Math Requirements
All students must complete one Quantitative Reasoning course to satisfy the Liberal Arts 1 requirement of the Core Curriculum. Students can choose to satisfy the Liberal Arts 3 requirement with a Quantitative Reasoning course or a Science and Technology course. Credit by examination (AP, IB, or Notre Dame credit exam) cannot be used to satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Core requirement.
Any student can take an appropriate non-calculus course or first-semester calculus course. Students can only take a second- or third-semester calculus course or other upper-level math courses if they have taken the pre-requisite course at Notre Dame or have credit by examination or transfer credit for the equivalent of the pre-requisite course. Notre Dame does not have a placement exam for math.
Click here for an explanation of the different levels of calculus offered at Notre Dame.
Students pursuing majors in some of the Colleges and Schools are required to take math courses during the first year as outlined below. Credit by examination and transfer credit can be used to satisfy these requirements. Courses taken to satisfy college or major math requirements can usually be used to satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Core requirement.
If you are deciding between two majors that have different math requirements, you should take the higher level math course.
School of Architecture
Architecture requires one semester of calculus (MATH 10250 or higher) in the first semester. Many students choose to take MATH 10270 (Mathematics in Architecture) in the second semester.
College of Arts and Letters
Most majors in Arts and Letters do not require specific math courses. Students in these majors can take a Quantitative Reasoning course of their choosing. This Quantitative Reasoning course does not have to be taken during the first year.
Some Arts and Letters majors require specific math courses be taken during the first year:
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Arts and Letters Pre-Health: Two semesters of calculus (MATH 10350 and MATH 10360 are recommended)
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Economics: Two semesters of calculus (MATH 10350 and MATH 10360 or MATH 10550 and MATH 10560)
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Honors Mathematics: Two semesters of calculus (MATH 10850 and MATH 10860)
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Neuroscience and Behavior: Two semesters of calculus (MATH 10350 and MATH 10360 are recommended)
The Economics, Psychology, and Sociology majors require upper-level statistics courses that can satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Core requirement. The Philosophy major requires an upper-level course in logic that can satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Core requirement. These courses are usually taken after the first year.
Mendoza College of Business
Mendoza requires one semester of calculus (MATH 10250 or higher) and two semesters of statistics, ACMS 10145 (Statistics for Business I) and ITAO 20200 (Statistical Inference in Business). The calculus requirement and ACMS 10145 must be completed by the end of the first year. ITAO 20200 is usually taken in sophomore year, although students who have satisfied the other math requirements can take it during their first year.
Students considering a second major that requires two semesters of calculus, such as Economics or ACMS, should not take MATH 10250 and should follow the math requirement for their second major. Students with a second major in Economics can satisfy the Mendoza statistics requirement through the Economics major with ECON 30330 (Statistics for Economists) and ECON 30331 (Econometrics), usually taken during sophomore year. Students with a second major in ACMS, Mathematics, or Statistics can satisfy the Mendoza statistics requirement with courses in these majors.
College of Engineering
All majors in Engineering require a four-semester math sequence:
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MATH 10550 (Calculus I)
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MATH 10560 (Calculus II)
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MATH 20550 (Calculus III)
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MATH 20580 (Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations).
Any of these courses can satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Core requirement if taken at Notre Dame. Students should begin this math sequence in their first semester at the appropriate level.
Keough School of Global Affairs
The supplementary major in Global Affairs offered by Keough does not have a math requirement. Students should complete the math requirement for their primary major. If their primary major does not have a math requirement, students can satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Core requirement with any appropriate course.
College of Science
All majors in the College of Science require two semesters of calculus. ACMS, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics majors must take MATH 10550 (Calculus I) and MATH 10560 (Calculus II). All other Science majors can take MATH 10350 (Calculus A) and MATH 10360 (Calculus B) or MATH 10550 (Calculus I) and MATH 10560 (Calculus II). Students interested in the honors track in the Mathematics major should take MATH 10850 (Honors Calculus II) and MATH 10860 (Honors Calculus II).
Many Science majors require at least one math course beyond the second semester of calculus. These courses are usually taken during sophomore or junior year and can satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Core requirement.
Pre-health and life science students who have completed the calculus requirement can take ACMS 20340 (Statistics for Life Sciences) during their first year. The Biology, Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience, and Psychology majors require a different statistics course. Students considering one of these majors should not take ACMS 20340.