---
title: "CSE program requirements"
description: "Admission prerequisites, core courses, elective hours, and the research project requirement for the CSE certificate."
type: Reference
tags:
  - Education
  - CSE
generated:
  by: "claude/fable-5"
  at: "2026-08-30T00:00:00Z"
sources:
  - id: carc-web
    resource: "https://carc.unm.edu/education--training/cse-program1/cse-program-requirements.html"
    title: "CSE Program Requirements (carc.unm.edu)"
    author: "team:unm-carc"
  - id: unm-schedule
    resource: "https://lobowebapp.unm.edu/apex_ods/f?p=176:1:0"
    title: "UNM Schedule of Classes (Fall 2026 offerings checked 2026-08-30)"
    author: "team:unm-registrar"
---

# CSE program requirements

## Admission requirements

Admission to the CSE program is based on academic record and letters of
recommendation. GRE scores may also be considered for students in a degree
program. Prerequisites for admittance, in addition to a bachelor's degree:

* One year of general college physics or chemistry
* One year of differential/integral calculus, and either a course in
  differential equations (e.g.
  [MATH 316](https://lobowebapp.unm.edu/apex_ods/f?p=176:3:0:::RIR,3:P3PERIOD,P3CAMPUS,IREQ_subject,IREQ_course:202680,ABQ,MATH,316){target=_blank}),
  a course in applied statistics (e.g.
  [STAT 427](https://lobowebapp.unm.edu/apex_ods/f?p=176:3:0:::RIR,3:P3PERIOD,P3CAMPUS,IREQ_subject,IREQ_course:202680,ABQ,STAT,427){target=_blank}),
  or a course in numerical methods (e.g.
  [MATH 375](https://lobowebapp.unm.edu/apex_ods/f?p=176:3:0:::RIR,3:P3PERIOD,P3CAMPUS,IREQ_subject,IREQ_course:202680,ABQ,MATH,375){target=_blank})
* A course in computer programming, or equivalent experience with a language
  used for high-performance and/or data-intensive computing such as C, C++,
  Fortran, Java, or Python
* For the certificate earned alongside a degree, admission is to the
  participating home department. For post-degree CSE students, a graduate
  degree in a mathematical, scientific, or engineering discipline and
  degree-seeking admission at UNM is required.

## Program requirements

To complete the CSE program, a student must:

* Be admitted to the CSE program, as described above
* For students earning the certificate alongside a degree, complete all
  degree requirements of their participating home department
* Complete CSE program core requirements, based on the degree program:
    * M.S. and post-degree students complete **3 credit hours** of CSE
      program core courses;
    * Ph.D. students complete **6 credit hours** of CSE program core courses.
* Complete a total of **9 credit hours** of approved
  [CSE electives](electives.md) or program core courses not used to fulfill
  the core requirement
* Complete a computational science and engineering research project through
  either:
    * a thesis or dissertation with a significant computational component
      under the direction of at least one associated faculty member on the
      student's committee; or
    * an advanced computational project (3 credit hour minimum) under the
      direction of one associated faculty member, presented at an open forum.

## Core courses

| Course | Title | Fall 2026 |
| ------ | ----- | :-------: |
| [CS 471](https://lobowebapp.unm.edu/apex_ods/f?p=176:3:0:::RIR,3:P3PERIOD,P3CAMPUS,IREQ_subject,IREQ_course:202680,ABQ,CS,471){target=_blank} / [MATH 471](https://lobowebapp.unm.edu/apex_ods/f?p=176:3:0:::RIR,3:P3PERIOD,P3CAMPUS,IREQ_subject,IREQ_course:202680,ABQ,MATH,471){target=_blank} | Introduction to Scientific Computing | ✅ |
| [CS 542](https://lobowebapp.unm.edu/apex_ods/f?p=176:3:0:::RIR,3:P3PERIOD,P3CAMPUS,IREQ_subject,IREQ_course:202680,ABQ,CS,542){target=_blank} | Introduction to Parallel Processing | — |
| [CS 567](https://lobowebapp.unm.edu/apex_ods/f?p=176:3:0:::RIR,3:P3PERIOD,P3CAMPUS,IREQ_subject,IREQ_course:202680,ABQ,CS,567){target=_blank} | Principles and Applications of Big Data | — |

Offering status checked against the UNM
[Schedule of Classes](https://schedule.unm.edu/){target=_blank} for Fall 2026
on August 30, 2026 (click a course for its live schedule entry). Core courses
typically alternate semesters — the **Spring 2027 schedule publishes in
mid-October 2026**. Plan your sequence with the Program Advisor
(<csecert@carc.unm.edu>).

## Electives

The [list of approved CSE program electives](electives.md) is maintained by
the CSE Program Committee. Students may petition the committee to substitute
a course (for an equivalent number of credit hours) for any course of the
approved curriculum. Most CSE program courses have a CSE program course as a
prerequisite, so students are strongly encouraged to work with a Program
Advisor to develop their program of study before enrollment.