Computational Science and Engineering Certificate

The Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Certificate Program offers highly qualified undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin an opportunity for in-depth study and research in computational science and engineering, including computational and applied mathematics, numerical simulation, scientific computation, and visualization.

The highlight of the program is the introduction of senior-level students to independent research on problems in computational science and engineering that have applications cutting across broad areas of the university. The certificate program is administered by the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, which offers graduate degrees in Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Upon completion of the course requirements, students receive certificate recognition on their University transcript and a letter from the Director of the Oden Institute that describes the program and work completed. These, plus supporting letters from supervising faculty and graduate mentors, are valuable assets for students applying to graduate school and pursuing competitive job opportunities.

How to enroll

Submit the Certificate Program enrollment form to the Certificate Program Coordinator. Once your enrollment form has been received, you will receive an e-mail confirmation.

Eligibility

To be eligible to pursue the CSE Certificate, a student must be a degree-seeking undergraduate student currently enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin. Certificate requirements must be completed in conjunction with the degree requirements or within one year after earning the undergraduate degree.

Prerequisites

• 3.00 GPA (students with a GPA below a 3.0 may enroll, but please note that students must meet GPA requirement to earn the certificate upon graduation.)
• Calculus

Program Requirements

To earn the certificate, students must complete eighteen (18) credit hours (a minimum of 12 credit hours must be upper division) of approved coursework and earn a grade of C or better in each certificate course. A student’s overall GPA in certificate courses must be 3.00 or greater.

Course Requirements

Students must take at least one course* in each of the following areas (full list of approved CSE Certificate courses):

1. Upper Division Mathematics (1 course, 3-4 credits)
2. Basic Programming (1 course, 1-3 credits)
3. Numerical Applications (1 course, 1-3 credits)
4. Advanced Computing (1 course, 3 credits)
5. Electives (≥ 1 course, ≥ 3 credits)
6. Scientific Computing Project (1 course, 3 credits) - to be supervised by a member of the Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (CSEM) graduate program faculty.
   • Project is typically completed during the senior year, taken as a Research Methods/Individual Instruction class. The project course may include mentoring by post-doctoral fellows and CSEM graduate students as part of a vertical instructional research team.
   • Project supervisor must be a member of the Oden Institute Affiliated Faculty. Note: A petition is required to have a non-Oden Affiliated faculty member supervise the project. Please review our current list of faculty who are interested in supervising a project: CSE Project Supervisors. The list includes the faculty member’s home department and the research areas and potential project topics.
   • SCP Approval Form must be submitted in order to get credit for the Scientific Computing Project. Enrollment in CSE 370 is restricted until the approval form has been received.

*Student must have at least 18 hours of certificate coursework to earn certificate. If a 1-2 credit hour course is taken in one area, then it may be necessary for the student to take an additional course to bring their total to 18 credit hours.

Course substitutions within the broad area of computational science and engineering may be made with approval from the certificate program's faculty advisor.