Advising Information

The Mathematics major requires all students to complete Calculus I (MATH 110 or MATH 114) and Calculus II (MATH 120 or MATH 128). Students who have already completed Calculus 1 or Calculus 2 (see Placement Information below) should proceed to courses in the fundamental sequence: MATH 210: Discrete Mathematics, MATH 212: Multivariable Calculus, and MATH 214: Linear Algebra.

Placement Information

Most students who are interested in majoring in Mathematics should take the Calculus Placement Assessment (ALEKS) during the summer prior to their first year. You do not need to take the Calculus Placement Assessment if any of the following are true:

• You received a score of 4 or 5 on either the AP Calculus AB or BC exam;

• You received an IB Calculus HL score of 5 or above;

• You have already taken a Calculus 1 course at another accredited college or university.  

An AP Calculus AB score of 4 or 5, or an IB Calculus HL score of 5 or above, fulfills the major’s Calculus 1 requirement. An AP Calculus BC score of 4 or 5 fulfills the Calculus 2 requirement. Students should make sure that their official score reports are sent to the Registrar’s Office for processing. 

Sample 4-Year Plan

Mathematics Placement

Calculus

Placement in calculus courses (MATH 108, MATH 110, MATH 114, or MATH 128) is determined based on previous mathematical experience, advising, and the results of the Calculus Placement Exam. The Calculus Placement Exam is administered online prior to the beginning of Fall Semester. 

Students with qualifying scores on the Advanced Placement or IB Examination in Calculus are most often placed in calculus courses as follows:

In addition to the calculus courses, MATH 105, MATH 150, MATH 160, MATH 210, MATH 212, MATH 214, COMP 131, and COMP 146 may be taken by first-year students meeting the prerequisites.

Students with transfer credits should confer with the Department for advice on placement in an appropriate mathematics course.

*Students with IB Exam scores will be required to contact the instructor of the course for prerequisite override in order to register.

Mathematics Courses

Calculus is a prerequisite for all mathematics courses with the exceptions of MATH 105 and most Computer Science courses. All students planning to take Calculus must take the online Calculus Placement Exam prior to the beginning of the Fall Semester unless they are exempt due to having received an Advanced Placement exam score. (See Calculus Placement above or contact the Mathematics Department for further details.) Prerequisites for any course may be waived with permission of the instructor.

Transfer Credit Policies

The Mathematics Department may accept online courses in transfer, both as general elective credit and as credit toward the major or minor. 

Students who earned a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB examination will earn four units of credit and will be considered to have completed the equivalent of MATH 110 (Calculus 1). Students who earned a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC examination will earn four units of credit and will be considered to have completed the equivalent of MATH 120 (Calculus 2). Students who earned a score of 6 or 7 on the (higher level) IB examination or a grade of A or B on the A-level examination will earn four units of credit and will be considered to have completed the equivalent of both MATH 110 (Calculus 1) and MATH 120 (Calculus 2).

Students matriculating as frosh must take at least two of the required 200-level Mathematics courses (MATH 210, MATH 212 and MATH 214) at Occidental College except by approval of the chair.

Students transferring from another institution may transfer the 200-level Mathematics sequence (MATH 210, MATH 212, MATH 214) with approval from the department chair.

A student may apply no more than eight units of 300-level credit in transfer toward the major, except by permission of the chair.

Students should reference the Transfer Credit section for more details.