Mathematics for the Engineering Student

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The engineering calculus sequence MATH 1910-1920-2930-2940 is required for most students in the Engineering College and the CALS biological and environmental engineering programs, but some engineering programs do not require MATH 2930.  (Students should consult the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook for a complete list of requirements for their chosen major.)

MATH 2930 and 2940 can be taken in either order because MATH 2930 is not a prerequisite for 2940.  However, MATH 2930 is a prerequisite or corequisite for PHYS 2214 and 2217.  Students who expect to take either of these physics courses will most likely need to take MATH 2930 before MATH 2940.

Previous Calculus Experience

Entering students are expected to have taken a good first course in calculus.  MATH 1910 is essentially a second-semester calculus course, and MATH 1920 is a third-semester calculus course.  Students who have not taken any calculus are strongly advised to take either MATH 1110 during the 6-week summer session at Cornell or an equivalent course at another university before their freshman year.

Advanced Placement

Students in the College of Engineering or the CALS Biological & Environmental Engineering program with an AP Calculus BC score of 4 or 5 are eligible to receive 4 credits, place out of MATH 1910, and take MATH 1920. (Engineering students receive 4 credits instead of 8 credits because Calculus I is not part of their curriculum.)   For students entering in the fall who have not taken a calculus placement exam or who wish to improve their AP score, a placement exam will be announced during orientation at the academic briefings.

Minimum Grades

Students who fail to receive at least a C– in MATH 1910, 1920, 2930, or 2940 must repeat the course immediately before taking the next course in the sequence. Doubling up is not recommended. A better strategy is to take a course over the summer to catch up.

Getting Ahead or Getting Back on Track

Students are strongly discouraged from taking two courses in the engineering sequence simultaneously.  These courses move rapidly and are challenging and time-consuming, even for students who have already been exposed to some of the material.  Examinations in these courses are given simultaneously, so students enrolled in two must take a make-up exam for one of the courses.  The deck is stacked against them, and often their performance suffers.  The following options are available to students who wish to get ahead or get back on track after repeating a course:

• MATH 1910 and 1920 are offered during the 6-week summer session at Cornell.  Either course may be taken during the summer before or after the freshman year.
• MATH 2930 and 2940 are offered during the 8-week summer session at Cornell.  Either course may be taken during the summer before or after the sophomore year.
• The Mathematics Department routinely awards transfer credit for MATH 1910, 1920, and 2940. Unfortunately, very few universities offer an introductory differential equations course like MATH 2930, which covers both ordinary and partial differential equations. MATH 2930 spends about one-third of the semester on Fourier series and PDEs (heat, wave, and Laplace).  A substitute course must do the same.

A 3-credit course may be used to replace one of the 4-credit math courses, but the student must make up the 4th credit in some way.  Students in this situation should contact the Engineering Advising Office to learn their options.

Last modified:August 26, 2009