What is the UW Department of Applied Mathematics website?

Updated

amath.washington.edu is the official website of the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington. It is an informational, department-level site rather than a course platform or student portal: it presents the department's academic programs, courses, events, news, and people directory. It is most useful if you are a prospective or current student, a researcher looking for faculty or talks, or a visitor trying to understand what the department does.

What the site covers

The homepage organizes the department's public information into a few recurring areas:

  • Programs — an overview of the department's degree offerings and how applied mathematics is taught here.
  • Courses — course information for the department.
  • Events — including the Boeing Colloquium Series, which hosts prominent applied mathematicians from around the world, plus other upcoming talks and events.
  • News — recent department announcements and coverage.
  • Directory — contact and people information for faculty and staff.

What the department says about itself

According to the site, applied and computational mathematics at UW incorporates interdisciplinary study in the physical, engineering, and biological sciences. The department describes its graduate training as strong in scientific computing and modern mathematical methods, with application areas in:

  • Mathematical biology
  • Nonlinear waves and coherent structures
  • Mathematical finance
  • Climate modeling

The site also states that the department has received top rankings from The National Research Council, and that different programs have been highly rated by QuantNet and other sources. These are the department's own claims as published on its homepage; the site does not list specific ranking numbers or dates alongside them.

Who it is for

If you are… The site is useful for…
A prospective student Learning what programs exist and what applied mathematics covers here
A current student Finding courses, events, and department news
A researcher or visitor Locating the directory, colloquium talks, and research areas
A journalist or general reader Confirming the department's identity, focus areas, and recent activity

What it is not

The homepage evidence does not indicate any pricing, payment, or login-gated content, so nothing on the page should be read as free enrollment, a paid service, or a restricted portal. It is a public-facing department site. For anything transactional — applying, registering, paying fees — you would need the university's separate admissions and student systems, which this site does not document.

A practical note on the news section

The news items shown on the homepage are a snapshot and change over time. At the time of the source page, they included emeritus professors LeVeque and Adams modeling tsunami impact on the Washington coast, 2026 graduation, student and faculty recognitions, and a first-generation student feature. If you are citing the department's activity, check the "View all news" link rather than relying on the homepage carousel.