Which Pathway To Choose

For students who plan to transfer to a four-year university, the transfer-level course you need depends on which subject you want to major in and which schools you're considering transferring to. 

If your educational goals do not involve transferring to a four-year university, please check the math requirements for your program and/or speak with a counselor for more help in selecting a math class.

Math Course Eligibility

Below are suggestions of math courses to take based on your major. It is extremely important to make sure that the transfer-level math class you choose to take will satisfy the transfer requirements designated by your choice of major and transfer institution. This information can be found on ASSIST.org, but that website can be difficult to navigate, so it’s best to discuss this with a counselor.

This is the pathway for students who only need to satisfy a general education math requirement for their major. This is typically students who want to major in arts, cultural studies, English, foreign languages, and other majors that do not require more specific math classes, such as Statistics or Calculus.

To fulfill this requirement, most students take MATH 70, LALS 5, or PSYC 5.

Liberal Arts Math Pathway

All students are eligible for MATH 70 - Liberal Arts Math (3 units).

Consider enrolling in the Online Math Lab Canvas shell to gain access to online review resources!

This is the pathway for students who need to take MATH 80 - Probability and Statistics to satisfy the math requirement for their major. This is typically for students who want to major in anthropology, political science, psychology, sociology, and other social sciences*.

  • MATH 80 and MATH 108 both meet the UC and CSU Math general education requirements.
  • To fulfill this requirement, most students take MATH 80, ECON 5, LALS 5, PSYC 5, or MATH 108.

Statistics Eligibility

High School GPA Course(s) to Start With
GPA 3.0 or higher
GPA 2.0 to 2.9
  • Option 1 (Recommended):
    • MATH 80 - Probability and Statistics(5 units) AND
    • MATH 80S - Support for Probability and Statistics (2 units)
  • Option 2: MATH 80 - Probability and Statistics (5 units)
  • Option 3: MATH 108 - Foundations of Data Science (5 units)
GPA less than 2.3
  • Option 1 (Recommended): 
    • MATH 80 - Probability and Statistics (5 units) AND
    • MATH 80S** - Support for Probability and Statistics (2 units)
  • Option 2: MATH 108*** - Foundations of Data Science (5 units)

Also, note that some students may satisfy their statistics requirement by taking one of the following:

  • PSYC 5 - Psych Statistics
  • ECON 5 - Introductory Statistics
  • LALS 5 - Introduction to Statistical Methods in Latin American and Latino/a Studies.

All students are eligible for PSYC 5, ECON 5, and LALS 5 regardless of their high school performance. Consider enrolling in the Online Math Lab Canvas shell to gain access to online review resources!

*Some majors that require a statistics class will also require that you take a calculus class like MATH 110A or MATH 100A or MATH 75. Some examples of these majors are Accounting, Business, and Finance. Be sure to speak to a counselor to understand the requirements associated with your particular major.

**Students with a GPA less than 2.3 are not eligible for MATH 80 without concurrent enrollment in MATH 80S.

*** Students with a GPA less than 2.3 that have some experience with computer programming are encouraged to enroll in MATH 108.

This is the pathway for students who need to take MATH 90 - Precalculus Algebra or a higher-level class to satisfy the math requirement for their major. This is typically for students who want to major in the physical sciences, data science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students who are interested in Data Science are encouraged to take Math 108.

Placement into Calculus

Placement directly into Calculus requires a high school GPA of at least 3.2 and two semesters of passing grades in high school Precalculus (the second-semester grade must be C or higher). If a student does not meet these requirements, then they are required to complete the prerequisites (MATH 98 or MATH 90+MATH 95) to become eligible for Calculus.

The following are the official placement rules and recommendations to help students choose a course:

High School Performance Course(s) to Start With
GPA 3.2 or higher AND two semesters of passing grades in High School precalculus
  • Option 1: MATH 100A* - Short Calculus 1 (3 units)
  • Option 2: MATH 110A - Calculus 1 (5 units)

GPA 3.4 or higher OR

GPA 2.6 or higher AND enrolled in a high school Calculus Course
  • Option 1: MATH 90 - Precalculus Algebra (5 units)
  • Option 2 (not UC Transferable): MATH 95** - Trigonometry (3 units)
  • Option 3 (not UC Transferable): MATH 98 - Precalculus and Trigonometry (7 units)
  • Option 4: MATH 75 - Mathematical Analysis for Business (3 units)
GPA 2.6 or higher OR enrolled in HS Precalculus
  • Option 1 (Recommended): MATH 90+90S - Precalculus Algebra with support (8 units)
  • Option 2: MATH 90 - Precalculus Algebra (5 Units)
  • Option 3: (not UC Transferable): MATH 95** - Trigonometry (3 units) 
  • Option 4: (not UC Transferable): MATH 98 - Precalculus and Trigonometry (7 units)
  • MATH 75 - Mathematical Analysis for Business (3 units)
GPA less than 2.6 OR no high school precalculus
  • Option 1: MATH 90+90S*** - Precalculus Algebra with support (8 units)
  • Option 2 (Coming Soon!): MATH 75+75S - Mathematical Analysis for Business with Support (5 units)

Check out the Algebra Bridge in the Online Math Lab if you would like to strengthen your Algebra skills!

*Most majors that require calculus will require MATH 110A, not MATH 100A. Majors that accept MATH 100A include Biology and Environmental Science. Check with a counselor or the Math Advisor about which calculus class is right for you!

**You are advised to take MATH 90 before or concurrently with, MATH 95

***Not eligible for MATH 95 or MATH 75 or MATH 90 without support.

Support Planning Your Math Classes

It is extremely important to make sure that the transfer-level math class you choose to take will satisfy the transfer requirements designated by your choice of major and transfer institution. If you know what you want to major in and which schools you're considering for transfer, you can look up your requirements via ASSIST.org or you can go to one of the following places on campus for assistance:

  • Meet with the Math Advisor Lily Lum for help in choosing a math class.
  • Speak with a counselor with questions about signing up for courses.
  • Visit the Transfer Center in Science Hall 132 to learn more about transfer requirements and major preparation.