As far as I know, no one actually takes the CS major plan seriously - most people I know took Math 54 by the end of their freshman year, and everyone took 61A their first semester. I’d take Math 1B your first semester, maybe your second, especially since you’re likely to be taking 61B and 70 your second semester, which are both considered time-consuming courses.
Is it okay for incoming freshman planning on PreMed with Anthropology Major to register Math 16A during Phase 2?. Planning to register for Chem 1A, Chem 1AL, and Anthro 2AC during Phase 1. Should I go for Math 16A for Phase 1 and wait on Anthro 2AC for Phase II? Planning to take either Anthro 1 or Psych 2 for fourth class in Phase II. Have plenty of AP credits - AP Calc AB, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature, AP English Language, AP Spanish Language, AP Macro Economics, AP Government, AP US History, AP World History, AP Human Geo.
How hard is it to get the math classes? Like math53, math54, stats20, stats 21, etc. if you are a first semester freshman will you be able to enroll in one of those courses
@sadsenior - In general for freshmen in lower-div math, if you phase-1 the class you should be able to get the better professor (there are generally multiple professors teaching those courses every semester) and/or a decent discussion section time, and if you phase-2 the class you should be able to get in, though perhaps with a bad professor/section time.
Though that was based on the old system of freshmen doing their phase-1 enrollment at CalSO, which is now gone, so perhaps it’ll be a bit different this fall. Bottom line is, you should be able to get into those courses.
how theory-based (vs. like, practicality based) is Math 54 (specifically the linear algebra portions)? (aka is there actual math or will half the tests be on what spans and basises are)
also the math department recognizes california community college credit for mvc/math 53 right
Description of Math 54:
https://math.berkeley.edu/courses/choosing/lowerdivcourses/math54
Old exams:
https://math.berkeley.edu/courses/archives/exams/math-54
For community college articulation, see http://www.assist.org .
Do we need a 4 or 5 to skip out of math 1b? This post says a 5 but the uc berkeley website says 4 or 5
It depends on your major.
The College of Chemistry and some College of Letters and Science majors like math, L&S CS, statistics, and economics require a 5 on BC to waive Math 1B.
The College of Engineering allows a 4 on BC to waive Math 1B (though it says that “Students with a score of 4 should complete Math 1B” at http://engineering.berkeley.edu/2016-17-undergraduate-guide/2016-17-exams-ap-ib-level-and-transfer-credit-information#apexam-note6 ).
Could someone explain the differences between CS 70, EE 16A, and Math 54? As someone who took a high school Multivariable and Diff Eq class (not that I want to skip these classes, just that I’ll have prior knowledge for them), which course should I take alongside CS 61A?
@inLimboWithLife I’d guess Math 54, because Differential Equations won’t cover it. But I know nothing.
My question: How dead will I be if I take Math 1B and Stat 20 at the same time?
First semester of freshman year. I got 5 on Calc BC, took Calc 3 and Differential Equations, never took Statistics, also taking Chem 1A/L (also got 5 on AP), and History of Hollywood.
If you took calculus 3 and differential equations at a college while in high school, why would you want to take Math Math 1B?
5 on BC = Math 1A and 1B (except the introductory differential equations)
calculus 3 = Math 53
differential equations = Math 1B (introductory differential equations) and part of Math 54
So you could take Math 54 to learn the linear algebra content of that course (and see the differential equations again as review).
Also, why would you take Chemistry 1A/1AL if you earned a 5 on the AP test?
@ucbalumnus Double major. Bio and Econ. Biology needs 2 semesters of math, including calculus and statistics. Econ requires Stat20. Neither needs Math 54, so I figured I’d take something easier, as a grade booster, so Math 1B, why not. Pre-med so I need to retake Chem.
That was actually a while ago. Couldn’t get into History of Hollywood or Stat 20, so ended up taking Math 1B (A+), PACS 100 (Philosophy P), History of the Celebrity (History A-), and Chem 1A/L (B+. Stupid semester. New teachers. Random level of difficulty midterms. 89.3%). I was pretty relaxed. Probably could have taken Stat 20 instead of one of the breadths and been fine.
So what would be a good combo of CS/EE/Math classes to take as a freshman L&S CS intent?
Background - my kid got a 5 on Calc BC as a junior, didn’t take Multivariate this year as a senior and is leaning towards taking Math 1B as grade booster/refresher. Also he should be able to articulate out of CS61B since he’s taken the classes at CC.
So CS61A and Math 1B for first semester, and CS 70 and EE16A for spring semester? Does CS 70 have a pre-req? Is that a decent load for the technical classes? Or do people load up more as a freshman? (Also keeping in mind about qualifying for the CS major with the mimimum 3.3). I’m pretty sure my kid will do 16 units per semester. Also, is Math 54 better than EE16A? I’ve heard people say that Math 54 offers more flexibility in case one decides to do a different major.
Getting off topic, any other decent classes to take as a freshman? Unless my kid gets a 5 on his AP Lit, he’ll have to take some R1B class. He’s already taken his Biological and Art breadths in CC.
Suggest trying the old Math 1B final exams; if he knows the calculus and series material well, no need to take Math 1B, but he probably wants to self-study the beginning differential equations material that will be used in EE 16A or 16B or Math 54.
The catalog prerequisite for CS 70 is “Sophomore mathematical maturity, and programming experience equivalent to that gained in 3 or the Advanced Placement Computer Science A course”, which a student who has completed the equivalent of CS 61B and Math 1B should fulfill.
Math 54 is not mutually exclusive to EE 16A. If he is interested in other math-based majors (or just more elective courses) like math, statistics, economics, or physics, he may want to take Math 53 and/or 54.
For an R&C B course, there are many options in the various humanities and social studies departments. Choose based on subject interest (some departments post instructors’ reading lists and themes on their web sites).
For other courses, it depends on his interests.
@ucbalumnus What would be a good sequence of courses for a freshman in theoretical (not applied) math, coming with the following courses already done:
AP Calculus BC - 5;
AP Statistics - 5;
non-degree enrolled student at:
Community College course “Vector Calculus”
Community College course “Ordinary Differential Equations”
4-year University course “Linear Algebra”
4-year University course “Complex Analysis”
4-year University course “Probability”
4-year University course “Deterministic Operations Research”
4-year University course “Advanced Math Statistics”
(I know the educational path is unusual here)
When should the discussions of the courses to take will happen? Will he be able to enroll in high level courses?
Thank you!
Re: #94, @ElenaParent
If the community college is in California, use http://www.assist.org to check equivalency of those courses.
If not, and for the four year school courses, you would need the math and statistics departments to evaluate course equivalency for transfer credit.
Here are some possible equivalencies, but note that content may not be identical, and some courses may go into more or less depth or emphasis on proofs:
Community College course “Vector Calculus” – MATH 53
Community College course “Ordinary Differential Equations” – part of MATH 54
4-year University course “Linear Algebra” – part of MATH 54 (may be MATH 110 if heavily proof-based)
4-year University course “Complex Analysis” – MATH 185, but the UCB course is more proof oriented and has MATH 104 (real analysis) as a prerequisite
4-year University course “Probability” – STAT 134 (calculus prerequisite)
4-year University course “Deterministic Operations Research” – probably something in IND ENG
4-year University course “Advanced Math Statistics” – STAT 135 (prerequisites are STAT 134 and linear algebra)
http://guide.berkeley.edu/courses/math/
http://guide.berkeley.edu/courses/stat/
What the student should do is bring the course descriptions, syllabi, textbook lists, and exams for the courses completed to the math and statistics departments for evaluation of subject credit and placement. The student can also check the old exams of the UCB courses to see how well the courses taken cover the material expected in the UCB courses.
https://tbp.berkeley.edu/courses/
If the student intends to major in math, here is the math department’s information page:
https://math.berkeley.edu/programs/undergraduate/majoring-mathematics
Given the previously completed courses, the student’s first semester math courses presumably would include MATH 55 (discrete math), since it would not duplicate previous courses and is needed for the math major. If the previously completed linear algebra course more like part of MATH 54 than MATH 110, then MATH 110 or H110 (honors version) would be a good second math course for first semester, based on the department’s recommendation of it as the first upper division math course. Other options include MATH 113, 104, or 128A, although the department says that 104 is relatively difficult and best done later (after other proof-based courses).
Of course, the student should also consider other courses that may be of interest, and/or which may be needed to fulfill other requirements.
Thank you, @ucbalumnus ! When should the evaluation of courses already taken take place? Will there be enough time to register for the proper further courses, given that the courses he needs will be filling up by the upperclassmen, may be before he has the right to register as a freshman, doesn’t have the proper standing (prerequisite requirements may not be fully documented, etc.)? Is there any way to show competence in some prerequisites (those that he doesn’t have the proof for) via placement exams? And the last question (we had conflicting info on that one). Is it possible to be enrolled in both BS and MS programs at the same time? The deal is that, it seems, he may be done with the math requirements of BS degree before he is done with the general education requirements, and he will need courses in math to fill the gaps between general education reqs… May be at the same time he can be making progress towards MS?
And thank you! You are such a great source of information!
We are not in California. We are from Virginia. The boy just turned 15…
It may be better for him to contact the math department directly now to start the process of transfer credit evaluation rolling, or at least figure out when to do it. He can also try the old final exams to compare his knowledge versus that expected by the UCB courses.
In terms of course selection, some choices need not require exact determination of prerequisite fulfillment (from what I understand, course prerequisites are not enforced anyway by the registration system, unless that has been changed, although the registration system can enforce restrictions by major, class standing, and class level; see https://math.berkeley.edu/courses/enrollment/enrollment-scheduling ). For example, here are some listed prerequisites:
MATH 55: “Mathematical maturity appropriate to a sophomore math class.”
MATH 110, H110, 113, H113: “54 or a course with equivalent linear algebra content”
With respect to degree programs, https://math.berkeley.edu/programs/undergraduate describes the BA program, and https://math.berkeley.edu/programs/graduate/masters-program describes the MA program. There is no information on the possibility of a coterminal BA/MA, so he would need to ask directly. In any case, advanced undergraduates in math do take graduate level math courses and join research groups.
Thank you @ucbalumnus. Your information is very helpful. We did fly to Berkeley, and even there it took a lot of time to figure out what the process for transfer credit is. Apparently, there is a “blue form” to fill out, attach to it the course description, and preferably bring the book, and then Professor Gu considers it. He does only lower division evaluation. For the upper division courses, there is a whole group of several professors who have the right of the signature, and the group is different for pure and applied math. Also, the courses that are apparently from STAT - have to be evaluated at the Department of Statistics (like you said earlier), but I did not get to the place where I can figure out what the equivalent of the “blue form” is there. I will keep working on it remotely (we flue to Berkeley for one day only)
As for the MA program information - you happened to be the only one who pointed me in the right direction. Everyone else I saw gave vague answers - may be because they were all from the administration of BA program…
Thank you again!
Could you maybe add some information on the Introduction to Statistics courses as well? I’m going to need one of them as a incoming Econ transfer and having some insight from someone used to the Berkeley math department would be really helpful!