All students should be enrolled in one of these math courses for the fall semester.
- MA 141 – Calculus I – 4 credit hours
- MA 241 – Calculus II – 4 credit hours
- MA 242 – Calculus III – 4 credit hours
Of these three courses, only the first two in the math sequence are required to begin the CODA application process.
- MA 141 – Calculus I
- MA 241 – Calculus II
Students must complete these math courses with a grade of C or better to receive credit and advance toward acceptance into an engineering department.
Placement
The Department of Mathematics requires that all students demonstrate their math proficiency before being allowed to enroll in a math course at NC State.
If you do not have a math indicator, you will not be allowed to register for a math course. This could result in a math placement not representative of your ability. Also, a delayed math indicator may hinder and confound your fall registration process.
Students may demonstrate proficiency with the following math indicators.
- College Board AP Calculus exam scores or IB HL exam scores
- Transferable math credits that satisfy the necessary prerequisites
- The ALEKS Placement Assessment from NC State’s Department of Mathematics
ALEKS Placement Assessment
Your placement result (overall score) is a number between 0 and 100. It represents the percentage of topics ALEKS believes that you have mastered.
Math 111
Entry into MA 111 Precalculus is allowed with any placement assessment score. MA 111 is the prerequisite for MA 141 Calculus I. Students with scores 0-75 may enroll in MA 111, but the Math Department recommends scores of 61-75 for enrollment in MA 111.
For a greater chance of success in MA 111, we encourage you to study the ALEKS Prep and Learning Modules to your boost knowledge and increase your score to the recommended range of 61-75. Additionally, these modules may help you boost your score to the 76-100 range, which would then allow you to bypass MA 111 and add MA 141 Calculus I to your fall schedule. You may take the ALEKS Placement Assessment up to four times.
It is NOT recommended to enroll in MA 107; EFY students earn less than a 76 on the exam are encouraged to enroll in MA 111 and continue to review the ALEKS placement Prep & Learning Modules.
Math 141
Students with scores of 76-100 are permitted to enroll in MA 141 Calculus I. This is the highest math course the Math Department’s ALEKS Placement Assessment will allow you to enroll in.
Students may also enroll in MA 141 with the following math indicators:
- Transferrable credit for the equivalent of either MA 108 or MA 111 Precalculus
You may also decline the higher placement and enroll in the lower-level math course, which is MA 111 Precalculus.
Math 241
Students may enroll in MA 241 Calculus II with the following math indicators:
- Score of 4 or higher on the AP Calclulus AB exam
- Score of 3 or higher on the AP Calclulus BC exam
- Transferrable credit for the equivalent of MA 141 Calculus I
Students with the above math indicators have earned credit for MA 141 Calculus I, which allows them to enroll in MA 241, Calculus II. You may also decline the higher placement and retake MA 141 in the fall.
Math 242
Students may enroll in MA 242 Calculus III with the following math indicators:
- Score of 4 or higher on the AP Calclulus BC exam
- Transferrable credit for the equivalent of MA 241 Calculus II
Students with the above math indicators have earned credit for both MA 141 Calculus I and MA 241 Calculus II, which allows them to enroll in MA 242 Calculus III. You may also decline the higher placement and retake a lower-level math course in the fall.
CODA
Basic facts about CODA credentials:
- CODA credentials are ONLY used internally by the College of Engineering for your CODA application
- They are NOT factored into your overall GPA at NC State
- They are NOT visible on your official transcript
- Therefore, think of them as “pretend” or “stand-in” grades
The letter grades you earn in MA 141 Calculus I and MA 241 Calculus II are part of your CODA GPA. The best grade, of no more than two attempts, will be used when calculating your CODA GPA.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credits for MA 141 or MA 241 are shown only as credit hours, and letter grades earned elsewhere are not included in calculating your cumulative GPA at NC State. However, for the purpose of CODA, and only for that purpose, the college will use the letter grade that you earned elsewhere as a CODA credential in calculating your CODA GPA. Comparable grades for each score or transfer equivalence are displayed in the column for CODA credentials in the Math Placement Chart.
For example, if you earned a grade of B in a MA 141 Calculus I equivalent at your community college, then that grade of B will have no effect on your cumulative GPA at NC State, but that grade of B will have an effect your CODA GPA because it will be used in the CODA GPA calculation for the CODA application.
AP Exams
If you are using your AP Calculus AB or BC exam to receive credit for MA 141 or MA 241, CODA credentials (comparable, pretend grades) will be used to calculate your CODA GPA for these classes. Comparable grades for each score or transfer equivalence are displayed in the column for CODA credentials in the Math Placement Chart.
For example, if you earned a score of 4 on the AP Calculus AB exam, then a CODA credential equivalent to a grade of B will be factored into your CODA GPA calculation for MA 141. Again, this will have no effect on your cumulative GPA at NC State.