1. College Success

• COLLG 110 College Success (3 credits)

• Course purpose: A foundational course to explore and affirm a career choice and build upon the skills, knowledge, and resources that will support you at Pierce College and beyond.

2. Math Course Recommendation

Take one course per quarter until sequence is finished.

• MATH& 141 Precalculus I (5 credits)
• MATH& 142 Precalculus II (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course sequence is core for this degree: It includes topics of advanced algebra and trigonometry, which will prepare you for calculus.

3. English Composition I

• ENGL& 101 English Composition I (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Writing skills will be essential in your future courses and in the workplace. This course will help you learn to write academic essays, develop rhetorical knowledge and critical reading skills, and apply effectively the principles of college writing.

Action Item: Meet with Advisor

Use your Success Network!  In your first quarter, meet with your advisor to revisit your career and transfer path, make adjustments to your goals as needed, and plan for your next steps.  

4. Communications Course Recommendation

Choose one

• CMST& 220 Public Speaking (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Mathematicians need to be able to communicate with other people, and explain concepts to a general audience. This beginning course in public speaking will allow you to explore your own speaking capabilities, and teach you to analyze your audience, organize and deliver your message.

• CMST& 230 Small Group Communication (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Mathematicians need to be able to work and communicate with small groups. This course will prepare you for effective group communications at work, socially and in the community, by familiarizing you with the principles and processes of oral communication within groups and giving you practice in participating in group presentations and meetings. 

• CMST 105 Intercultural Communication (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Mathematicians need to be able to work and communicate with groups of individuals within and across a variety of cultures. This course will give you the opportunity to experience and analyze your own and others intercultural communication.

5. General Psychology

• PSYC& 100 General Psychology (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This is a basic course in psychology which will focus on the scientific study of animal behavior and experience. In the course you will get to see examples of quantitative and qualitative research and principles related to learning such as heredity, neurology, motivation, emotion, perception, cognition, learning, and intelligence.  

6. Math Course Recommendation

Take one course per quarter until sequence is finished.

• MATH& 151 Calculus I (5 credits)
• MATH& 152 Calculus II (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course sequence is core for this degree; Calculus is the foundation for large parts of mathematics and its applications. It is a cornerstone of analysis and an indispensable tool for most of the sciences and engineering. These courses are core for degree.

7. Composition/Technical Writing Course Recommendation

Choose One

• ENGL& 102 Composition II: Argumentation and Research (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course will help you learn to analyze and write argumentation essays and research papers. These skills will be very useful in future courses and for those who intend to pursue graduate programs.  This course is preferred for most students.

• ENGL& 235 Technical Writing (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course is good if you intend to go into industry where you’ll be writing technical documents.

Action Item: Decide on Transfer Institution

Decide on a transfer institution to determine science requirements. Think about whether you want to pursue a targeted degree (like an actuarial focus) and/or if you want to develop a secondary discipline focus.  Most math majors take physics as their science, since physics and math are so closely connected, but students interested in chemistry, biology, computer science, or economics could choose to focus in one of those areas.

8. Social Science Course Recommendation

Choose one

• ECON& 201 Microeconomics (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Economics is the study of how people deploy resources to meet human needs. Studying economics will develop habits of careful thought, the application of mathematics, and practice in clear writing. Studying economics includes learning to use statistics and to read critically. Through this course you will also engage the world of current affairs. If you are pursuing an actuarial focus or financial math, this course is required.

• SOC& 201 Social Problems (5 credits)

• Course purpose: In this course you will learn about social problems facing our world, for which you may later use math to address. 

Action Item: Apply for Graduation

Way to go!  It is time to apply for graduation.  Visit the Pierce College Graduation website for details.  https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/graduation

9. Transfer Institution Course Recommendation

Choose one group.

10. Humanities Course Recommendation

Choose one

• PHIL 160 Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Through this course, you will learn and appreciate the philosophical foundation of the scientific method. Questions posed include, among others: What is science? What makes one theory better than another at explaining some phenomenon? How do scientists pursue their goals? Are there challenges to traditional scientific methodologies?

• PHIL 150 Introduction to Ethics (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Acting ethically is very important. This course will enable you to study personal and social moral concerns with an analysis of the distinction between good and evil, right and wrong and an examination of custom, theology, reason, human nature and happiness as standards for solution to moral problems.

11. Calculus 3

• MATH& 163 Calculus 3 (5 credits)

• Note: MATH& 153 may be used as a substitute for MATH& 163.  Please check with your transfer institution to determine how this substitution may impact your transfer-readiness.

• Course purpose: Calculus is the foundation for large parts of mathematics and applications. It is a cornerstone of analysis and an indispensable tool for most of the sciences and engineering. This course is core for degree.

12. Social Science Course Recommendation

Choose one

• SOC& 201 Social Problems (5 credits)

• Course purpose: In this course you will learn about social problems facing our world, for which you may later use math to address. 

• ECON& 201 Microeconomics (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Economics is the study of how people deploy resources to meet human needs. Studying economics will develop habits of careful thought, the application of mathematics, and practice in clear writing. Studying economics includes learning to use statistics and to read critically. Through this course you will also engage the world of current affairs. 

• ECON& 202 Macroeconomics (5 credits)

• Course purpose: If you are interested in pursuing an actuarial focus or financial math, this course is required.

• HIST 230 Concise History of Science and Technology 5 Credits

• Course purpose: This course will help you to appreciate the historical foundations of the math, science and technology you are studying.

13. Calculus 4

• MATH& 264 Calculus 4 (5 credits)

• Note: MATH 224 may be used as a substitute for MATH& 264.  Please check with your transfer institution to determine how this substitution may impact your transfer-readiness.

• Course purpose: This course is core for this degree; Calculus is the foundation for large parts of mathematics and its applications. It is a cornerstone of analysis and an indispensable tool for most of the sciences and engineering. 

14. Humanities Course Recommendation

Choose one

• CMST 105 Intercultural Communication (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Provides you with experience interacting with others from other cultures.

• PHIL 150 Introduction to Ethics (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Acting ethically is very important.  This course will enable you to study personal and social moral concerns with an analysis of the distinction between good and evil, right and wrong and an examination of custom, theology, reason, human nature and happiness as standards for solution to moral problems.

Total Credits 93-95

15. Additional Recommended Courses

• MATH 205 Linear Algebra (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Linear algebra studies methods of solution and applications of systems of equations. 

• MATH 238 Differential Equations (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This course explores functions defined by their rate of change. It is one of the most applied and active research areas of mathematics. 

Adjusted Total Credits 103-105