The general education requirements for all three schools, the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Music, include a mathematics requirement. In the case of the School of Business Administration, the requirement is very narrowly defined to be MS101 plus one course selected from among MS226, MS201 and MS222. For the other two schools, the choice of course is left up to the student, although their major may require specific math courses. Many Bachelor of Science majors require one or more calculus courses, which have Precalculus (MS101) as a prerequisite. If a student’s major requires a math course, that course can be used to satisfy the general education requirement; it is not necessary for the student to take an additional math course.
All students are strongly encouraged to take the mathematics placement exam. The exam is designed primarily to determine whether students remember high school algebra. A student who does well on this exam earns exemption credit for MS101. This partially satisfies the mathematics portion of the general education requirements for students in the School of Business Administration, and it completely satisfies the requirement for all other students.
MS101 is a prerequisite for all of the calculus courses, so students interested in a major that requires them to take calculus (which includes most majors in the natural sciences, computer science, and digital arts) should take the placement exam in the hope of being able to proceed directly with the calculus course.
The mathematics placement exam is given at beginning of each semester and can be taken at any time during the year at the Mathematics department office in Elizabeth Hall. The examination is a 20-question, multiple-choice test. Students may not use calculators on this test, and it may only be taken once. There is a practice exam located at: http://www.stetson.edu/artsci/mathcs/programs/math/placement/index.shtml.
MS101 is designed to prepare students for taking a calculus course. Students should take MS101 only if they intend to subsequently take a calculus course, and only after attempting to earn exemption credit by taking the placement exam. The 150-level mathematics courses are recommended for students who will not be taking calculus.
The 150-level mathematics courses (MS 151, 152, 153, . . . , 159) are designed to be accessible to all students. These courses have no prerequisites (MS101 is NOT a prerequisite). Course descriptions can be found at " Choosing a Mathematics Course." Science and math oriented students who are able to earn exemption credit for MS101 generally find the pace in these courses slow, and should take one of them only if they are motivated by a strong interest in the topic.
Students who take a mathematics exam in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate Program (IB), or an Advanced Placement (AP) exam may score well enough to earn exemption credit for one or more math courses that can be used to satisfy the mathematics portion of their general education requirements. If a student earns credit for a calculus course, MS101 will automatically be waived as a prerequisite for any subsequent calculus courses they take. Contact the Mathematics Department for further details.
Revised: 08/13/07