You can find all of the requirements for the degree in the Guide. If you have questions or concerns about them, please see the below notes and/or make an appointment with an AMEP advisor.
Introductory Courses
For students starting the introductory physics sequence from scratch, or for those looking to start over, we recommend the honors sequence PHYSICS 247/248/249. These courses are designed for physics majors and so are more mathematically rigorous than the other introductory physics courses offered. That being said, the PHYSICS 207/208/241 sequence is an acceptable alternative to the honors sequence. If you have credit for PHYSICS 201/202, that’s also acceptable but you may want to meet with an advisor to talk about future course planning.
Introductory chemistry is a requirement for AMEP students. We recommend CHEM 109 since it is an advanced course that allows you to learn all of introductory chemistry in just one semester. A student could also take CHEM 103/104 and spread the chemistry learning over two semesters. The Department of Chemistry has guidance for deciding what introductory course to take which can be found here.
The AMEP degree has a computational requirement that must be fulfilled which means that some introductory programming is necessary. We recommend students take COMP SCI 200/300 in order to prepare themselves for future higher-level computational courses.
Core Courses
Math
Below are possible course combinations to fulfill the core math requirements. The first one is the preferred path for AMEP students.
- Combined option
- MATH 320 (honors)* (differential equations and linear algebra)
- MATH 321
- MATH 322
- Separated option
- MATH 319 (differential equations)
- MATH 340/341 (linear algebra)
- MATH 321
- MATH 322
- Honors calculus sequence option
- MATH 375 (linear algebra)
- MATH 376 (differential equations)
- MATH 321
- MATH 322
*It is highly recommended for AMEP students to take MATH 320 honors. The accelerated honors option moves at a faster pace and therefore covers more material in the semester. More information about MATH 320 can be found here.
Physics
The two core physics courses all AMEP students must take are PHYSICS 311: Mechanics and PHYSICS 322: Electromagnetic Fields.
Engineering
We expect AMEP students to take engineering courses which form a concentration of a particular field of engineering they would like to focus on. For example, a student might choose to focus on aerospace engineering. They would work with an AMEP faculty advisor in aerospace engineering to develop a map of courses that align with their interests in the subject. This is so that students can develop a depth of understanding about one field of engineering and gain the most benefit from their engineering coursework.
The College of Engineering has a self-paced Canvas course which discusses engineering majors in detail. Even though AMEP students aren’t in the College of Engineering, some find it helpful to complete this course to narrow down their engineering interests.
In order to fulfill the 21 credits of engineering at the 300-level or higher requirement, a student may need to take some engineering courses that are below the 300-level. A student is expected to plan for this ahead of time and consider it in their 4 year plan. Please meet with an AMEP advisor if you have any questions or concerns about what that might mean for the amount of time you’re in the program.
Laboratory and Computational Courses
The AMEP graduation requirements include three credits each of lab and computing electives. While computing courses are typically three credits, lab courses usually range from one to four credits. In some cases, a lecture course will have an associated one-credit lab. To fulfill the lab requirement, a student can combine any number of lab classes totaling at least three credits, subject to approval by an AMEP advisor. Other lab courses may be approved by AMEP faculty coordinators.
We recommend AMEP students take MATH 513: Numerical Linear Algebra or MATH 514: Numerical Analysis for their computational requirement. If students are able to, taking both classes would be beneficial as they both teach many valuable skills in computational mathematics.
Recommended Advanced Coursework
A number of intermediate and advanced courses are recommended by AMEP advisors for use as electives beyond the core math and physics curricula. This list is a great starting point for planning courses but is not exhaustive and other courses may be a better fit depending on a student’s academic goals and interests. Students are encouraged to meet with AMEP advisors to talk about their electives to find the best options.
- Mathematics:
- MATH 415: Intro to Applied Dynamical Systems, Chaos and Modeling
- MATH 431: Intro to the Theory of Probability
- MATH/COMP SCI 513: Numerical Linear Algebra (also satisfies computational requirement)
- MATH/COMP SCI 514: Numerical Analysis (also satisfies computational requirement)
- MATH 561: Differential Geometry
- MATH 632: Stochastic Processes
- Physics:
- PHYSICS 323: Electromagnetic Fields
- PHYSICS 325: Optics
- PHYSICS 407: Advanced Laboratory
- PHYSICS 415: Thermal and Statistical Physics
- PHYSICS 448, 449: Atomic and Quantum Physics
- PHYSICS 531: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
- PHYSICS 551: Solid State Physics
- Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE)
- CBE 250: Process Synthesis*
- CBE 255: Introduction to Chemical Process Modeling*
- Computer Engineering (E C E)
- E C E 352: Digital System Fundamentals
- E C E 354: Machine Organization and Programming
- Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics (E M A) or Mechanical Engineering (M E)
- E M A 303: Mechanics of Materials
- M E 306: Mechanics of Materials
- E M A 307: Mechanics of Materials Lab
- E M A 500+: various courses (E M A 506, 518, 519, 521, etc.)
- Electrical Engineering (E C E)
- E C E 230: Circuit Analysis
- E C E 270: Circuits Laboratory
- Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer (M E, C B E)
- M E 361: Thermodynamics
- M E 363: Fluid Dynamics
- M E 364: Heat Transfer
- CBE 310: Chemical Process Thermodynamics
- CBE 320: Intro Transport Phenomena
- CBE 430: Chemical Kinetics and Reactor Design
- Aerodynamics and Astrodynamics (E M A)
- E M A 521: Aerodynamics
- E M A 522: Applied Aerodynamics
- E M A 523: Flight Dynamics and Control
- E M A 542: Advanced Dynamics
- E M A 550: Astrodynamics
- Materials Science and Engineering (M S & E)
- M S & E 350: Introduction to Materials Science
- Plasma Physics and Engineering (E C E/N E/E P/PHYSICS cross-listed)
- E C E 525: Intro to Plasmas
- E C E 526: Laboratory Course in Plasmas
- E C E 527: Plasma Heating and Confinement
- Industrial Engineering
- I SY E 313: Engineering Economic Analysis
- I SY E 323: Deterministic Modeling
A possible interdisciplinary course for those wanting an introduction to Engineering Design is INTEREGR 170: Design Practicum although this is an introductory level course that would not count for the engineering requirement of the AMEP curriculum.
*These courses will not satisfy the engineering requirement since they are at the 200 level, but they are good courses to take if you intend on focusing on chemical or biological engineering.