UHM students are required to take an approved course to satisfy the Symbolic Reasoning Requirement. The approved mathematics courses are Math 100, 112, 140, 203, 215, 241, and 251A. These mathematics courses are described below. The University Catalog maintains the official list of all courses by all departments that are currently approved to satisfy the Symbolic Reasoning Requirement.
An assessment exam is required for students who wish to enroll in Math 140, 203, 215, 241, or 251A. The exam is waived for certain students; go to the Mathematics Department’s website for details. The exam consists of two parts. A score of 14 in Part I suffices to get approval for Math 140 or Math 203, or to go on to Part II. In Part II, a score of at least 10 is required to obtain approval for Math 215, 12 for Math 241, and 14 and consent for Math 251A.
The scores mentioned are the minimum required. In order to enroll in the appropriate course, your score, previous math experience, and intended major should be taken into consideration.
Math 140, 203, 215, 241, 242, 243, 251A, 252A, and 253A are restricted courses and all students must obtain approval from the mathematics department prior to registering.
Math 100: Survey of Mathematics, 3 credits.
No prerequisite. This class
covers selected topics designed to acquaint nonspecialists with examples of
mathematical reasoning. It is neither a prerequisite nor a preparation for other
courses offered by the Mathematics Department.
Math 112: Math for Elementary Teachers II,
3 credits. Prerequisite:
Math 111. This course covers
symmetry, classification of figures, metric geometry, coordinate geometry,
probability, statistics, and data analysis.
This is the second course in a sequence for prospective elementary
majors.
Math 140:
Precalculus,
3 credits. Prerequisites:
2 years of high school algebra, 1 year of plane geometry, and assessment
exam. This course provides an
introduction to functions:
polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic, and the trigonometric, as
well as inverse functions. Further
topics are trigonometric identities, trigonometry, analytic geometry and conic
sections.
Math 203:
Calculus for Business & the Social Sciences, 3 credits.
Prerequisites: 2 years of
high school algebra, 1 year of plane geometry, and assessment exam.
This course is a non-trig based introduction to differential and integral
calculus. Applications will be
chosen from business and the social sciences.
Math 203 satisfies one requirement for students applying to the
Math 215:
Applied Calculus I, 4 credits.
Prerequisites: a grade of C-
or better in Math 140, or assessment exam.
This course is an introduction to calculus especially intended for
students majoring in the life sciences, such as biology, botany, microbiology
and zoology. It is recommended that
BA life science majors take Math 215 to satisfy their one-semester calculus
requirement and that BS life science majors take the sequence Math 215/216 to
satisfy their two-semester calculus requirement.
Math 215 is also an appropriate course for students in pre-med, pre-vet,
pre-dental, or other programs with a one-semester calculus requirement.
Math 241:
Calculus I,
4 credits. Prerequisites:
a grade of C- or better in Math 140 or assessment exam.
This is the first course in the standard trig-based calculus sequence
Math 241/242/243/244 for engineers, science and mathematics majors.
It is also the standard introduction for students who want to study the
calculus for its own sake.
Math 251A:
Accelerated Calculus I,
4 credits. Prerequisites:
a grade of A in
Math 140 or assessment exam and consent.
This is an accelerated version of Math 241, designed for academically
stronger students. The sequence of
Math 251A/252A/253A covers the material in the standard calculus sequence in
three semesters instead of four.
To acquaint yourself with the math assessment exam, go to assessment exam.
Rev. 05/08