- Your First Math Course at UofM: A Guide for Incoming Students
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- Understand your Foundation
- Explore Course Options
- Move Towards a Decision
- Follow-Up
- Undergraduate Math Courses
- Major and Minor Programs
- Advising
- Awards, Scholarships, and Prizes
- Extracurricular Activities
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Graduation
- Policies
- Research and Career Opportunities
- Resources
- Student Spotlight
- Transfer Credit
Math Background
Your background in mathematics is one piece of determining which math course to take. But it does not uniquely determine your course placement. It’s also about your desired pace/schedule and the level of challenge and work you’re up for.
The Placement test you took online ahead of orientation is a Calculus Readiness test. It tells you whether we think you have the prerequisite skills needed to succeed in Calculus at Michigan! You don’t need to interpret your score in a vacuum. Meet with a math advisor to help you understand what your score means for you!
Important: Even if you have taken Calculus in high school, you may be best served by taking Math 105 and building up your skills to succeed in Math 115.
Scores: You’ll get a score of either “105 definite”, “105 tentative”, “115 tentative,” or “115 definite”. These scores are to guide YOU. The decision on which class to take is ultimately up to you.
Note: These recommendations are only as meaningful as your testing environment was. For example, if you didn’t try at all on the test, or were ill while taking it, your placement recommendation may not be accurate; conversely, if you looked up answers while taking this test, your placement recommendation is also inaccurate.
105 definite
- You need to build some knowledge and skills before taking Math 115. Our data tells us that you will be most successful in Math 115 if you first take Math 105.
105 tentative
- You likely need to build some knowledge and skills before taking Math 115. Your choice between 105 and 115 may come down to what you know about your testing circumstances or how much you want to challenge yourself.
115 tentative
- You probably have the prerequisite skills to succeed in Math 115 (or beyond!). Your decision between Math 105 and Math 115 may come down to how much you want to build a very solid foundation in Math 105, versus moving more quickly with your math coursework by selecting Math 115.
115 definite
- We have no concerns that you’re ready to take Math 115. This should be a good option for you! Of course, since this test was only on Calculus readiness skills, it may be that you take Math 116, Math 185, Math 275, or any of the other options described in more detail below.
If you took the AP Calculus exam or IB HL Math Analysis and Approaches course but have not yet received a score, use your best estimation of your score to choose the course you enroll in. You will be able to change to a different course after you receive test results if you need to.
AP Calculus AB Exam
- Score of 5: credit for Math 120
- Score 4 or lower: no college math credit
AP Calculus BC Exam
- Score of 5: credit for Math 120 and 121
- Score of 4: credit for Math 120 only
- Score of 3 or lower: no college math credit
- Your AB subscore is not considered
IB Math: Analysis and Approaches HL Exam
- Score of 7: credit for Math 120 and 121 after completing a self-paced course called Math 117. Contact math-undergrad-office@umich.edu for more details
- Score of 6: credit for Math 120 only
- Score of 5 or lower: no college math credit
IB Math: Analysis and Approaches SL Exam, or applications and interpretation (HL or SL)
- No college math credit.
More general information about AP and IB credit at UM is available on the Undergraduate Admissions AP, IB Credit website.
Math 120 and 121??
U of M distinguishes between its own calculus courses and credit earned by AP and IB tests. Math 120 or Math 121 are the course numbers used to represent AP or IB credit, but there are no actual courses at UM bearing those course numbers. Math 120 and 121 are roughly equivalent to Math 115 and 116, respectively.
Students with Math 120 and/or 121 credit will receive 2 credits per course to start, but this will be increased to 4 credits per course if they take an additional math course from an approved list. (Scroll down for the math list.)
A-Levels
Many countries in the world use a system called A-Levels. The exact content in A-Levels varies a lot depending on the country, so by default, students receive general Departmental math credit for their courses.
If you have this credit, you can email math-undergrad-office@umich.edu about setting up a test to receive calculus credit for A-Levels (this must be taken in person, after you arrive on campus). Based on this test, your A-Level credits may be converted to specific U-M Math courses.
In our experience, students with A-Level credit most commonly know the material at the level of Math 115, but not 116. In order to receive 116 credit, you need to have a strong knowledge of topics like parametric equations and power series.
High School Calculus Courses
Many students come into UM having taken Calculus of some kind at their high schools. While AP Calculus has a national exam to standardize what this content includes, a non-AP class can mean many different things. Courses across high schools vary drastically, so we can’t say with any certainty what a high school Calculus course has prepared you for. In general, most high school Calculus classes that do not include an AP test are not equivalent to college Calculus. As such, most students coming out of non-AP/IB high school Calculus are well-served by taking Math 105 or Math 115.
High School Courses Beyond Calculus
If your high school offered a course like Calculus III (Multivariable Calculus) or Discrete Math, it is unlikely to have been equivalent to a college-level course. Meet with a math advisor to help you figure out what good options might be for you!
If you have college credit for a course, you can go to https://lsa.umich.edu/math/undergraduates/transfer-credit.html for information about how your courses will transfer.
You should also definitely meet with a math advisor!
