective graduate student applies jointly to the graduate program in the mathematics (physics, chemistry, MAE, or CSE) department and to the CSME Graduate Program, and is then jointly admitted after meeting the admissions requirements for both the home department (mathematics in this case) and the CSME Program.

The CSME Program began accepting students for the first time this year. Therefore, we are encouraging existing mathematics graduate students interested in pursuing the Computational Science specialization to formally apply to the CSME Program for admission. Participation will impact the choice of course work in the second year of your studies, so it is important to apply this Spring (you will be notified whether or not you have been admitted to participate in the CSME Program by July 1.) The application process consists of a short email to the CSME Contact within the mathematics Department:

stating your interest in applying for admission to the CSME Program. Your existing Mathematics Department file (containing your original application materials plus new materials from your work at UCSD) will then be viewed by the CSME Executive Committee along with other applications from math, physics, chemistry, MAE, and CSE. The formal policies that apply to students wishing to move between the regular mathematics graduate program and the CSME specialization are listed below and are posted on the Mathematics Department and CSME websites.

The number of graduate student slots in the CSME Program available to each of the five participating departments is limited due to computing, space, and funding resources, and is also limited in order to maintain balance across the participating departments. Therefore, if you wish to participate in the CSME Program you are encouraged to apply early.