Mathematics

• Information for Transfer Students

Mathematics
Academic Bulletin

Area of Study: Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Programs: Major and Minor

A Guide to First Year Advising in Mathematics

In general, students who will need a Mathematics course, or who are interested in Mathematics, should be encouraged to take a Mathematics course in the fall.

Mathematics Placement Assessment Policy for 2025

• All entering first-year and transfer students are required to take the Mathematics Placement Assessment if they are planning on enrolling in a Mathematics course, with the exception of students who have already received Allegheny transfer credit for PRERQ*MAT.
• All other first-year students (including those students who took an AP Calculus Exam in Spring 2025) and transfer students should take the Mathematics Placement Assessment. A student’s placement score is a measure of their current preparation for Allegheny’s calculus courses.  

Students who take the Mathematics Placement Assessment:

• Students with a placement score of 20 or higher should take MATH 151 Calculus I.
• Students with a placement score of 12-19 should take MATH 140 Calculus I with Precalculus, Part 1.
• Students with a placement score of 1-11 should take MATH 100 Algebra for College Mathematics.

Note: The intervals of scores that correspond to which Mathematics course an incoming student should take are intentionally not being shared with students; this is partly to manage math anxiety, but also to avoid the “But I only missed it by one question” -type of discussions.

Students who took an AP Calculus Exam in Spring 2025

• Unless Allegheny has received the official results for the AP Calculus Exams, students should be enrolled in MATH 100, MATH 140 or MATH 151 based on their placement score.
• However, once the official results for the AP Calculus Exams have been received, students with AP Calculus credit should be moved to the appropriate calculus course as described in the following table.

Students with transfer credit (regardless of placement score, if they took the Mathematics Placement Assessment):

• Unless Allegheny has already processed incoming transfer credit, these students should be enrolled in MATH 100, MATH 140 or MATH 151 based on their Mathematics Placement score.
• However once incoming transfer credit has been processed, students with transfer credit should be moved to the appropriate calculus course as described in the following table.

Pathways to the Mathematics Major:

For all students majoring in Mathematics:

• Ideally, a Mathematics major should begin in MATH 151 or above. Students who do not place in MATH 151 should begin in MATH 140. 
• MATH 205 is a prerequisite for most upper-level courses and should be taken as soon as possible, in the second year.
• The course MATH 211 is offered every fall and some springs. The course MATH 205 is offered every spring and some falls. The courses MATH 280, MATH 325, and MATH 340 are offered every fall. The courses MATH 320 and MATH 585 are offered every spring. The course MATH 270 is usually offered once per year, but with no set rotation.
• Most of the other 200-, 300-, and 400-level electives are offered once every two years; the exceptions are MATH 345, which is offered every fall, and MATH 346, which is offered every spring.

Suggested Sequence of Required Courses for the Mathematics Major placing in Math 151:

Suggested Sequence of Required Courses for the Mathematics Major placing in MATH 140:

• Establishing an advisor: Simply ask a professor.
• Junior Seminar: Should be taken in the Spring of the Junior Year. 
• Senior Project: One semester project taken either Fall or Spring semester of the senior year.

Pathways to the Mathematics Minor:

For all students minoring in Mathematics:

• The Mathematics minor requires 20 semester credit hours of Mathematics courses numbered above MATH 151. At least 4 semester credit hours must include a Mathematics course numbered 300 or above. 

Suggested Sequence of Courses for the Mathematics Minor placing in Math 151:

Suggested Sequence of Courses for the Mathematics Minor placing in Math 140:

Information for Transfer Students

Suggested Sequence of Required Courses for the Mathematics Major for Transfer Students with credit in MATH 151 and MATH 270, and wanting to finish in three years:

• Ideally, a transfer student considering a Mathematics major with one year of experience elsewhere will already have transfer credit for at least two courses in calculus, typically MATH 151 and MATH 270.

Suggested Sequence of Required Courses for the Mathematics Major for Transfer Students with credit in MATH 151, MATH 270, and MATH 211 and wanting to finish in two years:  

• Ideally, a transfer student considering a Mathematics major with two years of experience elsewhere will already have transfer credit for three courses in calculus, typically MATH 151, MATH 270, and MATH 211, as well as transfer credit for either MATH 280 or MATH 320.  For these students, MATH 270 serves as a substitution for MATH 152, making MATH 280 required.

Additional Notes:

• Academic Advisor: Simply ask a professor.
• Junior Seminar: Students should plan to take the Junior Seminar in the Spring semester of the junior year. 
• Senior Project: Mathematics Senior Project is a one semester project taken either Fall or Spring semester of the senior year.