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 either 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.