There are several starting points in the department curriculum. Most students start in the calculus sequence, in discrete math, in a statistics course, or in a computer science course. If you want calculus, or statistics, you need to enroll in the correct one, based on your prior experience with math and on your academic and career goals. Below you will find answers to the questions “Which Calculus Course Should You Take?” and “Which Stats Course Should You Take?” and “Which CS Course Should You Take?” followed by descriptions of our introductory courses, their prerequisites, and advice for what to do after each.

Which Calculus Class Should You Take?

Math 135, Applied Calculus, is Macalester’s introductory calculus course designed specifically for students in the biological and social sciences. It also serves as an introduction to calculus for students heading into the physical or mathematical sciences. This course looks and feels very different from the traditional approach to calculus. It gives students the skills needed to begin applying calculus to problems in the sciences. It also prepares students for Math 155, Introduction to Statistical Modeling. Math 135 includes topics such as functions of multiple variables, models of dynamical systems, and the geometry of high-dimensional spaces. It is appropriate both for students who have never seen calculus and for those who have but would like to gain more insight into how it is used.

Students who have studied calculus in high school can take Math 135, Applied Calculus, or Math 137, Single Variable Calculus, or, if they are ready, Math 237, Multivariable Calculus. In Math 137, Single Variable Calculus, students learn the tools of calculus that will be needed for success in Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, and other analysis-based courses. This course is required for students who will study physics or chemistry beyond the introductory courses.

Students who enter Macalester with an Advanced Placement BC-Calculus score of 3 or higher or an IB score of 6 or higher have many options for their first mathematics course. If they wish to take a calculus course, they are encouraged to take Math 237, Multivariable Calculus.

Which Stats Class Should You Take?

Math 153 and 155 are the two introductory statistics. One (do not take both!) of these is the right choice for you and this choice depends on your major and career aspirations. Math 155 is required for certain other majors (e.g., biology). Math 155 is a course unique to Macalester; the emphasis is on multivariate modeling.

Which CS Class Should You Take?

Students seeking an introductory computer science course typically choose among four options: Comp 120, 121, 123, or 124. The first three courses are suitable for students with little or no background in computing, programming, or computer science. All three function as both the first course in the major and minor as well as an introduction to the discipline for those not planning to take further coursework. Students who have significant prior experience of computer science may choose to enroll in Comp 124.

Intro Math and Stats Course Descriptions

Math 135 Applied Calculus

Topics: Mathematical functions of one and two variables as models; rates of change and derivatives; optimization; introduction to differential equations; introduction to linear algebra.
Prerequisites: none.
Counts toward: Science Division requirement.
What to take next: Math 155 is for students whose primary interest is not mathematics, and who have a statistics requirement to fulfill and/or a desire to learn statistics anyway. Math 137 is for students wishing to continue their calculus education, likely for a math or physics major (but not exclusively). Math 237 is for students who are continuing with their calculus education and who did very well in Math 135 and have had integration before. Math 136 is for students with a primary interest in math who want exposure to different type of mathematics involving rigorous mathematical proof.

Math 136 Discrete Mathematics

Topics: Discrete mathematical structures such as permutations, combinations, integer sequences, Pascal's triangle, sets and subsets, graphs, and trees; number theory, binary numbers, prime numbers; counting principles and recurrence relations; an introduction to mathematical proof, induction, and recursion; graph algorithms. We recommend that you take this course early in your mathematics major.
Prerequisites: none.
Counts toward: Math Major, CS Major, Science Division requirement.
What to take next: Math 137 or Math 237, Math 155, Math 236.

Math 137 Single Variable Calculus

Topics: Calculus of functions of a single variable for students who have already had at least a semester of high school calculus (otherwise, you are advised to begin with Math 135); review of differentiation in the context of an introduction to the exponential and logarithmic functions; chain rule; exponential growth and basic differential equations; limit definition of the derivative and the integral; Riemann sums and numeric integration; substitution and integration by parts; applications of integration; improper integrals, geometric series, Taylor polynomials.
Prerequisites: At least one semester of high school calculus (Math AB with score of 3, 4, or 5 or Math IB with score of 5) or Math 135.
Counts toward: Science Division Requirement
What to take next: Math 237, Math 236, or Math 136.

Math 153: Data Analysis and Statistics

Topics: An introduction to basic concepts of data analysis and statistics in the spirit of the liberal arts. Emphasis on data analysis, model assumptions, and interpreting results. Examples and techniques drawn primarily from the social sciences. Major topics: uncertainty/variation, data acquisition, graphical techniques, descriptive statistics, exploratory versus confirmatory analysis, statistical inference.
Prerequisites: Recommended for students in humanities/fine arts/social sciences and/or those not planning to pursue careers in quantitative analysis; prospective economics majors are encouraged to take Mathematics 155.
Counts toward: Science Division Requirement
What to take next: A calculus course such as Math 135 or the next statistics course, Math 253 Applied Multivariate Statistics

Math 155 Statistical Modeling

Topics: An introductory statistics course with an emphasis on multivariate modeling. Topics include descriptive statistics, experiment and study design, probability, hypothesis testing, multivariate regression, single and multi-way analysis of variance, logistic regression.
Prerequisites: Mathematics 135 or Mathematics 137 or Mathematics 236 or Mathematics 237 or permission of instructor.
Required for: Math Major
What to take next: If you are interested in more statistics, take Math 253, Applied Multivariate Statistics.

Math 236 Linear Algebra

Topics: Systems of linear equations; matrices, vector spaces, linear independence, dimension, matrix decompositions, linear transformations, eigenvectors, diagonalization; an elegant blend of mathematical computation, theory, abstraction, and application.
Prerequisites: Mathematics 136 or Mathematics 137 or, with permission of instructor, Mathematics 135.
Required for: Math Major, AMS Major.
What to take next: Math 237 Multivariable Calculus, Math 136 Discrete Math, a 300 level math class. It does not matter which you take first, Math 236 or Math 237. They can also be taken concurrently.

Math 237 Multivariable Calculus

Topics: Integration and differentiation of functions of 2 or more variables; applications including optimization and Lagrange multipliers; vector fields, contours, and gradients; parametric equations; line and surface integrals, Green's theorem.
Prerequisites: Math 137 or Math BC with score of 3, 4, 5 or Math IB with score of 6 or 7.
Required for: Math Major, AMS Major.
What to take next: Math 236 Linear Algebra, Math 136 Discrete Math, a 300 level math class. It does not matter which you take first, Math 236 or Math 237. They can also be taken concurrently.

Intro CS Course Descriptions

COMP 120 Computing and Society

Topics: A topics course that introduces students to the field of computing by way of a central theme. Topics vary; offerings include Internet Communities, Robots in the World, and Web Development. Full description given in advance of registration. This course is suitable for students with little or no experience with computing, but it can serve as a starting point for the Computer Science major.

Prerequisites: none.
Counts toward: Math Major, CS Major, Science Division requirement.
What to take next: Comp 124

COMP 121 Introduction to Scientific Programming

Topics: Focuses on the applications of computing in the physical sciences, natural sciences, and other fields such as economics and geography. This would be an ideal first course for students majoring in a scientific or quantitative area. It is also appropriate for potential computer science students who would like their first course to be an introduction to a scientifically-oriented language such as MatLab and its use in solving a range of interesting scientific problems.
Prerequisites: none.
Counts toward: Math Major, CS Major, Science Division requirement.
What to take next: Comp 124

COMP 123 Core Concepts in Computer Science

Topics: Recommended for those who think they may be computer science majors or minors. Comp 123 investigates key ideas that underlie computer science, in the context of multimedia (image, sound, and text) processing and programming robots. Central concepts include the design of algorithms, and the representation of data within a computer.

Prerequisites: none
Counts toward: Math Major, CS Major, Science Division Requirement
What to take next: Comp 124