Since the early 1960's when news of the Russian launching of Sputnik shocked the nation into realizing that we had fallen far behind in preparing a new generation of students in science and technology, the United States has placed a high priority on programs in science, mathematics, and technology. Even in recent years the United States Congress has loosened immigration requirements for persons trained in computer-related fields.

Many of the recent advances in medicine, business, and education are directly dependent on science and technology components requiring computational mathematics. Research advancements in both the "hard" sciences and the "soft" sciences now require extensive use of computing power, manipulation of large data sets, and creative problem solving strategies.

The rapid growth of knowledge in the sciences requires more specialization than in previous generations; therefore, persons who have knowledge in several disciplines are in great demand. This is especially true in the field of computational mathematics because project team members in this area are often expected to serve as the communication link between other members of the group.

Recent efforts by the National Science Foundation and the Sloan Foundation have promoted the creation of multidisciplinary professional master's degree programs. Duquesne University is proud to be a forerunner in this field.