Department of Mathematics - Information for freshman mathematics majors


June 19, 2007

Placement and advanced placement

The Mathematics Department has a comprehensive placement system for all students whose programs require some form of calculus.

The online placement test is meant for students who have not yet taken calculus. If that applies to you, then go to the main placement page to find out more, and actually take the online test.


If you already have taken some calculus, then you are a candidate for "advanced placement". Here are the possibilities:

Version of the AP Calc test
 Your score:
 Result
AB
 4 or 5
 Graduation credit for Calc I, Math 121
Placement into Calc II, Math 122

below 4
 Placement into Calc I, Math 121
Optional placement into Calc II
(based on results of a written test here at CUA)
BC
 4 or 5
 Graduation credit for Calc I, Math 121 and Calc II, Math 122
Placement into Calc III, Math 221

below 4
 Placement into Calc I, Math 121
Optional placement into Calc II
(based on results of a written test here at CUA)


We encourage you to consider placing into Calc II if you have already taken a calculus course. The process is informal: just before the fall semester, you would take a written test here test similar to one of our old Calc I finals. If you did reasonably well on it, you would switch to one of our Calc II sections.

Transfer credit

If you took a calculus course at a college or university (and if that course did not count towards your high school diploma) then you should apply for transfer credit for that course. The paperwork goes through the Dean's Office and the course is evaluated in our Department to see what CUA course(s) it corresponds to. If your earlier course transfers, you would be placed into the next appropriate course in the calculus sequence.

Registration for Mathematics courses

Most of our mathematics courses have prerequisites of some kind to steer students away from course they are under- or over-qualified for. So registration for math courses involves an extra step. Before you can register online (via the Cardinal Students system), Cardinal Students must be adjusted to allow you to register for that course, a process called "setting permissions". This is done by our Department's Administrative Assistant, Ms. Patty Carpenter.

Contact Ms. Carpenter (email: bertollini@cua.edu  or  phone: 202-319-5221  or  in person: 207 McMahon Hall) and give her your name, CUA student ID number and the name and section of the course you want to take. She'll set the permissions after which you may register online.

Any questions?


The academic advisers in the Mathematics Department are: Dr. Kiran Bhutani and me (Dr. Paul Glenn). Contact either one of us  to answer any questions.

The Mathematics Department's main office is in room 207. McMahon Hall and the telephone is 202-319-5221.