<p>Title is my only question. I've tried to look for an answer on the forums, but the only questions I can find are which engineering majors require the most math. I'm currently a senior in Calc BC, and I have been struggling a bit as a result of not putting my best effort into the class, even though I am still maintaining a solid B. I'm just curious if most engineering majors start with Calc 3, 2, or 1?</p>
<p>Do you mean, once in college?</p>
<p>It depends on how well they know freshman calculus. Many colleges let you start in calculus 3 after a sufficiently high score on the BC test, though you probably want to review your college’s old calculus 1 and 2 final exams before deciding where to start (these are often available by searching on the college’s web site).</p>
<p>Most colleges structure their engineering degree programs to start with calculus 1 (though there are a few exceptions). However, starting in calculus 2 or 3 may be advantageous in giving schedule flexibility with the sequenced prerequisites. Completing calculus 3 before taking the physics course with E&M is also advantageous. But skipping calculus 1 and/or 2 without knowing the material well can cause problems (so check those old final exams before deciding).</p>
<p>Something like this (assuming no AP credits for Calc)</p>
<p>Calc 1>calc2>Calc3
After calc 3, you can go into differential equations (probably ODEs) or linear algebra or the 2 may be combined. </p>
<p>If you get AP credit for Calc AB, you can choose to start at Calc 2 or you can take calc 1 again. If you get AP credit for calc BC, you can start at Calc 3 or choose to take the previous calc courses again.</p>
<p>Calc 2 (BC) was the hardest of the calc courses. Some people have problems with Calc 3 because most of it is in 3-d, which is something you see little of in high school math courses and the previous 2 calc courses. I don’t think there was much that transferred over to calc 3 from calc 2, except for the taylor series, but that was only briefly touched on when i took it.</p>
<p>At the other end of the spectrum, people do start occasionally with less, say pre-calc or Algebra II. It puts the student in a deep hole though because all of the engineering, even the entry level classes, rely on mastery of higher level math. It can and has been done, but the road is longer and harder as you start the engineering sequence a year or more late.</p>
<p>If this is the boat you’re in, think of it like being a student who decided to transfer into engineering as a sophomore. That’s when you’ll start engineering classes.</p>
<p>M</p>
<p>Most engineers start with</p>
<p>Calc 1 then
Calc 2
Calc 3
Differential Equations
after that it depends…!</p>
<p>I’ve also seen some engineers start with pre calc because they believed their calc skills were weak but it required permission from an engineering dean in most cases!</p>
<p>Most people start out with Calc 1 their freshman year.</p>
<p>Calc 1 (differential calculus)
Calc 2 (integral calculus)
Calc 3 (multivariate calculus)</p>
<p>Diff Eq (generally weeds out a lot of engineers…)</p>
<p>Advanced Math (curriculm depends on school; can be linear algebra, complex variables, statistics, etc.)</p>
<p>Starting out with pre-calc is unusual, but not unheard of. Same thing applies to students starting out higher than Calc 1.</p>
<p>It really depends. The weaker ones tend to start college with algebra or pre-calculus, while the average ones tend to start with calculus I. The above average begin with either calculus II or calculus III, while there are very few at the top that have already taken all three calculus courses along with differential equations and linear algebra.</p>
<p>Engineering students who start in precalculus should expect the total time to bachelor’s degree to be more than 8 semesters, since engineering majors tend to have sequenced prerequisites that depend on having calculus 1 finished in the first semester.</p>
<p>Those who need to start in precalculus or previous math may want to consider starting at community college, where extra semesters taking precalculus or previous math are much less expensive at community college than at a four year school. It may take 6 instead of 4 semesters at community college to become junior-transfer-ready, but then the student will be able to complete the degree in 4 more semesters at a four year school. I.e. 10 total semesters, but the extra 2 semesters are at inexpensive community college instead of expensive four year school.</p>
<p>At our state university the basic math sequence for all engineering students includes: CalcI, CalcII, CalcIII, Linear Algebra, Vector Geometry, Differential Equations, and a Statistics course. I haven’t seen a freq chart showing how many students begin with Calc I versus II or III. The university assumes that you will start with Calc I and Linear Algebra. Those who are confident in their knowlege of Calculus and have AP credit may start in Calc II or III. Your choice if you have credit.</p>
<p>Dont be afraid of Math…my school in order to major in Eng or BME (Bio-Medical Eng), you need to take: Calc 1,2,3, Applied Math (Diff. Equation). Math is the foundation of any Engineering majors.</p>
<p>Just about all engineering majors are based on the incoming Freshman starting with Calculus I…if planning to graduate in 4 years. Depending on the school, I can make a case for the computer science student being able to start with Pre-Calculus and still graduating in 4 years, since most CS programs nowadays only require:</p>
<p>Calculus I
Calculus II
Linear Algebra
Discrete Math/Discrete Structures
Probability and Statistics (only some schools)</p>
<p>The reason that starting at Pre-Calculus won’t hinder many CS majors and most schools is because there are not as many upper-level courses that require Calculus III. Differential Equations and Physics I/II as prereqs. That allows some CS majors to delay Physics to junior year…unless the College of Engineering requires one or both Physics courses taken before 60 credits.</p>
<p>Part of the reason that starting in precalculus is less likely to delay a CS major’s graduation is that CS is less likely to have a long sequence of prerequisites that some engineering majors have starting with calculus 1. For example, an engineering major may have a critical 7-semester long prerequisite sequence starting with calculus 1*; starting in precalculus leaves no room for error and forces the student to back-load more advanced courses that may be difficult to cram into the last few semesters (especially if some are only offered once per year instead of every semester). CS majors’ longest prerequisite sequences are likely to be shorter, and may only really depend on CS courses and discrete math, rather than calculus 1.</p>
<p>*Starting in a more advanced course can shave a semester off the engineering student’s long sequence, allowing for a bit more “breathing room” in scheduling.</p>
<p>As others have said, it all depends.</p>
<p>At my school, the breakdown is something like this (just based on what I’ve seen - I don’t have any official statistics and I’m not sure if they even exist):</p>
<p>Calc 1: 25%
Calc 2: 25%
Calc 3: 30%
DiffEq or Linear Algebra: 5%
More advanced or None: 15%</p>
<p>At lesser ranked schools (as a proxy for “easier to get into”) or schools where the introductory math classes are more rigorous there will probably be a greater portion starting in Calc 1 or 2 and lesser above. There aren’t many schools that are simultaneously both greater ranked but with similar or less rigor in the introductory math classes as my school has, so there probably aren’t many schools where the skew is higher toward greater completion of intro math. </p>
<p>It’s hard to say how your grade will translate into an AP score. You probably don’t even have a good sense of it. But it’s absolutely that a B or even a C could translate into a 5 on the AP test which should be adequate for starting in Calc 3. Even if not, my school (like most) only assumes preparation sufficient for Calc 1. You should not encounter trouble from being behind in math.</p>
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<p>I went to a top 5 undergraduate engineering school and the plurality of freshman engineers started in Calc 1, a large percentage in Calc 2 and relatively few in Calc 3. In other words, your generalization probably doesn’t hold. It is probably more related to how strict said schools are with awarding AP credits and the general population toward whom the school typically draws (i.e. a school with a fairly affluent student body is more likely to be getting students from schools that offered lots of AP classes).</p>
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<p>It could be that your school’s introductory math classes were more rigorous and thus further encouraged students to start in Calc 1. </p>
<p>But my school has a fairly affluent student body as well, so that makes sense. The vast majority of students here went to schools that at least offered Calc BC whether they took it or not.</p>
<p>Yeah my high school didn’t offer it. Just AB.</p>