Math
All Engineering students, regardless of Engineering major, will be expected to complete Math coursework through Calculus IV (Math 254) as part of their engineering degree. Most engineering majors will require some level of math coursework beyond this. Math is a fundamental tool used by engineers to analyze and solve problems. Therefore, it is important that engineering students have a solid math foundation. All engineering students should expect to take a math course their first quarter and continue to do so until completion of the sequence. The math course that the student will take Autumn quarter will be based on the student’s math placement, which is determined either by the results of their placement exam or the examination (AP, IB)/transfer credit that a student has earned.
The review and application of credit to students’ records is administered by the Office of Testing. Information regarding the equivalency of examination credit (AP, IB, EM tests) can be found in the Credit by examination packet 
. Students who took credit exams prior to formally applying to OSU (freshman, sophomore, or junior year of HS) should contact the Office of Testing to confirm that the scores have been properly applied to the students’ record.
Students who have questions about their math placement level will be given the opportunity to consult with Math Counselors from the Department of Mathematics during orientation. These professionals can assist students with making decisions regarding where to begin in a math sequence or address any other math-related concerns. Students should wait until orientation to address these concerns.
Any questions regarding math placement, credit for math courses, or assistance with determining a student’s placement level should always be directed to the Department of Mathematics.
Math as a prerequisite
In addition to being a core requirement for an engineering degree, math is also a pre-requisite for other core courses (Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering). A student’s math placement will determine his/her eligibility to register for these courses during orientation. Therefore, it is important that all students complete the online math assessment prior to attending orientation, even if the student expects to receive credit via examination or transfer credit. Additionally, students should bring copies of any examination results or transcripts that can verify students’ receipt of course credit. In certain cases, complications with the sending and receipt of credit information could prevent a student from being able to register for the appropriate courses. Having a copy of this information at orientation will help to alleviate this problem.
