Placement
Initial Placement: Determine your preliminary math placement by reviewing the descriptions of our 100- and 200-level math courses, as well as the prerequisites of the various majors you are considering. Your academic advisor and residential college deans can help you put together a preliminary plan. If you are debating between two specific courses, we recommend that you select the more advanced of the two as your initial choice.
Getting Advice: The math placement workshops at orientation will help you understand more about how university math courses differ from high school and community college classes, and advisors from the math department will be available to answer questions during orientation, at registration and throughout the drop/add period.
Placement Adjustment: The first two weeks of the entry-level classes are designed to help you assess the correctness of your initial placement. Placement adjustments are quite common and the system is designed to be very flexible. Please keep an open mind, and use the accumulated information you get in these early weeks to refine your choices and ensure that you are in a good position to succeed. Consult the math department if you need help.
Quick Course Summary: There are several possible starting points in the curriculum, which are outlined below. (Follow the links to see more details about each course.)
100 offers intensive pre-calculus review, along with an introduction to the main ideas of calculus, as preparation for 103.
103 is designed for students with little or no background in calculus, but with strong pre-calculus skills.
104 and 175 have 103 as a prerequisite. Students with a strong background in differential calculus (at the level of a 5 on the BC Advanced Placement Examination) may opt to enter the calculus sequence here, and the choice depends on your prospective concentration.
201 and 203 have 103 and 104 as prerequisites. They are designed for students with a strong preparation in both differential and integral calculus as well as infinite series. Most students with this background take 201, but students with a strong interest in physics or applied mathematics may opt for 203.
210, 214, 215 and 216 are proof-based courses for students who consider majoring in mathematics (or more theoretical tracks in physics or computer science or engineering or philosophy). 214 is an introduction to number theory, and the expected background is strong knowledge of high school algebra. 210, 215 and 216 are proof-based analysis courses. 210 has 103 as prerequisite. 215 has 103 and 104 as prerequisites. 216 has 103 and 104 plus substantial experience in proof-based mathematical work as prerequisites.