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Receiving credit or exemption for Calculus I (Math 131)

A student who earns a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Calculus AB Exam (or the AB part of the BC Exam) will automatically receive the 4 credits for Math 131 as soon as the registrar receives the exam report from the College Board. Certain A level and IB exams may also earn the 4 credits for Math 131.  Students must arrange to have their scores sent to UMass.

Starting in Fall 2021, students who need to take Math 131 and who do not have transfer credit for Math 131 or credit from an exam (AP, IB, or A-level) should begin their calculus studies with Math 131.  However, students who feel they have thoroughly mastered the topics of Math 131 through a high school class may take an exemption exam during the first week of classes.  The exemption exam will satisfy the same requirements as Math 131, but does not lead to credit earned. See Math 131 Exemption Exam information.

Note: If a student earns a Math 131 exemption through the Math 131 Exemption Exam, Math 131 may not later be taken for credits.

For students who completed Math 132 prior to Fall 2021 and earned a grade of C or better on the first try, the 4 credits for Math 131 will be awarded (unless they have already received credit for another Calculus I class).  To receive this credit, the student will need to email Jacob Lagerstrom after receiving the final grade in Math 132. 

Receiving credit for Calculus II (Math 132)

A student who earns a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Calculus BC Test will automatically receive the 8 credits for Math 131 and 132, as soon as the registrar receives the exam report from the College Board.  Students must arrange to have their scores sent to UMass.

Prior to 2021, a student who took the IB exam with Higher Level Math(s) with Option 9 (Calculus) and scored a 6 or higher could earn credit for both Math 131 and 132.  If this applies, please send the Mathematics Advising Office an official copy of your IB scores to receive the 4 credits for Math 132.  As of Fall 2021, students taking A levels or IB exams should begin with Math 131 or Math 132, depending on the version of the exam they took.

In summary, the only ways to earn credit for Math 132 are the following: take Math 132 at UMass; take an approved transfer course at another college or university that covers both integration and infinite series; or take the AP BC exam and earn a 4 or 5.   See below for information about Math 132 transfer courses.

Transfer Credit

  • Approval of Courses To Be Taken at Other Universities:  Current students wishing to take a course during the summer months or while on leave from the University at another college or university must complete the Prior Approval form before they enroll in the course and then bring the form to the Mathematics Advising Office.

  • Approval of Courses Taken Before Entering the University:  If you are a new student or a transfer student and have taken a math or statistics course elsewhere for which you wish to receive University credit, first make sure the course has transferred over to UMass.  Then, to have it assigned to a specific UMass course, please email the Chief Undergraduate Advisor a link to the course syllabus and send, if possible, a copy of the course's final exam.

  • Study Abroad Course Approval:   Students planning to study abroad will need to have courses pre-approved.  The International Programs Office will help you get started and then the Chief Undergraduate Advsior, Sohrab Shahshahani, will assist you in filling out the International Course Approval Form (ICAF).

Approved Transfer Courses for Math 132

Generally, any second course in calculus that is for engineers and math majors, that covers techniques of integration (integration by parts, trig substitution, etc) and that fully covers infinite series (including convergence questions, power series and their convergence, Taylor series) is likely to be approved.  The following courses in MA have already been approved:

  • Berkshire Cmty College MAT 152
  • Bristol Cmty College MTH 215
  • Bunker Hill Cmty College MAT 282
  • Cape Cod Cmty College MAT 250
  • Greenfield Cmty College MAT 202
  • Holyoke Cmty College MTH 114
  • Massachusetts Bay Cmty College MAT 201
  • Massasoit Cmty College MATH 222
  • Middlesex Cmty College (in Mass) MAT 291
  • Mount Wachusett Cmty College MAT 212
  • North Shore Cmty College MAT 252
  • Northern Essex Cmty College MAT 252
  • Quincy College MAT 206
  • Quinsigamond Community College MAT 234
  • Roxbury Cmty College MAT 203 *and* 204
  • Springfield Tech Cmty College MAT 132
  • Bridgewater State College MATH 162
  • Framingham State College MATH 220
  • Salem State College MAT 221
  • Univ Mass Boston MATH 141
  • Univ Mass Dartmouth MATH 152 or 154
  • Univ Mass Lowell MATH 1320
  • Westfield State University MATH 106
  • Worcester State University MA 201