Math Placement Information
Placement
The main objectives for advising students taking math courses are.
- determine the developmental math status of the student
- determine the level of courses they are prepared to take
- determine which courses they should take
- help students get registered
Tools to achieve these objectives are can be found in this simplified placement grid. Placement for higher level courses is also available. See below for details.
Developmental Math Status
The Texas Success Initiative requires the university to provide mathematical development for some students. Students identified in this way are called Developmental Math Students. All other students are College Level Math students. Developmental Math Students are those who are placed in MATH 0310 or MATH 0200 by the local placement process (described below). Students move from Developmental Math status by scoring at least 350 or higher on the MATH TSI or complete MATH 0310 or MATH 0200 with a grade of C or above. Such students need to have their math registration supervised by the Center for Academic Student Achievement (CASA). College Level Math students are all others. They should be taking math courses that satisfy their core curriculum requirement, their degree requirements or electives.
Levels of MATH Courses
Introductory MATH courses are offered at the following levels.
Courses at a given level are prerequisites for the courses at the next level.
- Level 1. MATH 0310 Developmental Mathematics
- Level 2. MATH 0200 Brief Developmental Mathematics
- Level 3. MATH 1314 College Algebra, 1324 Business Mathematics, 1332 Contemporary Mathematics, 1442 Statistics for Life
- Level 4. MATH 1316 Trigonometry, 2312 Pre-Calculus, SMTE 1350 Fundamentals of Math I
- Level 5. MATH 2305 Discrete Math, MATH 2413 Calculus I
- Consult the catalog for prerequisites for higher levels of math courses.
The Placement Process
Placement in MATH courses uses the following criteria. Tables are printed below to give details of how the criteria are used. The overall placement is the highest resulting placement from the individual criteria.
- Math TSI Score
- SAT Mathematics Score
- ACT Math Score
- Precalculus in High School with a grade of C (70) or higher
- Previous College/University Credit in MATH courses
- Local Placement Test
Placement from External Test Scores
Use this grid to find the best course of action for you:
Placement by previous College/University Course
Credit with a grade of C for a course taken at TAMUCC or accepted in transfer at a given level serves as prerequisite for courses at the next higher level. Note: Developmental Math courses (Levels 1, 2) are generally not posted on SIS but are accepted as prerequisites if a transcript is shown to the MATH program.
Local Placement Exam
The Office of Academic Testing administers the math course placement. The Algebra & Core Test and the Calculus Readiness Test are for the students that want to challenge their placement in a college-level math course. An outline of topics for the local placement exam is available.
Process:
- Contact the Department of Mathematics and Statistics with questions specific to the exam and about obtaining a referral to take the exam.
- Contact the Office of Academic Testing with questions about appointment times or about special test accommodations for these exams.
For detailed Math Placement Exam Information, go here.
Registration
Prerequisites for MATH classes are as posted in the university catalog and are enforced through registration controls. Students incorrectly excluded from courses for which they have prerequisites should contact the Mathematics Program at 825-2459 and be prepared to show how they meet the prerequisites. Exceptions to Course enrollment caps require Math Coordinator and College of Science and Technology Dean approval. Forms requesting the exception are available from the College in FC 179 or from the department in CI 301.