Math Core Curriculum
As a liberal arts college, Shepherd University wants students to learn from professors who work in a variety of disciplines. The mechanism to encourage diversity is called the Core Curriculum. It is a combination of requirements and course offerings.
The Core includes math. There are Core math courses in these sub-disciplines:
- Reasoning
- Algebra
- Discrete math
- Calculus
- Statistics.
How to choose the Core math class that is right for you.
- The Satisfactory Math Placement Scores document suggests a first math class based on the student’s standardized test score (SAT, ACT, or Accuplacer).
- Core Curriculum worksheets help students plan to fulfill all the Core requirements. Students should use the worksheet corresponding to their first year at Shepherd.
- The math core code is MA.
Advisors should use the table below.
| Course | Description |
| Quantitative Reasoning, MATH 107 (3 credits) | Designed for liberal arts students whose curricula do not require any other math courses. The QR course addresses aspects of quantitative literacy relevant in academia, citizenship, and general life. Students who do not meet the necessary placement scores can enroll in the lab version MATH 107A (4 credits), which does not have any minimum placement score. |
| Statistical Reasoning, MATH 109 (3 credits) | This course is an introductory statistics course that can be used as the core math requirement. This course also serves as a prerequisite for students who will be taking more advanced, discipline-specific statistics courses in psychology or sociology departments. Students who do not meet the necessary placement scores can enroll in the lab version MATH 109A (4 credits), which does not have any minimum placement score. |
| College Algebra, MATH 105 (3 credits) | Designed to meet the algebra needs of students in STEM majors. Students who do not meet the necessary placement scores, but whose curricula require Math 105, should enroll in Math 101, which does not have any minimum placement score. After successful completion of Math 101, such students can then take Math 105. |
| Calculus, Discrete, Statistics | Students who have the necessary placement scores can use Precalculus (Math 108), Discrete Structures (Math 155), Calculus with Applications (Math 105), or Calculus I (Math 207) as their core math course. Some majors require that students take one of these as their core math course, and some majors require Calculus I instead of Calculus with Applications. Statistics (Math 314) can also be used for core math but it requires either a prerequisite math course or special permission. |
Visit the Core Curriculum home page for information about the Core.