The Modeling and Simulation major is an interdisciplinary program that combines mathematical and computational skills with a focus area in which those skills can be applied to address real-word problems. Modeling and simulation is widely used in many fields and this program focuses on areas from the School of Social and Natural Sciences (Biology and Earth and Environmental Science,) and the Gabelli School of Business (Economics and Management). Graduates can expect to pursue graduate studies in these fields or to enter the workplace in fields of environemental consulting or regulation, data analysis, economics, or mathematical consulting. The program is designed to equip students with modeling and simulation skills combined with knowlege in their chosen field of interest so the student understands the problems that modeling and simulation can address. From the introductory course through the capstone, students will be applying the techniques to produce models of various types and complexity. In parallel with the development of modeling skills, students will be learning about their particular field of interest, so that the skills are learned in concert with the field in which they may be applied.
The major includes a series of foundation courses in mathematics, modeling, and programming backed by a choice of courses in biology, earth and environmental science, or business (economics and management) from which the student can choose based on their focus area. The advanced couses in the student’s focus area are specifically chosen to illustrate the use of modelling and simulation in particular applicaitons. A project-based capstone course allows the students to apply the combined knowledge of modeling and their chosen focus area.
All students in the major must also complete the University Core Curriculum requirements. Students are encouraged to combine the major with a core concentration or minor in their modeling field of interest.
The minor focuses on the mathematical and modeling skills and leaves the focus area up to the students major field of study. This allows the students in any discipline to combine modeling and simulation tools with their expanded knowlege of the problems in their field to which the tools can be applied.
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