Department of Mathematics

There is no university requirement that you take a math class, although Brandeis does require at least one semester of course work from the School of Science. However, many students choose to take a math course out of interest or need to take one to satisfy another department's requirements. Departments that require their majors to take a math class include Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Economics, and Neuroscience. Details can be found on each department's website.

The Math Department offers tutoring for both calculus courses and for upper-level math classes. Here is the current schedule.

It is essential that you enroll in a math class at the right level, so you should take one of the math department's placement exams. The placement exams are available online. If you have any questions about the calculus placement exam, contact Professor Rebecca Torrey. If you have any questions about the MATH 22a placement exam, contact Professor Bong Lian.

In order to switch sections of Math 10a/10b/5a, see this page for complete instructions.

Yes, but you should still take one of our placement exams (see above). Be sure to consult the registrar’s information on AP, IB and other transfer credit.

Note: Some departments that require a math course do not accept AP credit for their requirement. Always check individual department web sites for requirements.

The majority of medical schools have no math requirement, but some require one semester of calculus and a few (3 or 4) require two semesters. The safest choice is to take one semester of calculus and another semester of college mathematics. Statistics is often the best choice for the second course. There are a number of statistics courses available at Brandeis: MATH 8a, BIOL 51a, PSYC 51a, ECON 83a, MATH 36a. In general, it's fine to use AP credit for one of your math classes if you are premed.

Requirements for other health professions schools vary. For more information, visit the Academic Services website. If you have more questions, contact Katie Stutz in the Office of Academic Services. You can also contact Professor Rebecca Torrey in the math department.

To view the list of math courses that fulfill Foundational Literacy Requirements, view the Requirements for the Major in the University Bulletin (scroll down toward the bottom of the page, just before the section on "Math Cross Listed").