ISP Curriculum
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WCAS and MEAS
ISP is based in Weinberg Colleges of Arts and Science (WCAS), and it is also open to students in McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (MEAS). Please see specific information about WCAS and MEAS requirements below.ISP/Weinberg Students
Notes for ISP/McCormick Students
In addition to the curriculum above, ISP/MEAS students must also fulfill the degree requirements for the McCormick School of Engineering. Please refer to the document below for further details.
FALL 2023 ISP/MCCORMICK DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
POST SPRING 2025 isp/mCCORMICK REQUIREMENTS
ISP/McCormick students starting in fall 2024 are encouraged to follow the post spring 2025 requirements. If you have any questions, please speak with the ISP Director.
ISP MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Following is the list of requirements to complete the ISP major. Please note that if you double major in ISP with certain other majors, your requirements for that second major will be modified. Double major students please see this page to learn more and to see sample 4 year schedules for double majors. At the bottom of this page, see a sample schedule for a student just pursuing an ISP major.
Whether or not you are pursuing one or more majors, the ISP first year curriculum is generally set. In the list below please note that first-year courses are highlighted in bold and that an asterisk (*) indicates that ISP 398 (Undergraduate Research) may substitute for up to three of these courses.
MATH
- MATH 281-1, 3 Multidimensional Calculus
- MATH 281-2 Vector Operations and Ordinary Differential Equations
- MATH 281-3, Systems of Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Infinite Series
- MATH 381, Boundary Value Problems and Partial Differential Equations
- *MATH 382 Complex Variables and Group Theory
PHYSICS
- PHYS 125-1/125-6, Mechanics with Lab
- PHYS 125-2/126-2, Electricity and Magnetism with Lab
- PHYS 125-3/125-3, Waves and Oscillations with Lab
- PHYS 339-1, Quantum Mechanics 1
- PHYS 339-2, Quantum Mechanics 2
- *PHYS 339-3 Nuclear and Particle Physics OR PHYS 337 Physics of Condensed Matter
CHEMISTRY
- CHEM 171/172, Advanced General Inorganic Chemistry with Lab
- CHEM 181/182 Advanced General Physical Chemistry with Lab
- CHEM 217-1/237-1, Accelerated Organic Chemistry with Lab
- CHEM 348, Physical Chemistry
BIOLOGY
BIOL SCI 239 Fundamentals of Biological Mechanisms
BIOL SCI 240 Fundamentals of Cellular Processes
BIOL SCI 232 Genetics and Molecular Processes Lab
BIOL SCI 233 Cell Processes Lab
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE
EARTH 350 Physics of the Earth
COMPUTER SCIENCE
COMP SCI 111 Fundamentals of Programming
STATISTICS
STAT 383 Probability and Statistics
ASTRONOMY
NEUROSCIENCE
*NEUROSCI 311 Biophysical Analysis of Neurons
Life Science Elective
- *One of the following courses
- BIOL SCI 241 Fundamentals of Multicellular Complexity
- BIOL SCI 301 Biochemistry (note that ISP+BIO, and ISP+CHEM double majors must take this course. It cannot be substituted for ISP 398)
- BIOL SCI 323 Bioinformatics: Sequence & Structure Analysis
- BIOLSCI 337 Biostatistics
- BIOL SCI 338 Modeling Biological Dynamics
- BIOL SCI 341 Population Genetics
- BIOL SCIE 354 Systems Biology
- BIOL SCI 361 Protein Structure and Function
- BIOL SCI 363 Biophysics
- BIOL SCI 390 Molecular Biology of Genome Editing and Engineering
- NEUROSCI 366 (Brain Functions Through the Lens of Computation)
SAMPLE ISP CURRICULUM
Courses in italics need to be taken in year one. Other courses have some timing flexibility, but this is a recommended plan if you are a single major. If you plan to double major, be sure to review the double majors page. In order to help you plan for other courses in year one, we provide the timing of the ISP courses for the 2024-2025 academic year. While we expect times to stay consistent in the future, they may be subject to change.
- Math 281-1-3: Each quarter it is planned to be offered 11-11:50am (MTuWF)
- Phys 125-1-3: Each quarter it is planned to be offered 10-10:50am (MTuWF)
- Phys 126-1-3: Each quarter you will be able to choose one of two lab times. For fall the options are Tu or W, 4-7pm
- Chem 171/172: 1-1:50pm (MTuWTh, Lecture and discussion).
Chem 181/182: 1-1:50pm (F) plus you will choose one of these lab times (M or Tu 2-4:20pm, Tu 2-4:20pm).
Sample ISP Schedule
Below is a sample ISP schedule. This is meant for students only pursing the ISP major and planning to complete requirements in 3 years. If you have another major, please see the double majors link for additional information. Please note that whether or not you have another major, all ISP students are expected to complete the courses in italics in their first year.
| Fall Quarter |
Winter Quarter |
Spring Quarter |
First Year
|
|
Mathematics 281-1
Multidimensional Calculus
Physics 125-1 / 126-1
Mechanics
Chemistry 171 / 181
Accelerated General Inorganic Chemistry
|
Mathematics 281-2
Vector Operators and Ordinary Differential Equations
Physics 125-2 / 126-2
Electricity and Magnetism
Chemistry 172 / 182
Accelerated General Physical Chemistry
|
Mathematics 281-3
Systems of Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Infinite Series
Physics 125-3 / 126-3
Waves and Oscillations
Computer Science 111
Fundamentals of Programming
Biological Sciences 239
Fundamentals of Biological Mechanisms
|
Second Year
|
|
Mathematics 381
Boundary Value Problems and Partial Differential Equations
Chemistry 217-1 / 237-1
Accelerated Organic Chemistry I
Biological Sciences 232
Genetics and Molecular Processes Lab
Biological Sciences 240
Fundamentals of Cellular Processes
|
Mathematics 382*
Complex Variables and Group Theory
Biological Sciences 233
Cell Processes Lab
Physics 339-1
Quantum Mechanics
Earth and Planetary Sciences 350
Physics of the Earth
|
Physics 339-2
Quantum Mechanics
Chemistry 348
Physical Chemistry
|
Third Year
|
|
Physics 339-3 or 337*
Nuclear and Particle Physics
|
Statistics 383
Probability and Statistics
Life Science elective chosen from list of courses above
Neuroscience 311*†
Biophysical Analysis of Neurons
|
Astronomy 331*
Astrophysics
|
* ISP 398 (Undergraduate Research) may substitute for up to three of these courses.
† Course offered every other year. Next offering is winter 2026.
