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Mathematics

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ will answer your most basic questions about your math requirements, and tell you where to get more information when you need it.

Start taking math in your first semester and continue until you have completed all of your math requirements, so you can earn your degree on time.

Making a plan will promote your success in math and at City Tech.

MATH PLACEMENT

Your placement is based on your high school records.

If you've taken AP, College Now, or other college-level math courses, submit your scores or transcripts to the Transfer Office in order to officially transfer your credits.

In case you have struggled with mathematics, please consider MAT1275CO which meets the same requirements as MAT1275.

STEM AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING

Every City Tech degree has a Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning (MQR) requirement. Your degree checklist will tell you if a specific course is required or recommended to fulfill that category.

If it says "MQR" or "MAT 1190 or higher," you can take either Quantitative Reasoning math or STEM math. The math department recommends taking the highest math you qualify for, and you should discuss your options with your department faculty advisor.

If your degree checklist specifically mentions a math course that ends in "75" like MAT 1275, you must take STEM math.

Many majors at City Tech are STEM majors. They require at least one course from the calculus sequence: Pre-calculus (MAT 1375), Calculus I (MAT 1475), Calculus II (MAT 1575). Some also require other mathematics courses such as Discrete Structures and Algorithms I (MAT 2440), Linear Algebra (MAT 2580) and Differential Equations (MAT 2680). These courses must be taken in a sequence. Look at the course descriptions in the college catalog to see their pre-requisites to understand which courses must be taken first.

Quantitative Reasoning is focused on the mathematical, logical, critical thinking, and statistical skills needed to solve problems in real world contexts. Courses you might take include MAT 1190 Quantitative Reasoning and MAT 1272 Statistics. Examples of majors for which one MQR course will complete your math requirement are Business and Technology of Fashion, Dental Hygiene, and Communication Design.

YOUR MATH REQUIREMENTS

Look up your degree checklist in the college catalog from your first semester at City Tech (if you are starting in the summer, consult the fall catalog; if you switched degrees, consult the catalog for the first semester after you switched).

Start with your Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning (MQR) and Scientific World (SW) requirements. Your degree checklist will tell you if specific math courses are required or recommended to fulfill those categories.

Look at the rest of your degree checklist for other courses that start with MAT and enter them in the Math Sequence Worksheet. If you arrived at City Tech with math credit from advanced placement tests or transfer credits, consult DegreeWorks to see which requirements those courses fulfill and what math requirements remain.

Immediately! Any delay in taking your math courses, especially the STEM sequence—whether due to a course withdrawal, a failing grade, or neglecting to register for a course—could delay your graduation. Understanding mathematical material is critical to your success in other courses, which is why these courses are often pre- or co-requisites for courses in your major. Certain STEM majors also have minimum grade requirements of at least a "C" in math in order for students to progress.

PLANNING YOUR MATH SEQUENCE

Your Accuplacer score determines the first math course for which you are eligible to register and your major determines what additional math courses are required.

Algebra to Calculus II Sequence

  • MAT 0650 (+ MAT 0650 CO)

    Elementary Algebra Developmental

  • MAT 1275 (+ MAT 1275 CO)

    College Algebra and Trigonometry

  • MAT 1375

    Precalculus

  • MAT 1475

    Calculus I

  • MAT 1575

    Calculus II

If you're in STEM math, you may need to take MAT 1275 and/or MAT 1375 to prepare for the first math course explicitly listed in your degree checklist.

In the college catalog right after your degree checklist, there is a suggested course of study that shows one way a full-time student could plan courses semester-by-semester. You can use your degree checklist with My Academic Career Planner to make a plan that takes your initial math placement into account. After you have made the plan, share it during academic advisement with a professor in your department.

You should re-take the course the very next semester—or, if you fail a course in the spring, consider taking it again over the summer. Use the tutoring services and your professor's office hours. When you pass the course, a grade of "C" or higher will replace the failing grade in your grade point average (GPA) calculations (however, the failed course will remain on your transcript).

You will also need to look at the prerequisites to your other required courses and talk with a faculty advisor in your department to make adjustments to your plan for the next semester.

Remember to check with the financial aid office to see what implications a "D" or "F" might have on your financial aid.