Math Courses
Information for New Engineering Students
If you are a new engineering first-year student starting in the fall semester, you will most likely be pre-enrolled in an Applied Math (APPM) pre-calculus or calculus course based on patterns of prior experience including your admission application, high school transcripts, previous CU Boulder coursework, etc. If you have questions, or start at CU in spring or summer, please connect with your academic advisor for course enrollment guidance. Please also see campus information related to Math Placement and the Math Readiness Test.
At CU Boulder we have two different departments that teach the Calculus sequence courses: Applied Math (APPM) and the Math department (MATH).
The College of Engineering & Applied Science accepts credit from both of these departments for Pre-Calculus and Calculus 1-3. Based on the performance of engineering students in their upper-division courses, most engineering students will benefit from taking APPM calculus courses instead of MATH calculus courses. While students can be successful in either of these departments, and both APPM and MATH courses will apply towards engineering degrees, the College of Engineering & Applied Science strongly recommends students take the APPM Calculus sequence, as these courses are designed for the engineering curriculum. If you have questions about which sequence would be best for you, please contact your academic advisor.
Students Who Receive a Math Placement of Not Calculus/Not Pre-Calculus - Options:
- If possible, consider enrolling in a community college Pre-Calculus course (or a college Algebra course + Trigonometry course) prior to enrollment at CU Boulder. (NOTE: CU Boulder offers a summer online MATH 1011 College Algebra course through the Division of Continuing Education.)
- Additionally, we strongly recommend enrolling in the free online Math Readiness Prep Course and working through the algebra and analytic geometry review materials before beginning your studies at CU Boulder. Additional review materials can be found on the Math Placement website. You may then retake the math placement test to possibly qualify for enrollment in Pre-Calculus or Calculus (students who still do not qualify should email the Engineering Dean's Office at engineeringdeansoffice@colorado.edu for guidance).
Students Who Receive a Math Placement of Pre-Calculus - Options:
- APPM 1235 Pre-Calculus for Engineers A four-credit course developing techniques and concepts prerequisite to engineering calculus through the study of trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic, polynomial, and other functions; or,
- MATH 1150 Pre-Calculus; or,
APPM 1340/1345: Calculus 1A with Algebra (APPM 1340) and Calculus 1B with Algebra (APPM 1345), two-semester Calculus 1 sequence. These are each four-credit courses that together cover the material of Calculus 1 for engineering-bound students, spread over two semesters to allow for a slower-paced development of Calculus 1 foundation, knowledge and skills.
We strongly recommend reviewing algebra and analytic geometry topics to ensure you have the math knowledge necessary to be successful in Pre-Calculus. You can review by enrolling in the free online Math Readiness Prep Course. If you wish to retake the math placement test to possibly qualify for Calculus, we recommend working through the free online Calculus Readiness Prep Course. Additional review materials can be found on the Math Placement website.
- The APPM 1340/1345 two-course sequence includes a four-week review of algebra and trigonometry, although not as much as in APPM 1235 (Pre-Calculus for Engineers). Thus, the APPM 1340/1345 sequence is appropriate for students with high proficiency in trigonometry who want to take calculus at a slower pace.
- Note: The APPM 1340/1345 course sequence is equivalent to APPM 1350 (Calculus 1) plus 4 credits of algebra/trig review. Students must complete both APPM 1340 and APPM 1345 to receive credit for Calculus 1.
NOTE: It is essential to have a strong math foundation for success in engineering and either APPM 1235 (or MATH 1150) or APPM 1340/1345 can provide that. Your advisor may recommend that you take Calculus 2 during the summer after your first year to stay on track for a four-year engineering degree program.
Students Who Receive a Math Placement of Calculus - Options:
- APPM 1350 Calculus 1 for Engineers A four-credit course in analytical geometry and calculus including limits, rates of change of functions, derivatives and integrals of algebraic and transcendental functions, applications of differentiations and integration. We strongly recommend reviewing Pre-Calculus topics to ensure you have the math knowledge necessary to be successful in Calculus 1. You can review by enrolling in the free online Calculus Readiness Prep Course. Additional review materials can be found on the campus Math Placement website.
- MATH 1300 Calculus 1
More Questions?
If you have further questions about your choice of Applied Math class, you may contact your academic advisor or Professor Anne Dougherty (303-492-4011 or anne.dougherty@colorado.edu).