The UI Department of Mathematics offers a variety of introductory math courses to serve majors and non-majors alike. Your major and your plans after graduation will determine which sequence of courses you should take.
Students should talk with their advisors to determine the best courses for them. While students typically complete the courses within one track, it is possible to take courses from different tracks. However, the following courses are not equivalent. Please refer to the course sequence diagram and the duplication, regression and second-grade-only policies for more information on which courses may be substituted for others.
Review course sequences
The following courses will prepare students for the pre-calculus and calculus courses in all of the tracks. Depending on the track and your math placement score, you may not need to take both (or any) of these courses.
MATH:0100 (22M:001) Basic Algebra I is available for students who are not prepared for the following courses; however, MATH:0100 does not earn credit toward graduation. Students who think they may need to take MATH:0100 should speak with their advisors.
- MATH:1005 College Algebra
- MATH:1010 Trigonometry
Students seeking admission to the Tippie College of Business need to complete MATH:1350. Students who do not satisfy the prerequisites for MATH:1350 may take either MATH:1005 or MATH:1340 to prepare them for MATH:1350.
The course MATH:1340 is a precalculus course that will prepare students for MATH:1350 or MATH:1380. Students who wish to take additional math courses beyond MATH:1380 should consider taking math courses in the general math track instead.
- MATH:1340 Mathematics for Business
- MATH:1350 Quantitative Reasoning for Business
- MATH:1380 Calculus and Matrix Algebra for Business
These courses are designed for students majoring in biology and the health sciences. MATH:1440 is required for students in the College of Nursing, and it serves as a prerequisite to MATH:1460. Students who plan to take a math course beyond MATH:1460 should consider taking courses in the general math track instead.
- MATH:1440 (22M:015) Mathematics for the Biological Sciences
- MATH:1460 (22M:016) Calculus for the Biological Sciences
The courses in this track are intended for students admitted to the College of Engineering. Additional math courses beyond MATH:1560 are required for engineering students.
- MATH:1550 Engineering Math I: Single Variable Calculus
- MATH:1560 Engineering Math II: Multi-Variable Calculus
Students who plan to major in mathematics, chemistry, computer science, physics or statistics should plan to take these courses. Additional math courses are required for a major in math, computer science, physics and statistics.
- MATH:1020 Elementary Functions
- MATH:1850 Calculus I
- MATH:1860 Calculus II