Guide for GE Mathematics Courses

Students who's majors do not require a specific mathematics

These students can take

Math 131 – Mathematical Ideas (3 units) or
Math 140 – Introductory Statistics (4 units)

Both courses are available for General Education, Basic Subjects Section A3.

The prerequisite for both courses is: A passing score on or exemption from the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) Examination, or credit in Math 093.

Students who need one or more mathematics courses for their majors

These students will be advised based on the particular majors they are interested in.

Below is a list of General Education Basic Subject mathematics courses (with the exception of Math 104, which is not a GE course, but may be needed to get into calculus) required in one or more majors:

Math 102 – College Algebra (3 units). Prerequisite: A passing score on or exemption from the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) Examination, or credit in Math 093.

Who should take Math 102?

Students who need it to satisfy the mathematics requirement for their majors. In general, this would not be an optimal choice for a student who wants to satisfy the A3 requirement only. (see section 1)
Students who fail to place into Math 105 by the Mathematics Placement Test (MPT1)**.
Students who choose to take Math 102 plus Math 104 Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry instead of Math 105 (Precalculus).

Math 103 – Business Calculus (3 units). Prerequisite: A passing score on or exemption from the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) Examination, or credit in Math 093 and a passing score on the Mathematics Placement Test (MPT1)** or completion of Math 102 with a grade of “C” or better.

Who should take Math 103?

Students who need Math 103 for their majors. They should be encouraged to take the MPT so they can place into Math 103 without first taking Math 102.

*Math 104 – Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry (3 units). Prerequisite: A passing score on or exemption from the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) Examination, and completion of Math 102 with a grade of “C” or better.

*Note: This is not a GE course.

Who should take Math 104?

Students who have completed Math 102 with a “C” or better and need Math 102 plus Math 104 in place of Math 105, and need it for their major as a prerequisite to calculus.

Math 105 – Precalculus (5 units). Prerequisite: A passing score on or exemption from the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) Examination, or credit in Math 093 and a passing score on the Mathematics Placement Test (MPT1)** or completion of Math 102 with a grade of “C” or better.

Who should take Math 105?

Students who need Math 105 for their majors, or as a prerequisite to calculus. They should be encouraged to take the MPT so they can place directly into Math 105. Otherwise they can replace Math 105 by Math 102 plus Math 104.
Students who fail to place into Math 150A or Math 255A by the Mathematics Placement Test (MPT2)**.

Math 150A – Mathematical Analysis (5 units). Prerequisite: A passing score on or exemption from the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) Examination, or credit in Math 093, and either a passing score on the Mathematics Placement Test (MPT)** or completion of Math 105, or both Math 102 and Math 104 at CSUN with grades of “C” or better.

Who should take Math 150A?

Students who need it to satisfy part of the mathematics requirement for their majors. They should be encouraged to take the MPT so they can place directly into the course.

Math 255A - Calculus 1 (3 units). Prerequisite: A passing score on or exemption from the Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) Examination, or credit in Math 093, and either a passing score on the Mathematics Placement Test (MPT)** or completion of Math 105, or both Math 102 and Math 104 with grades of “C” or better.

Who should take Math 255A?

Students who need it to satisfy the mathematics requirements for their majors. They should be encouraged to take the MPT so they can place directly into the course.

**The Mathematics Placement Test (MPT parts 1 and 2). Even though this test is listed as a prerequisite for several courses (Math 103, 105, 150A and 255A) one should not look at it as yet another requirement to get into these courses. The test however should be viewed as a way for students to place into the appropriate course without having to take other prerequisite courses.

MPT part 1 (precalculus readiness) is 45 minutes long and consists of 45 multiple-choice questions on intermediate algebra.

MPT part 2 (calculus readiness) is 60 minutes long and consists of 40 multiple-choice questions on trigonometry and advanced topics from intermediate algebra.

In order to prepare for the MPT students can obtain sample questions with solutions from the Mathematics Department, FOB 114.

Eligibility for Math Courses:

Math 103 – A student who has satisfied the ELM requirement and received 27 or higher on MPT part 1 is eligible for the course.

Math 105 – A student who has satisfied the ELM requirement and received 27 or higher on MPT part 1 is eligible for the course.

Math 150A – A student who has satisfied the ELM requirement and received 27 or higher on MPT part 1 and 24 or higher on MPT part 2 is eligible for the course.

Math 255A – A student who has satisfied the ELM requirement and received 27 or higher on MPT part 1 and 22 or higher on MPT part 2 is eligible for the course.

Students who are taking Math 093 will be given the MPT part 1 at the end of the semester. They should be encouraged to take this test seriously as it may allow them to go directly into Math 103 or Math 105.

All other students must go to the Testing Center to take the test. Each semester the test dates for the MPT will be listed in the Schedule of Classes. For more information contact the Testing Center at 818.677.2369 .

Who should be encouraged to take the MPT? This applies to students in majors that require math courses other than Math 131 and Math 140. If a student has passed the ELM, is exempt from the ELM based on SAT or ACT scores, or has credit in Math 093 he or she should be strongly encouraged to take the MPT part 1. Furthermore, if the student has had precalculus in high school and needs calculus for his or her major, the student should be encouraged to take MPT parts 1 and 2.

Students in technical majors that require one or more mathematics courses and who’s ELM scores placed them in Math 092 will most likely not score high enough on the MPT to place into Math 105. These students should not be prevented from taking the MPT when they have completed remediation, but one should be realistic when giving advice. They can go into Math 102, but without Math 093 it may be a struggle. In an effort to help alleviate this problem we have set up four restricted sections of Math 102 for Spring 2003. Each one of these sections will be linked to Math 102L – a one hour SI lab. Enrollments in those classes will be monitored by the EOP centers in the colleges of Business and Economics, Computer Science and Engineering and Science and Mathematics. Another option is to take Math 093, then take the MPT part 1 and hope to receive a high enough score to place directly into Math 105.