This four-year degree program in the interdisciplinary physical sciences offers a strong theoretical foundation in related areas of engineering sciences, mathematics, and physics for professional work in the field of industrial research and technology. It also provides a foundation for graduate degree work in applied mathematics, engineering sciences, and physics.
The AMEP program is an excellent choice for the student with broad interests in mathematics, physics and engineering. AMEP emphasizes an integrated mathematics and physics curriculum and strives to achieve an optimum balance of breadth and depth in the physical sciences within the confines of a four-year degree.
declaration REQUIREMENTS
Because admission into AMEP is internal to UW–Madison, a student must be admitted to UW–Madison or already be a UW–Madison student to join AMEP.
Admission into AMEP as a freshman requires placement into MATH 222 at least, although placement into MATH 234 (4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam) is preferred. Admission into AMEP as a sophomore or junior requires a 2.750 GPA in introductory core courses taken in the mathematics and physics departments.
DECLARING APPLIED MATHEMATICS, ENGINEERING, AND PHYSICS UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM (AMEP)
Students should declare AMEP as soon as possible. The first step in declaring the AMEP degree is to visit an AMEP math faculty advisor.
Students fill out an AMEP degree declaration form (PDF) to change to the “AMP” designation and meet with an AMEP math faculty advisor (see AMEP faculty advisors) who needs to approve and sign the declaration form.
Look for AMEP faculty advisors' office hours in the MATH ADVISING CALENDAR or on the professor's web page (see Declaring AMEP). When contacting a professor, students should make sure they put "AMEP" in the subject line and send a brief clear message, since professors receive many emails.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Liberal Arts and Science: B.S.–AMEP
LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCE (LAS) REQUIREMENT
A minimum of 20 credits in Liberal Arts and Science courses outside the physical and mathematical sciences are required. Courses may not carry a Physical Science designation or be listed (or cross-listed) in the MATH or COMP SCI subjects.
- Complete a minimum of 12 credits in humanities and/or social studies (including a minimum of 6 credits of humanities and 3 credits of social studies as part of the University General Education Requirements).
- Credits may include a maximum of 8 credits in biological sciences.
- Additional L&S credits outside physical sciences (excluding computer science and mathematics).
FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
AMEP degree candidates must complete the 2nd unit of a foreign language either through high school language study or college coursework. A unit of a foreign language is equivalent to one year of high school work or one semester/term of college-level work.
Requirements for the Major
A total of at least 125 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.000 is required.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (2.750 GPA) 1 | ||
| MATH 221 | Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1 | 5 |
| or MATH 275 | Topics in Calculus I | |
| MATH 222 | Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2 | 4-5 |
| or MATH 276 | Topics in Calculus II | |
| MATH 234 | Calculus--Functions of Several Variables | 4 |
| FOUNDATION: Physics (2.750 GPA) | 13-14 | |
| First Introductory course | ||
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| A Modern Introduction to Physics | ||
| Statics and Dynamics 1 | ||
| Second Introductory course | ||
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| A Modern Introduction to Physics | ||
| Third Introductory course | ||
| Modern Physics for Engineers | ||
| Introduction to Solid State Electronics | ||
| Introduction to Modern Physics | ||
| A Modern Introduction to Physics | ||
| CORE: Chemistry | 5-9 | |
| Advanced General Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| CORE: Mathematics | 18 | |
| Applied Mathematical Analysis | ||
| Applied Mathematical Analysis | ||
| Linear Algebra and Differential Equations 2 | ||
| Additional CORE MATH electives from: | ||
| Applied Dynamical Systems, Chaos and Modeling | ||
| Introduction to the Theory of Probability | ||
| Numerical Linear Algebra | ||
| Numerical Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Stochastic Processes | ||
| CORE Physics | 15 | |
| Mechanics | ||
| Electromagnetic Fields | ||
| Additional CORE PHYSICS electives from: | ||
| Electric Circuits and Electronics | ||
| Optics | ||
| Special Topics in Physics | ||
| Thermal Physics | ||
| Atomic and Quantum Physics | ||
| Atomic and Quantum Physics | ||
| CORE Engineering | ||
| 21 credits in Engineering courses approved by your AMEP Engineering advisor | 21 | |
| Laboratory Experience 3 | ||
| Aerodynamics Lab | ||
| Intermediate Laboratory-Mechanics and Modern Physics | ||
| Electric Circuits and Electronics | ||
| Advanced Laboratory | ||
| Computational Experience 4 | ||
| Problem Solving Using Computers | ||
| Introduction to Numerical Methods | ||
| Numerical Linear Algebra | ||
| Numerical Analysis | ||
| Total Credits | 85-91 | |
RESIDENCE AND QUALITY OF WORK REQUIREMENT
- Minimum 2.000 GPA in AMEP program courses
- Minimum 2.000 GPA and 15 upper-level AMEP program credits, taken in residence5
- 15 credits in AMEP program courses, taken on the UW–Madison campus
| 1 | |
| 2 | MATH 319 & MATH 340 or MATH 375-MATH 376 may substitute for MATH 320 |
| 3 | Laboratory experience credits may double-count in Physics and/or Engineering CORE |
| 4 | Computational experience credits may double-count in Mathematics CORE |
| 5 | The following course numbers are considered upper level in AMEP:
Courses meeting CORE, Lab, and Computation that are numbered 300–699 |
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is not available in Applied Mathematics, Engineering, and Physics.
DISTINCTION IN THE MAJOR
Students earning an AMEP program GPA of 3.500 and higher will be nominated for Distinction in the Major.
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
- State, explain and apply principal theorems and techniques of applied mathematics, including (but not limited to) the subject areas of vector and complex calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.
- State, explain and apply theory and methods of classical and modern physics such as mechanics (classical, statistical, quantum), electricity, magnetism, thermodynamics, radiation and atomic physics.
- Develop strategies to synthesize applied mathematics and physical sciences to address engineering problems, with emphasis on problems of current interest.
- Design and conduct experiments to explore hypotheses regarding science and/or technology and/or engineering problems, and will use mathematics to help interpret experimental results.
- Work in multidisciplinary groups of mathematicians, physical scientists, and engineers to formulate and solve STEM problems, which includes the creation and evaluation of models for natural phenomena.
- Through written and oral presentations, students will communicate technical/scientific ideas and results to experts and non-experts.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 109 | 5 | Communication A | 3 |
| PHYSICS 247 | 5 | MATH 321 | 3 |
| MATH 234 | 4 | PHYSICS 248 | 5 |
| Foreign Language 1 | 4 | Foreign Language 2 | 4 |
| 18 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| MATH 321 | 3 | INTER-LS 210 | 1 |
| PHYSICS 249 | 4 | PHYSICS 311 | 3 |
| Humanities Breadth | 3 | MATH 322 | 3 |
| Core Math Elective 1 | 3 | Core Math Elective 2 | 3 |
| Ethnic Studies/Social Science Breadth | 3 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| Biological/Social Science or Humanities | 3 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYSICS 322 | 3 | Core Physics 2 | 4 |
| Core Math Elective 3 | 3 | Core Physics 3 | 4 |
| Physics Elective 1 | 4 | Computational Experience | 3 |
| Lab Experience | 2-4 | Engineering 1 | 3 |
| Humanities/Social Science Breadth | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication B | 3 | Engineering courses | 9 |
| Engineering Courses | 12 | Humanities Breadth | 3 |
| Electives | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 125 | |||
For information about advising for the special Letters & Science degree program, students should refer to AMEP Advising.
Students can also get questions answered about declaring the major and getting advising by contacting the Department of Mathematics at 608-263-2546.
L&S career resources
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). In short, SuccessWorks helps students in the College of Letters & Science discover themselves, find opportunities, and develop the skills they need for success after graduation.
SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.
Students should set up their profiles in Handshake to take care of everything they need to explore career events, manage their campus interviews, and apply to jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers around the country.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Com B General Education Requirement)
- Handshake
- Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative