University of Pennsylvania Enforces Math

The University of Pennsylvania is now enforcing prerequisite requirements for six advanced calculus and algebra courses. The policy shift, effective this fall, moves from a system of student self-assessment to active verification by the university.

According to Molly McGlone, deputy dean of undergraduate studies in the College of Arts & Sciences, these prerequisites have always been listed in the course catalog. Faculty had grown concerned that students were enrolling in courses for which they were not adequately prepared. "Faculty in Math and other disciplines have carefully designed the courses in a sequential manner to support student learning," McGlone told Inside Higher Ed. "Students who are in courses that they are not adequately prepared for can often run into challenges."

Meeting the Requirements

Students can satisfy the prerequisites through several pathways. They can take the corresponding foundational math course at Penn, receive a relevant Advanced Placement credit, or pass a credit exam. Credit exams are offered during new student orientation and again at the start of the semester. Students who enroll in one of the six targeted courses without meeting the prerequisite will see a registration issue flag on their schedule.

A National Context for Prerequisites

Math prerequisites are common, but enforcement strategies have evolved. Pamela Burdman, founder of the math education-equity nonprofit Just Equations, explained the national landscape. Many college systems have moved away from remedial prerequisites that require students to repeat high school content in favor of corequisite strategies, she said. In this model, students take a college-level course while receiving extra support.

Burdman noted that Penn's approach is typical for a standard undergraduate math sequence. It includes several calculus courses, linear algebra, and differential equations. Research indicates only one in five students who take calculus in high school enroll directly in Calculus II in college. Most repeat calculus, take a lower-level course, or opt for a non-calculus math class.

Calculus Access and Declining Skills

Selective colleges generally prefer STEM majors to have taken calculus in high school or be ready for it upon arrival. Burdman highlighted an equity concern. Access to high school calculus often depends on a student's school. Black and Latinx students typically have less access. So increasingly colleges are making available at least precalculus courses as an on-ramp to calculus, she stated.

Math achievement has been declining nationally. A recent University of California, San Diego report found the number of first-year students with math skills below a middle school level increased nearly 30-fold over five years. Burdman said pandemic disruptions accelerated this trend, but it began earlier. Experts point to long-term factors like absenteeism, social media effects, and student use of AI. In response, hundreds of University of California math professors have called for reinstating standardized testing for admission.