CMS is a structured program that requires significant discipline breadth. However, it also provides students with increased flexibility, as you'll be eligible to take a greater number of courses.
A statistics requirement familiarize students with basic data interpretation and statistical modeling. A computing requirement will give you a firm grounding in computation and data manipulation as well as help you develop problem-solving skills using computers. SCIE 300 (Communicating Science) will help students develop skills in critical evaluation and communication of scientific issues.
Conceptual Skills
- Distinguish between data, observation, experiment, theory, and model.
- Appreciate the limits of science.
- Be able to critically evaluate scientific issues.
Research Skills
- Design, execute, interpret, and express results of experiments.
- Formulate and ask multiple relevant and testable research questions and construct a proposal to answer such questions.
- Develop quantitative reasoning abilities.
- Appreciate the role of statistics in the design and analysis of experiments and observational studies in the sciences.
- Understand the basic notions of computation and algorithms and appreciate their use in modeling and investigating scientific problems.
Communication Skills
- Communicate effectively on scientific topics: written, graphically, and verbally.
- Present scientific issues to fellow students as well as non-scientists.
Collaborative Skills
- Effectively work in groups (in all roles within the group).
- Evaluate the work of other individuals.
Content Knowledge
- Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts, principles, and theories in multiple scientific disciplines.
- Have background needed to pursue career goals (e.g., education).