Seattle Pacific University Mathematics General Education Requirements

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NOTE: SPU's mathematics requirements have recently undergone some changes, so please read the information below carefully. The requirements for students who entered SPU in the 2009-2010 academic year or earlier are different from the requirements for students who entered SPU in the 2010-2011 academic year or later.

To fulfill the University's graduation requirements, all students (regardless of when you entered SPU) are required to complete a general education mathematics requirement as a part of the exploratory curriculum. Students who entered SPU in the Autumn of 2009 or earlier are required to complete a basic math skills competency requirement in addition to the exploratory curriculum requirement.

Prior to taking any of the mathematics courses for the exploratory curriculum, students must meet certain placement criteria.

Exploratory Curriculum Mathematics Requirement

Five credits in mathematics are required of all baccalaureate degree students. This general education requirement can be met by choosing one of the following:

MAT 1221 Survey of Calculus
MAT 1225 Calculus I (this course has been discontinued)
MAT 1234 Calculus I
MAT 1235 Calculus II
MAT 1360 Introduction to Statistics
MAT 1521 Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics
CSC 1521 Contemporary Math with Computing
MAT 2700 Statistics for Business and Economics
HSC 4044 Biomedical Tests, Measurements, and Statistics
SOC 2360 Intro to Statistics in Social & Behavioral Sciences
PSY 2360 Intro to Statistics in Social & Behavioral Sciences
Alternatively, students can fulfill this requirement by taking both MAT 1560 (Numerical Reasoning) and MAT 2561 (Statistical and Algebraic Reasoning) for a total of 8 credits. These courses are designed for students preparing to become K-8 teachers.

All of these courses are college level mathematics courses which require a certain level of mastery of basic mathematical skills as a prerequisite. See our mathematics placement page for more information about the prerequisites for these courses.

Math Skills Competency Requirement

NOTE: This requirement has been discontinued for new students who entered SPU in the 2010-2011 academic year or later. This information is provided for students who entered SPU in 2009-2010 or earlier and have not yet completed the Math Competency Requirement.

Competency in basic mathematics is essential in our technologically oriented society. All undergraduates who entered SPU in the 2009-2010 academic year or earlier are required to demonstrate competency in basic mathematics in one of the following ways:

Score 500 or more on the quantitative SAT-I exam if taken prior to April 1995.

Score 580 or more on the quantitative SAT-I exam if taken April 1995 or later.

Score 25 or more on the ACT math test.

Transfer in with a C (2.0) or better in MAT 1234, Calculus, or its college level equivalent. (MAT 1221, Survey of Calculus, does not meet this requirement.)

Pass SPU's Mathematics Proficiency Examination (this exam was offered for the last time in Winter 2010)

Complete the required work in Arithmetic Review (MAT 0121-MAT 0125) as revealed by the proficiency test results.

Successfully complete all 5 credits in Arithmetic Review.

The Mathematics Proficiency Examination was offered for the last time ever in Winter 2010. All courses in Arithmetic Review (#6 and #7 above) were discontinued after the Spring 2010 quarter.

Students who did NOT complete one of the items listed above by the end of the 2009-2010 academic year are now required to complete coursework in MAT 0144 and/or MAT 0145. The actual requirement for each student is determined by the student's score on the Mathematics Proficiency Exam along with the number of required credits of Arithmetic Review that were not completed by the end of the spring quarter in 2010. If you are unsure which course(s) you need to take, please contact your academic counselor in Student Academic Services for more information.

Mathematics Department
Seattle Pacific University
3307 Third Avenue West
Seattle, Washington 98119-1997
United States of America