Calculus For Engineering Students
Ophelia Gurin
The Math Placement Exam 4 (MPE4) will determine which math course you are placed in for your first semester at Texas A&M University. Proper placement in your first math course is critical to your success in the College of Engineering. The MPE4 is offered in an online, proctored setting via Zoom. All students admitted to the College of Engineering (COE) must complete their MPE4 prior to attending their New Student Conference. Testing for new COE students admitted for Fall 2024 will begin on May 13 and continue through early June. Exam date availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please do not delay. The earlier you complete your exam, the more options you will have to become calculus ready for the fall semester.
The MPE4 is an online 33-question, non-calculator exam that takes 90 minutes to complete. It will test your knowledge of algebra, trigonometry, logarithms, exponentials, etc. While it does not test your calculus knowledge, you should take it seriously and prepare for the exam well ahead of your scheduled testing date (i.e., review material, self-study and take practice exams).
For General Engineering students: Scoring 22 (67%) or higher on the MPE4 and demonstrating readiness to enroll in Calculus I (MATH 151) during your first semester in the College of Engineering is the first step toward earning your engineering degree within four years. You should do everything you can to be calculus-ready by the time you begin classes.
Scores earned on the online proctored exam (offered by the College of Engineering) are used to place new students in the appropriate level math course (see course placement tables below). To register for MATH 151 Engineering Mathematics I, the first required math course for a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, a student must earn an MPE4 score of 22 (67%) or greater. Students enrolled in Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn will take equivalent math courses through Blinn College.
In some cases, chemistry majors may be able to take a lower level of calculus, such as pre-calculus or business calculus. However, this may limit their options for advanced courses and may not fulfill the prerequisites for certain upper-level chemistry courses.
Calculus is a fundamental tool for understanding and solving mathematical problems in chemistry. It helps students understand concepts such as rates of change, optimization, and integration, which are crucial for analyzing chemical reactions and properties.
While all calculus topics are important for chemistry, some topics may be more relevant for certain subfields of chemistry. For example, differential calculus is essential for understanding reaction rates, while integral calculus is important for thermodynamics and equilibrium.
Yes, many chemistry majors choose to take additional calculus courses, such as multivariable calculus or differential equations, to deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts and prepare for advanced chemistry courses. However, these courses may not be required for all chemistry programs.
Some programs associated with Engineering DO NOT have a calculus-ready requirement for direct admissions. These include: Outdoor Products (OSU-Cascades), Pre-Forest Engineering (Corvallis), and Pre-Forest Civil Engineering (Corvallis).
Students who are not calculus ready based on their application materials but are admitted to OSU will be invited to enroll initially as an undeclared student in the University Exploratory Studies Program or another non-Engineering major of their choice, but will still have available pathways to study Engineering at OSU and OSU-Cascades. These pathways include:
1. Get calculus-ready before their Fall enrollment. Students who provide proof of becoming calculus-ready prior to their OSU or OSU-Cascades enrollment will have their major changed back to their Engineering major of choice. There are multiple ways a student can become calculus ready prior to enrolling at OSU or OSU-Cascades:
Students admitted in this manner and who are entering through the University Exploratory Studies Program will also be assigned advising support in the College of Engineering to help them navigate their path to an eventual Engineering degree. Once a student has met these criteria, they will be allowed to change their major into Engineering.
3. Enroll at an Oregon community college through the Degree Partnership Program and take MTH 111Z and MTH 112Z in preparation for enrollment at OSU when they are ready.
No. On your application you are able to report that Pre-Calculus is in progress. If you haven't taken Pre-Calculus or Calculus and are not currently taking either course, you can be admitted to OSU as an undeclared student initially and get yourself calculus-ready - either before you enroll or after you enroll, at which point you may change your major to Engineering.
When you are admitted, you'll have a form that you can fill out in your Beaver Basecamp admissions portal to provide information about your readiness for Calculus. That will trigger a re-review of your status.
When you are admitted, you'll have a form that you can fill out in your Beaver Basecamp admissions portal to provide information about how you've become ready for Calculus. One of the options there will be to outline any alternative ways you've become Calculus ready and a way to upload any supporting information/documentation. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
If you enroll at OSU and are not ready to take Calculus right away, you can meet requirements to declare an Engineering degree by successfully completing MTH 111 and MTH 112 with a C or better at OSU and maintain a 2.50 OSU GPA or higher. Once MTH 112 is completed, you may work with your advisor to change your major to Engineering.
We understand that some students don't have access to Pre-Calculus or Calculus coursework. Our goal is to help you get caught up in math as quickly as possible using OSU resources so that you will succeed and earn a highly desired Engineering degree here.
We assume that you will get a C- or better in the Pre-Calculus or Calculus course that you report as in-progress on your application. If you end up with a lower grade you could be asked to begin as an undeclared student (or another non-engineering major of your choice) until you have met the requirements outlined above to declare a major in Engineering.
As outlined above, we determine your calculus-ready status at the time we review your application for admission. If you are deemed calculus ready, later take our ALEKS Math Placement exam (just prior to new student orientation) and don't place into Calculus, your admission into Engineering will not be affected. However you will still need to take the necessary math courses based on your placement, which may delay your ability to take Calculus right away and thus impact when you are able to take other Engineering courses in your major. Bottom line: get Calculus ready and stay Calculus ready so that you can start off on the right foot when you enroll!
If you have been admitted in a non-Engineering major and wish to change to Engineering, you will only be able to do so if you are Calculus-ready. The change of major form in Beaver Basecamp will only display Engineering majors if you have been determined Calculus-ready. If you believe you are calculus-ready and trying to change into Engineering but cannot do so, please contact the Office of Admissions.
Students in non-engineering majors with a score of 4 or 5 on the BC exam will receive 8 credits and placement out of Calculus I (MATH 1110) and Calculus II (MATH 1120). They will forfeit 4 credits if they take MATH 1120 or MATH 1910 or 8 credits if they take MATH 1106 or MATH 1110.
Students in engineering majors with a score of 5 on the BC exam will receive 4 credits and placement out of MATH 1910, and they will forfeit those credits if they take MATH 1910. Students with a score of 4 are encouraged to take the Engineering Math Advanced Standing Exam if they believe the score does not fairly reflect their preparation.
Students in non-engineering majors with a score 4 or 5 on the AB exam will receive 4 credits and placement out of Calculus I (MATH 1110) and will forfeit those credits if they take MATH 1106 or MATH 1110. Students in engineering majors receive no credit.
Students with a score of A, B, or C will receive 4 credits and placement out of Calculus I (MATH 1110). Engineering students receive no credit. More credit may be obtained by passing a Cornell placement exam during Orientation.
Students who take the A level exam in Singapore will receive an additional 4 credits and placement out of Calculus II (MATH 1120). Engineering students only receive 4 credits and placement out of MATH 1910.
Students with a score of 6 or 7 on the higher-level exam will receive 4 credits and placement out of Calculus I (MATH 1110). Engineering students receive no credit. No credit is awarded for the standard-level exam. More credit may be obtained by passing a Cornell placement exam during Orientation.
The Mathematics Department Placement Exam is an optional placement exam for non-engineering majors who seek credit for Calculus I (MATH 1110) and/or Calculus II (MATH 1120). The exam is offered twice each academic year, during fall and spring orientation, with no make-up exams. Students who have taken MATH 1110 and/or MATH 1120 during a semester at Cornell and earned a W grade or did not pass with a C- or better are not permitted to take this exam as an alternative means of earning credit. Students who fail this exam once may not take it again.
If you need credit for MATH 1910 and/or MATH 1920 (multivariable calculus), please register for the Engineering Math Advanced Standing Exam (see below) rather than this exam. Both exams will be offered again during spring orientation in January.
The Engineering Math Advanced Standing Exam is an optional placement exam for any student seeking credit for MATH 1910 and/or MATH 1920, including (but not limited to) Engineering freshmen and transfer students. The exam is offered twice each academic year, during fall and spring orientation, with no make-up exams. Students who have taken MATH 1910 and/or MATH 1920 during a semester at Cornell and earned a W grade or did not pass with a C- or better are not permitted to take this exam as an alternative means of earning credit.
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