UNM Center for Advanced Research Computing
MSC01 1190 | Fax: 505.277.8235 | UNM CARC on YouTube |
Program specializations
The CSE certificate can be completed in a number of different fields and areas of interest. Below are our most commonly requested specializations.
Note
Specializations are not transcripted — your transcript reflects the certificate itself.
Both specializations are ways of satisfying the certificate’s requirements: M.S. and post-degree students complete 3 credit hours of core courses plus 9 credit hours of electives (four courses); Ph.D. students complete 6 core plus 9 elective hours (five courses); and every student completes the research project requirement — a thesis or dissertation with a significant computational component, or an advanced computational project.
Course numbers carried over from the previous website
The core courses and approved electives were checked against the UNM Schedule of Classes for Fall 2026, but the specialization-specific courses below (ME 530, ME 535, ME 561, MATH 311/312/314/316/321, CS 521, CS 529, STAT 527/528, and the 500-level statistics options) were not, and some have been renumbered since these plans were written. Confirm availability and current numbering with the Program Advisor (csecert@carc.unm.edu) before planning a sequence. Courses that are not on the approved-electives list count toward the certificate through the substitution petition described under Electives.
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Prerequisites: MATH 311; MATH 314 or MATH 321; and MATH 312 or MATH 316. The half-day Introduction to Computing at CARC workshop, offered every semester, is recommended — see workshops in the user documentation.
M.S. students and the post-degree certificate
- CS 471 / MATH 471, Introduction to Scientific Computing (core)
- ME 535 (engineering majors; offered in fall semesters of odd-numbered years) or ME 530 (Math/CS majors)
- Two approved electives, for example CS 542, MATH 504, MATH 505, MATH 576, MATH 578, or ME 561
- Thesis or approved independent study
Suggested sequence:
| Fall | Spring | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | CS/MATH 471; ME 535 (engineering majors) or ME 530 (Math/CS majors) | Elective 1 |
| Year 2 | Elective 2 | Thesis or project |
Ph.D. students
- CS 471 / MATH 471 and CS 542, Introduction to Parallel Processing (core)
- ME 535 (engineering majors; fall semesters of odd-numbered years) or ME 530 (Math/CS majors)
- Two approved electives, for example MATH 504, MATH 505, MATH 576, MATH 578, or ME 561
- Dissertation
Suggested sequence:
| Fall | Spring | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | CS/MATH 471; ME 535 (engineering majors) or ME 530 (Math/CS majors) | Elective 1 |
| Year 2 | CS 542; Elective 2 | Elective 2 (may be taken in either the fall or the spring of year 2) |
Data Science
M.S. students and the post-degree certificate
- CS 567, Principles and Applications of Big Data (core)
- STAT 527 (non-Math/Stat majors) or STAT 528 (Math/Stat majors)
- Two pre-approved electives: one of CS 542, CS 521, or CS 529, and one 500-level statistics course such as STAT 540, STAT 545, STAT 547, or STAT 577 (see the UNM Catalog)
Suggested sequences:
| Non-Math/Stat majors | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | CS 567; STAT 527 | Elective 1 |
| Year 2 | Elective 2 | — |
| Math/Stat majors | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | CS 567 | STAT 528 |
| Year 2 | Elective 1 | Elective 2 |
Ph.D. students
- CS 567 and CS 542 (core)
- STAT 527 (non-Math/Stat majors) or STAT 528 (Math/Stat majors)
- Two pre-approved electives: one of CS 521 or CS 529, and one 500-level statistics course such as STAT 540, STAT 545, STAT 547, or STAT 577
Suggested sequences:
| Non-Math/Stat majors | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | CS 567; STAT 527 | Elective 1 |
| Year 2 | CS 542; Elective 2 | — |
| Math/Stat majors | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | CS 567 | STAT 528 |
| Year 2 | CS 542; Elective 1 | Elective 2 |
CS 567 and CS 542 typically alternate semesters (neither is offered in Fall 2026), so check the core course schedule when choosing which year to start.
