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Mathematics Placement Procedures

We have created a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding our placement procedure. Most likely you'll find the question to your answer there.
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Seton Hall University has established placement procedures for students taking mathematics courses. The procedures were created to provide students with placement results as early as possible, to place students in mathematics course commensurate with their skill level, and to ensure a level of mathematical proficiency that can be expected from graduates of Seton Hall University.

The Math/CS department places students, in particular incoming freshmen, into categories based on their score in the math portion of their SAT. A student can then take any course within that category or any lower category. The selection of a particular course in a category should be made by the student in conjunction with a Seton Hall advisor/mentor according to the expressed major a student wishes to pursue. A student can place into a higher category by taking the (optional) Mathematics Placement exam. Students are placed into the following categories depending on the score in the math portion of the SAT (mSAT) as follows:

Category mSAT Score Mathematics Courses Allowed
Category I less than 510 Math0012 (Developmental Math, institutional credit only)
Category II between 510 and 580 Any math course up to Math1203 excluding Math1015
Category III between 581 and 680 Any math course up to Math1303
Category IV greater than 680 Any math course up to Math1501 excluding Math1411
Students wishing to take courses in a category higher than that based on their mSAT score must take the (optional) mathematics placement exam. Students can also opt to take preparatory courses at Seton Hall University or elsewhere to satisfy particular prerequisites. This is especially useful for students placed into Developmental Mathematics and for Science majors with a default placement in category II. Please note that science majors need to take at least MATH1015 (category III or IV) as co-requisite for taking most "major" courses.

The Optional Mathematics Placement Test

The Mathematics placement test utilizes the computerized testing program AccuPlacer and consists of two parts: Elementary Algebra and College Level Mathematics. The test can be taken at Seton Hall between April and June or at an appropriate location near you. Students wishing to place into a higher category need to take these placement tests, as well as students without SAT scores (such as International Students). Students who take the placement test are placed into the above categories based on the outcome of the placement test as suggested by the ?Proficiency Statement and Recommended Placements? by The College Board. To find out when and how to take the test, please visit http://studentaffairs.shu.edu/freshmanorientation/ Disclaimer: The sample tests and their answers are provided without any guarantee that the answers are correct, or that the actual AccuPlacer test is indeed similar to the questions listed. They are meant as a "study guide" only.

Advanced Placement

Students with a high level of mathematics preparation may place above Math1401/1501 or receive credit for Math1303 or Math1401/1501 if (a) they passed the AP Calc Exam with the score of 4 or 5, or (b) they passed a ?Project Acceleration High School? Calculus course with an A or B. Please see the Math/CS chairperson if you want to place higher than Math1401/1501.

More Information

For more information about placement testing, please visit http://studentaffairs.shu.edu/freshmanorientation/. To contact the Mathematics and Computer Science Department directly, please call (973) 761-9466 or send electronic mail to mathcs@shu.edu.

Overview of Basic Mathematics Courses

Please note that all course selections should be made in conjunction with a Seton Hall advisor/mentor according to the expressed major a student wishes to pursue. To satisfy prerequisites for a particular course a student could (a) take the course listed as "required" during the summer prior to their first fall semester at Seton Hall University, (b) take an equivalent course at another appropriate institution prior to coming to Seton Hall, or (c) take the Mathematics Placement test.

For a complete list of mathematics courses and their description please refer to the "Undergraduate Course Catalog" or visit the Mathematics and Computer Science Department's web site at http://artsci.shu.edu/mathcs/programs/courses-math-cs.html. In particular, the list below does not include most courses for students majoring in Mathematics or Computer Science.

    CATEGORY I

  • MATH 0012 Developmental Mathematics

    Category II

  • MATH 1014: Intermediate Algebra
  • MATH 1101: Statistical Concepts and Methods
  • MATH 1102: Mathematical Perspectives
  • MATH 1202: Mathematical Models in the Social Sciences
  • MATH 1203: Statistical Models for the Social Sciences

    CATEGORY III

  • MATH 1015: Pre-Calculus Mathematics Algebra and Trigonometry
  • MATH 1303: Quantitative Methods for Business and Economic Students

    CATEGORY IV

  • MATH 1401: Calculus I
  • MATH 1501: Honors Calculus I

Last Modified: October 2004
Maintained by: Math/CS @ SHU.edu (bgw)