Minor in Mathematics
The Mathematics Minor at CU Denver is open to any undergraduate student with a major other than mathematics. The requirements are designed to be flexible for students from all disciplines. Students can complete the minor with as little as one semester of calculus, or build on the full calculus sequence, and then choose upper-division courses that fit their interests and goals. For students who take less calculus, the structure places more weight on linear algebra (MATH 3191), one of the most broadly useful areas of mathematics. The previous requirements for Mathematics Minor (prior to Fall 2026) still satisfy the revised requirements. The new structure provides additional paths to completing the minor.
Requirements
- MATH 1401 Calculus I (4 credits)
- Choose one of the following:
- MATH 3191 Applied Linear Algebra (3 credits) or
- MATH 2411 Calculus II (4 credits)
- 12 additional credits (4 courses), chosen from MATH 2421 Calculus III or any upper-division MATH course numbered 3000 or above
Notes:
- The minor requires a minimum of 19 credits.
- Students may take both MATH 2411 and MATH 3191. In that case, MATH 3191 counts toward the 12 elective credits.
- At least 6 of the upper-division (3000 or above) MATH credits must be completed at CU Denver.
- A minimum grade of C- (1.7) is required in every course applied to the minor, along with a minimum cumulative minor GPA of 2.0.
- Only courses that have or are cross-listed with a MATH prefix can be counted towards the minor.
Declaring a Mathematics Minor
To declare the mathematics minor, complete the CLAS Major/Minor Declaration form and email the completed form to your CLAS advisor, or to CLAS.Advising@ucdenver.edu if you have not been assigned a CLAS advisor.
Course restrictions (no co-credit policies):
Some courses cover overlapping material. As a result, be aware that no co-credit policies exist for some courses. Check the course catalog when planning. Below is a non-exclusive list of our most common no co-credit policies. You may only earn credit for one course from each pair below:
- MATH 3195 and MATH 3191
- MATH 3195 and MATH 3200
- MATH 4387 and MATH 4830
- MATH 3800 and MATH 3810
Cross-listed courses:
Several MATH courses are cross-listed with another department. Either version counts toward the minor. Check with your major advisor to verify whether a cross-listed MATH course can be double counted towards a requirement in your major.
- MATH 3440 / PHIL 3440 Introduction to Symbolic Logic
- MATH 4408 / CSCI 4408 Applied Graph Theory
- MATH 4650 / CSCI 4650 Numerical Analysis I
- MATH 4660 / CSCI 4660 Numerical Analysis II
Sample paths
The paths below are examples of common routes through the minor. They are suggestions, not additional requirements. Any combination of courses that satisfies the requirements above will earn the minor. In some cases, the order that you sequence courses matters due to prerequisites. For questions about planning your elective courses, contact math.advising@ucdenver.edu.
Physics and Engineering students
Physics and many engineering majors require three semesters of calculus. By completing the required MATH courses for your major, you may already have satisfied 4 or 5 courses out of the 6 required MATH courses for a Mathematics Minor. Taking just 1 or 2 additional MATH courses may earn you a minor! Two common ways for physics and many engineering majors to complete the minor are:
Option 1 (MATH 3191 and MATH 3200):
- MATH 1401 Calculus I
- MATH 2411 Calculus II
- MATH 2421 Calculus III
- MATH 3191 Applied Linear Algebra
- MATH 3200 Elementary Differential Equations
- One additional upper-division MATH elective
Option 2 (MATH 3195):
- MATH 1401 Calculus I
- MATH 2411 Calculus II
- MATH 2421 Calculus III
- MATH 3195 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
- Two additional upper-division MATH electives
On Option 1, do not take MATH 3195 (no co-credit with MATH 3191 or MATH 3200). On Option 2, do not take MATH 3191 or MATH 3200 (no co-credit with MATH 3195).
Focus on Applied Mathematics (minimum two semesters of calculus):
- MATH 1401 Calculus I
- MATH 2411 Calculus II
- MATH 3191 Applied Linear Algebra or MATH 3195 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
- Three additional courses chosen from:
- MATH 2421 Calculus III,
- MATH 3200 Elementary Differential Equations (no co-credit with MATH 3195),
- MATH 3301 Introduction to Optimization,
- MATH 3382 Statistical Theory,
- MATH 4408 Applied Graph Theory (prerequisite MATH 3000 or CSCI 2511), or
- MATH 4650 Numerical Analysis I
Focus on Statistics (minimum two semesters of calculus):
- MATH 1401 Calculus I
- MATH 2411 Calculus II
- Four additional courses chosen from:
- MATH 3191 Applied Linear Algebra,
- MATH 3382 Statistical Theory,
- MATH 3376 Data Wrangling and Visualization,
- MATH 4387 Applied Regression Analysis,
- MATH 4388 Machine Learning Methods, or
- MATH 4830 Applied Statistics (no co-credit between MATH 4387 and MATH 4830)
Focus on Theoretical Mathematics (minimum one semester of calculus):
- MATH 1401 Calculus I
- MATH 3191 Applied Linear Algebra
- MATH 3000 Introduction to Abstract Mathematics
- Three additional courses chosen from:
- MATH 2411 Calculus II,
- MATH 3310 Introduction to Real Analysis I,
- MATH 3440 Introduction to Symbolic Logic,
- MATH 4110 Theory of Numbers,
- MATH 4140 Introduction to Modern Algebra,
- MATH 4408 Applied Graph Theory, or
- MATH 4409 Applied Combinatorics
Or choose your own path by sampling courses from a variety of topics!
Contact math.advising@ucdenver.edu for help customizing and planning your Mathematics Minor.