1. Home ›
  2. Graduate ›
  3. Masters Program (Professional) ›
  4. Curriculum

Curriculum

General Degree Requirements

The MS-ACMS degree requires 30 credits of approved coursework. At most 6 credits may be at the 40000 or 50000 level, all other courses must be numbered 60000 or higher. Under no circumstances will credit be accepted for a course numbered below 40000.

 

In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of the work performed by MS-ACMS graduates, at most 9 credits of coursework outside of ACMS may be counted towards the degree. The ACMS Director of Masters Programs must approve courses outside of ACMS for degree credit. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain permission to enroll in a course from the offering department. Students should be aware that courses in the Mendoza College of Business are restricted to students enrolled in that college. 

 

All students, regardless of specialization, are expected to complete ACMS 60849 Intermediate Probability, or ACMS 60850 Applied Probability. If a student wishes to complete both classes, ACMS 60849 should be taken before ACMS 60850.

 

In order to receive any graduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, the student must complete the program of study with at least a 3.0 GPA. Other policies for graduate students are found in the Graduate Academic Code (https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/281195/gs_academic_code.pdf.  

 

Specific Course Recommendations

MS-ACMS offers specializations in Applied Statistics, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Predictive Analytics and Actuarial Science. These specializations are designed to guide students’ studies to some depth within an area, and prepare them for certain careers. Recommended courses for each specialization are as follows.   Other classes may be added to the curriculum over time. Most classes are only offered once a year, and some of these classes may not be offered every year.  We expect all students to consult with the Director of Masters Programs when selecting classes. 

 

Applied Statistics. At least 21 credits from among: ACMS 60849 Intermediate Probability, ACMS 60850 Applied Probability, ACMS 60786 Applied Linear Models, ACMS 60842 Time Series Analysis, ACMS 60875 Statistical Methods in Data Mining, ACMS 60885 Applied Bayesian Statistics, ACMS 60888 Statistical Computing and Monte Carlo Methods, ACMS 40878 Statistical Computing with R, ACMS 40850 Topics in Statistics, ACMS 60801 Statistical Inference, ACMS 60852 Advanced Biostatistical Methods, ACMS 60855 Spatio-Temporal Statistics with Environmental Applications, ACMS 60883 Applied Generalized Linear Models.

 

Applied and Computational Mathematics. At least 21 credits from among: ACMS 60849 Intermediate Probability, ACMS 60850 Applied Probability, ACMS 40750 Partial Differential Equations, ACMS 40760 Introduction to Stochastic Modeling, ACMS 60690 Numerical Analysis I, ACMS 60790 Numerical Analysis II, ACMS 60590 Finite Element Methods in Engineering, ACMS 60212 Advanced Scientific Computing, ACMS 80770 Topics in Applied Mathematics, ACMS 60650 Applied Partial Differential Equations, ACMS 60550 Functional Analysis, ACMS 60630 Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, ACMS 70860 Stochastic Analysis.

 

Predictive Analytics. At least 21 credits from among those courses listed under Applied Statistics. Specifically, students should complete ACMS 60875 Statistical Methods in Data Mining. Moreover, students should become proficient in either R or Python programming. Periodically, ACMS offers on-line summer programming courses: ACMS 60051 R programming (2 credit, online), ACMS 60052 Python programming (2 credit, online), and ACMS 60617 SQL for data science (1 credit, online).

 

Actuarial Science. Students should complete at least 21 credits of specialized courses. This includes ACMS 60101 Actuarial Modeling I, ACMS 60102 Actuarial Modeling II, ACMS 60105 Applied Corporate Finance, ACMS 60110 Predictive and Data Analytics for Actuaries, and ACMS 60875 Statistical Methods in Data Mining. Moreover, students should complete a course in probability: ACMS 60849 Intermediate Probability or ACMS 60850 Applied Probability. Students should complete 3 credits total in SQL and either R or Python by completing either ACMS 60210 Scientific Programming or through the periodically offered on-line summer programming courses: ACMS 60617 SQL for data science (1 credit) and one of ACMS 60051 R programming (2 credits) or ACMS 60052 Python programming (2 credits).

 

Students in any specialization may elect to take courses from multiple specializations, as long as the general degree requirements stated above are met.

 

Transfer credits

It may be possible to transfer credits of coursework taken when enrolled as a graduate student at another institution. The restrictions are described in the Graduate Academic Code, referenced above. The transfer of credits will only result in a tuition reduction when the transfer of credits change the student’s enrollment status for a semester or summer term. The Director will only approve transferring courses in a subject appropriate for the degree that does not have significant overlapping content with a course taken at Notre Dame.