First year students without AP calculus credit or previous college mathematics credits will place into one or more of the following mathematics courses:
- MATH 107 Mathematical Reasoning and Its Applications (Fall, Winter, Spring)
- MATH 110 Functions and Algebraic Methods (Fall, Winter, Spring)
- MATH 118 College Algebra for Business (Fall, Winter, Spring)
- MATH 120 Precalculus: Algebra (Fall, Winter, Spring)
- MATH 121 Precalculus: Trigonometry (Fall, Winter, Spring)
- MATH 130 Calculus for Business (Fall, Winter, Spring)
- MATH 131 Calculus for Life Sciences (Winter, Spring)
- MATH 134 Calculus I (Fall, Winter, Spring)
Placement depends upon the student's intended major as well as eligibility criteria. To be eligible to enroll in a course listed in the left hand column, a student must meet at least one of the three criteria in the corresponding row.
Math Course |
SAT score |
ACT score |
S.U. Placement Score |
| MATH 107 MATH 110 |
450-530 | 18-22 | Algebra score 4-14 |
| MATH 118 MATH 120 |
540-630 | 23-27 | Algebra score 15-24 |
| MATH 121 MATH 130 |
620-800 | 27-36 | Algebra score 23-30 |
| MATH 131 | 620-800 and either MATH 121* or Trig. score 4 |
27-36 and either MATH 121* or Trig. score 4 |
Algebra score 23-30 and either MATH 121* or Trig. score 4 |
| MATH 134 | 640-800 and either MATH 121* or Trig. score 6 |
28-36 and either MATH 121* or Trig. score 6 |
Algebra score 25-30 and either MATH 121* or Trig. score 6 |
(* MATH 121 may be taken concurrently with MATH 131 or MATH 134)
A student who places into a mathematics course may opt to take a course with a lower number, but will not be allowed to take a course higher than placed. However, students who do not feel that their SAT or ACT score accurately represents their mathematical knowledge may request to take the Seattle University Mathematics Placement Exam to demonstrate this knowledge. To take the Placement Exam, the student should call the Mathematics Department at 206-296-5930 to schedule an appointment.
The Mathematics Department Placement Exam has two parts, 30 points on algebra and 9 points on trigonometry. The two parts of the exam are scored separately, so that a perfect score would be 30 T 9, or on Datatel, the score would appear as 3009, the last digit being the trigonometry score. No calculators are allowed during the multiple choice exam.
MATH 121 (Precalculus: Trigonometry) is a co-requisite for both MATH 134 and 131, if a student has not been exempted by the departmental Placement Exam. Because the SAT and ACT exams do not cover trigonometry topics, students scheduled to take MATH 134 (Calculus I) or MATH 131 (Calculus for the Life Sciences) will be required to take a trigonometry exam on the first day of class if they have not already taken the Mathematics Department Placement Exam. If a student does not receive a sufficiently high score on the exam, he or she will be required to enroll concurrently in MATH 121 (Precalculus: trigonometry), which is a 2 credit course. Therefore, if a student is going to be enrolled in MATH 134 or 131 and does not wish to take this additional course, he or she should review trigonometry before the beginning of the quarter. A student may also call the Mathematics Department (296-5930) to take the trigonometry placement exam during pre-registration, to determine whether or not enrollment in MATH 121 is required.
A student who has taken the AP Calculus Exam (AB or BC), and has a score of 3 or better may receive credit for one or more calculus courses. Contact the Office of the Registrar or the Mathematics Department for more information.