Planning For Courses

The Math Major Begins with Calculus

Make no mistake about it! Almost 98% of mathematics majors begin their program with a Calculus course (i.e., less than 2% are so well prepared upon entering BC that they can effectively skip all of our Calculus requirements). The earlier you complete the required Calculus courses, the easier your scheduling becomes.

Programs for Those Beginning With Calculus for Math & Science

These are the usual scheduling grids we see among our majors who started right away in first semester of freshman year in a Calculus course designed for Math & Science majors:

About 20% begin by taking MT102 Calculus I in their first semester. Many of these students have had little or no Calculus before entering BC, while some have taken a semester or more of Calculus but do not feel prepared to enter Calculus II right away. Several of these students may actually begin a major other than mathematics (the usual suspects: Chemistry, Computer Science B.S. Program, Geology-Geophysics, Geophysics, and Physics).

For these students, the major requirements can be satisfied as follows:

	Fall	Spring
Freshman	MT102	MT103
Sophomore	MT202	MT210 MT216
Junior	MT320 or MT310 MT elective	MT310 or MT320 MT elective
Senior	MT elective MT elective	MT elective MT elective

About 45% begin with MT105 Calculus II-AP in their first semester. If you are prepared to enter MT105 right away in the Fall of your freshman year (e.g., you got at least a 4 on the Calculus AB Advanced Placement Exam), then your major requirements can easily be satisfied as follows:

Almost 35% begin with MT202 in their first semester. If you are prepared to enter MT202 in the Fall of your freshman year (e.g., you got a 5 on the Calculus BC Advanced Placement Exam), then your major requirements are reduced to

All of the proposed schedules above are conservative. None requires more than two courses in any semester, none proposes any acceleration during the first two years, and none proposes completing more than a minimal major program. But some students will be eager to learn more mathematics sooner; some may plan on taking an extra mathematics elective or two while at BC; and some may have specific preferences for courses which match career goals. Please see the closing sections of this page for comments about these situations.

What If You Don't Start with a Math & Science Calculus Course?

About 15% of our eventual majors do not take one of the required Calculus courses for Math & Science Majors in their first semester. Many of these students probably elected majors which required them to take other Calculus courses. One example would include:

A student who completes one of MT100 or MT101 in the first semester (example: a Biology major) can transition to and complete a mathematics major by moving into MT103 in the second semester:

Almost every student who adds a mathematics major after the first semester will require an individualized recommendation for arranging his or her program of study, and he or she should consult the Mathematics Assistant Chair for Undergraduates as soon as possible when considering adding the major.

Variations in Scheduling

There are reasons why the schedules proposed above will have to be modified for some students. The typical variations we see, together with proposed modifications, include these:

Accelerated Program (for those interested in completing Departmental Honors or considering graduate study):

	Fall	Spring
Freshman	MT202	MT210
Sophomore	MT216 MT elective	MT310 or MT320 MT elective
Junior	MT320 or MT310 MT elective	MT elective MT elective
Senior	MT800-level MT elective	MT800-level MT695

Junior Year Abroad (worst case, assuming you don't take any mathematics courses while abroad -- although most of our majors who go abroad take at least one mathematics course while they're away from BC):

	Fall	Spring
Freshman	MT105	MT202
Sophomore	MT210 MT216	MT320 or MT310 MT elective
Junior	semester abroad	MT310 or MT320 MT elective
Senior	MT elective MT elective	MT elective MT elective

LSOE Student (LSOE students are required to student-teach for one semester, usually in the Fall semester of senior year):

	Fall	Spring
Freshman	MT105	MT202
Sophomore	MT210	MT216 MT elective
Junior	MT320 or MT310 MT elective MT elective	MT310 or MT320 MT elective
Senior	student teaching	MT elective MT elective

Late Change to Mathematics (worst case: a student who took MT100-MT101 in first year):

	Fall	Spring
Freshman
Sophomore	MT105 MT202 or MT210	MT210 or MT202 MT216
Junior	MT320 or MT310 MT elective	MT310 or MT320 MT elective
Senior	MT elective MT elective	MT elective MT elective

Nevertheless, no matter what variations might affect your situation, we strongly urge that you adhere to these basic recommendations in working out a scheduling of courses for the major:

1. Complete MT202 as early as you can;
2. Complete at least one of MT210 or MT216 no later than first semester of sophomore year, and complete both no later than the end of sophomore year (MT210 is usually completed before MT216, but there may be situations in which this need not be the case);
3. Complete at least one of MT310 or MT320 in first semester of junior year; and complete both no later than the end of junior year (these courses are independent and can be taken in either order);
4. Complete at least one elective course no later than first semester of junior year; and at least two elective courses no later than the end of junior year.

Questions?

If you have a question about getting started in the major (for 99% of our students, this will be somewhere in the Calculus sequence MT102 - MT103/MT105 - MT202), please visit the Mathematics major advisement pages of our Math Advisement Website.

For More Information and Advice

Feel free to contact any of the following: