How Far in Math Does One Go?

<p>Hi, I am in high school and will have taken Calc 3 by the time I graduate. How much further in math would I have to go in order to get a degree in Chemical Engineering or Electrical Engineering? Thanks.</p>

<p>“Normal” sequence for engineers is:</p>

<p>Freshman year: calculus (AP Calculus BC approximates it at most universities)
Sophomore year: multivariable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations</p>

<p>“Calc 3” is normally used to refer to multivariable calculus, at least at semester schools. So if you have taken calculus and multivariable calculus, the remaining math requirements for an engineering major will be linear algebra and differential equations (typically combined in a semester course, or two quarter courses).</p>

<p>Note that the freshman and sophomore math courses are prerequisites or corequisites for the usual physics sequence for engineering students (in particular, electricity and magnetism uses multivariable calculus). These math courses should be available at community colleges if you wish to take them.</p>

<p>At some super-elite science and engineering schools, the freshman and sophomore level math courses are accelerated (e.g. one year of calculus in one semester) or contain substantially more theory than at most universities (some other universities offer honors versions with more theory). In these cases, AP or community college credit may not be accepted as equivalent, but it would be best to have those courses anyway before taking the accelerated, extra theory, or honors versions.</p>

<p>In electrical engineering, courses in signals and systems, advanced electromagnetic waves, etc. may introduce additional math concepts. If you wander into computer science or engineering, there is also discrete math and computer theory (algorithms and complexity) that is very much like math. But most of these courses (except maybe for discrete math) are junior or senior level courses that you won’t find at the local community college.</p>

<p>In some cases, a statistics course may be required. If so, the requirement for engineering majors is likely to be for a calculus-based statistics course, which is only sometimes found at a community college (AP statistics is not calculus-based).</p>

<p>At the school I will attend engineers are required to take Calc I, Calc II, Calc III, and Differential Equations. Linear algebra and others are not required, merely recommended for various instances. </p>

<p>Certain majors need other math, though. I know industrial works with matrices and many use basic statistics.</p>

<p>I was EE my freshman year (now I’m CompE), so I know the requirements.</p>

<p>Calc I (and Precalc if you don’t have high enough test scores or AP credit)
Calc II
Calc II
Differential Equations
Engineering computational methods
Engineering Statistics (calculus-based)</p>

<p>And that’s all I can remember off the top of my head. I know that the programming classes are all entirely math-based, though you don’t need any as an EE.</p>

<p>ChemE student here. We are required to take Calc 1, 2, and 3 along with differential equations and a general stats/probability course.</p>

<p>One does not simply walk into math class</p>

<p>^ Hahaha! I wasn’t expecting that nukewarm. It made me lol.</p>

<p>EE here. At my school:</p>

<p>Calc I-III
DiffEQ
Engineering Math (a blend that combines linear/matrix algebra, transforms, some other random advanced topics that may come up in other classes, beginning of PDE’s, etc)
Probability & Statistics for Engineers.</p>

<p>All at my engineering take
Calc I-III
DiffEQ
And a quarter of Vector Calc</p>

<p>what about complex analysis for ee?</p>

<p>Complex analysis for EE will typically be taught in junior or senior level EE courses; the junior or senior level math courses on the subject will typically not be required for EE majors.</p>

<p>In other words, you will likely be taking additional “math” courses, but they will be courses in the EE department focusing on math topics applied to EE, not general or pure math courses in the math department.</p>