The Models and Data
Minor
Coordinator: Prof. Philip S. Brown, Jr.
(Mathematics Department)
Though students at Trinity College are not required to graduate
with a minor, students may elect one of several interdisciplinary
minors that are listed in the Trinity College Bulletin.
One such minor is the Models and Data minor that introduces
students to the analysis of data and the construction of
mathematical models that describe and predict various real-world
processes.
The five courses that must be taken to satisfy the requirements
of the models and data minor include: second-semester calculus,
an introduction to statistics, an introduction to computing, a
laboratory course that involves analysis of data, and a course in
mathematical modeling. The exact course titles and numbers are
listed in the Bulletin. (Mathematics majors, who
automatically satisfy the calculus requirement, are required to
do some additional course work as specified in the Bulletin.)
Frequently Asked Questions about the Models and
Data Minor:
Q: How do I sign up for the Models and Data minor?
A: The faculty coordinator for the minor has application forms
that can be filled out; forms also are available at the
registrar’s office. On the form, you are asked what courses
you already have taken toward the minor, and what courses you
plan to take to complete the requirements.
Q: When do I have to sign up for the minor?
A: Unlike the major, which must be chosen by the end of the
sophomore year, students can sign up for a minor even in the
senior year.
Q: What are the main reasons that students sign up for the Models
and Data minor?
A: Some students’ natural interests cause them to take
several of the courses required for the minor. They then see the
minor as a way of extending their natural interests and
demonstrating their proficiency in quantitative work in a formal
way that will strengthen their degrees and resumes.
Q: What students are the most likely to choose the Models and
Data minor?
A: Very often students who elect the Models and Data minor are
those who are majoring in computer science or economics, though
students taking the minor in the past have come from a variety of
disciplines (e.g., biology, mathematics, political science, and
psychology). Economics majors usually satisfy the minor’s
laboratory requirement by taking a course in econometrics given
by the Economics Department.
Q: How many courses can I double-count toward my major and the
Models and Data minor?
A: Two. Students who major in Computer Science or Engineering
must be most careful of the double-counting restriction. For
example, Computer Science majors who are in the Models and Data
minor cannot count Introduction to Mathematical Modeling toward
their major as an elective course, since they already are
counting Calculus II and Introduction to Computing toward both
the major and the minor.
Q: Can I have a double major and still take the Models and Data
minor?
A: Yes, but close attention must be paid to the double-counting
requirement.
Q: What happens if I sign up for the minor and then change my
mind later?
A: Dropping a minor is a simple matter since minors are not
required for graduation.
Q: Can I take any courses Pass/Fail for the minor?
A: No. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, but any
passing grade satisfies the requirements.