Math Courses
Pierce College offers a variety of introductory and college-level math courses that build the basic quantitative and symbolic reasoning skills needed for almost all fields of study and professional/technical training and prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges or to pursue technical vocational programs. The math course(s) you take will depend on the career pathway you choose and the math courses you’ve already successfully completed.
There are three different prefixes used for math classes at Pierce College:
- MATH& (Mathematics&): Most of our classes have a prefix of MATH&. This prefix is used for classes that have common numbering at colleges and universities across the state of Washington.
- MATH (Mathematics): The MATH prefix, without the &, is used for courses that have numbers unique to Pierce College.
- MATHC (Mathematics Corequisite): Finally, the MATHC prefix is used to designate corequisite courses, which are intended to provide you with additional support should you need it.
If your GSP results suggest you should take a corequisite course and you choose to take it, you will need to register for two courses. For example, if the recommendation is to take MATH& 141 with corequisite, you will need to enroll in both MATH& 141 and MATHC 141. Make sure you select these courses with the same instructor.
There are often multiple instructors teaching the same course. Look at the course modality (online, in-person, or hybrid - a mix of the two) and other requirements to make the choice that best suits your needs.
| Course Prefix | Title | What You’ll Learn in This Class |
|---|---|---|
| BTECA 117 | Business Math | This math course is required for a number of business and healthcare degrees and certificates at Pierce College. In it you will apply math concepts and use tools and strategies to solve common business problems including discounts, markups, depreciation, credit purchases, and inventory management. |
| MATH 88 | Prep for College Math | This course will help you learn or review and build your confidence with the math concepts and skills needed to succeed in MATH 98 (Intermediate Algebra) and other college-level courses. The topics covered include working with integers, fractions, decimals, percents, and exponents, simplifying and evaluating algebraic expressions, solving linear equations, examining properties of lines such as slopes and intercepts, and graphing lines. You will also learn problem-solving skills, how to use a calculator, and math study skills such as how to read a math textbook, how to take notes and how to prepare for an exam. This course is meant to build your confidence, decrease your math anxiety and increase your interest in math! These things are particularly important if you are in the STEM pathway, which requires a solid foundation in algebra for success in precalculus and calculus courses. It is also a good choice if you have weak foundational skills, have not taken beginning algebra, or it has been a long time since taking it. |
| MATH 098 | Intermediate Algebra for Precalculus |
This course covers algebra skills, concepts, and applications needed for precalculus,
including working with quadratic, polynomial, rational, and radical expressions and
equations, and systems of linear equations. If the last course you completed was a
beginning algebra course, and you will continue to precalculus, you should take this
course.
If you are uncomfortable with one or more of these, you may be more successful by first taking MATH 88, which is devoted to helping you learn these skills and build your confidence in mathematics. |
| MATH& 107 | Math in Society |
Math has been a critical factor in the functioning and advancement of societies for
as long as humans have existed. It is also essential to you as a citizen. For example,
knowing how to solve problems and reason mathematically, apply mathematical processes
and solutions to make personal decisions, and read and interpret the quantitative
information you are presented with every day, are skills that are critical to being
an informed, productive, and contributing citizen in the 21st century. In this course
you will explore these ideas and develop these skills.
If you are uncomfortable with one or more of these, you may be more successful taking this along with the 2-credit MATHC 107 corequisite support class, where extra time will be devoted to helping you learn and apply these skills. |
| MATH 111 | College Math for Early Childhood Education |
This course is for early childhood educators and focuses on the math concepts appropriate
for children from birth through Grade 3, as guided by national and state math standards.
Learning will be interactive and activity-based, with an emphasis on conceptual understanding,
making connections between concepts, and communicating mathematical thinking. The
topics covered will include patterns, sequencing, number systems and computation,
models for operations, problem-solving strategies, functions, geometry, measurement,
and basic concepts of statistics and probability.
If you are uncomfortable with one or more of these, you may be more successful taking this along with the 2-credit MATHC 111 corequisite support class, where extra time will be devoted to helping you learn and apply these skills. |
| MATH& 131 | Math for Elementary Education I |
This is one of two required courses for future elementary school teachers and focuses
on building the foundation for elementary school math, with an emphasis on deep conceptual
understanding, making connections between concepts, and communicating mathematical
ideas. The topics covered will include number systems, models for operations, problem-solving
techniques, and a variety of instructional approaches.
If you are uncomfortable with one or more of these, you may be more successful taking this along with the 2-credit MATHC 131 corequisite support class, where extra time will be devoted to helping you learn and apply these skills. |
| MATH& 132 | Math for Elementary Education II |
This is one of two required courses for future elementary school teachers and focuses
on building the foundation for elementary school math, with an emphasis on deep conceptual
understanding, making connections between concepts, and communicating mathematical
ideas. Topics covered will include geometry, measurement, probability, and descriptive
statistics.
If you are uncomfortable with one or more of these, you may be more successful starting with MATH& 131, taken along with the 2-credit MATHC 131 corequisite support class, where extra time will be devoted to helping you learn and apply these skills. |
| MATH& 141 | Precalculus I |
This is the first of two classes intended to prepare you for Calculus 1. In it you
will be introduced to a way of visualizing mathematics through the graphing of lines
and various curves. Using previously learned algebra techniques, you will learn how
to translate common math equations into graphs that represent information in a useful,
visual way. Topics include graphs and equations of polynomial, rational, exponential
and logarithmic functions and applications to real-world scenarios from physics, engineering,
economics and biology.
If you are uncomfortable with one or more of these, you may be more successful taking this along with the 2-credit MATHC 141 corequisite support class, where extra time will be devoted to helping you learn and apply these skills. |
| MATH& 142 | Precalculus II | This is the second of two classes intended to prepare you for Calculus 1. The class covers the subject of trigonometry, which is the study of angles and triangles! In it you will learn about measuring using angles, drawing and gathering information from triangles, and modeling real-world patterns that are repetitive in nature. |
| MATH& 146 | Introduction to Statistics |
We live in a time when our understanding of the world and our desire to make evidence-based
decisions is accomplished by collecting and understanding data. In this course you
will develop skills to interpret data and make informed decisions.
If you are uncomfortable with one or more of these, you may be more successful taking this along with the 2-credit MATHC 146 corequisite support class, where extra time will be devoted to helping you learn and apply these skills. |
| MATH 147 | Business Precalculus |
This course is the bridge between algebra and calculus for those going into business-related
fields. In it you will explore linear, polynomial and rational function models, and
exponential and logarithmic functions, as well as the mathematics of finance, matrices,
linear programming and set operations.
If you are uncomfortable with one or more of these, you may be more successful taking this along with the 2-credit MATHC 147 corequisite support class, where extra time will be devoted to helping you learn and apply these skills. |
| MATH& 148 | Business Calculus | This course is your ticket to unlocking the analytical power of calculus and applying it to real-word business and economics scenarios. In it you will dive into the core concepts of calculus, from derivatives that help us understand rates of change to integrals that unravel the accumulated effects of these changes, and apply these concepts to problem solving, risk assessment, strategic planning, and informed decision making in the world of business and economics. |
| MATH& 151 | Calculus I | This class builds upon the fundamentals learned in Algebra and Precalculus to introduce math tools that allow us to examine how fast things are changing at any moment in time. This is often thought of visually as determining the slope (or steepness) of a graph (easy if it’s a straight line but what if it’s curved?). Calculus lets us determine things like how fast objects are moving, how quickly a population is growing, whether a company is maximizing revenue, and more! |
| MATH& 152 | Calculus II | In this class, you will learn how to do almost everything from Calculus I, but backwards! While Calculus 1 focuses on slopes and rates of change, the focus in Calculus 2 is on area and accumulation – quantities that add up over time. You’ll learn how to calculate areas and volumes of weird shapes, measure distance from speed information, and preview some differential equations. |
| MATH& 163 | Calculus III | The primary focus of this class is on introducing math in 3D space. How do we talk about things like lines, curves, and functions in 3D? Do concepts like “slope” still exist? How do we describe 3D shapes like spheres, bowls and cones? Can we still use the Calculus we’ve learned from previous math classes? This class answers all these questions and more! |
| MATH 205 | Linear Algebra | What happens when you draw three different planes in 3D space and then try to figure out where they intersect? How can we solve a bunch of equations with several variables in a smooth, systematic way? This class answers both questions and explains how they are connected. You’ll also take a deep dive into the structure of vectors and functions in 2D, 3D, and even n-dimensional space. You’ll use a rectangular grid of numbers, called a matrix, to help describe geometric problems and systems of equations, and learn a lot about vector spaces along the way. |
| MATH 238 | Differential Equations | It can be quite difficult to exactly predict real-world phenomena, such as what the
weather will be like tomorrow, what traffic will be like around noon, or where an
object might end up after being hit with a hammer. However, it’s usually relatively
easy to measure how the temperature has been changing, what the flow of traffic has
been like, and the changes in the speed and acceleration of an object. The goal of this class is to create and solve equations that involve how things are changing over time (derivatives) to figure out equations that accurately model real-world phenomena and can hopefully be used to predict future events! |
| MATH& 264 | Calculus IV | This class continues the journey of doing math in 3D. In Calculus 2, you learned how to use integrals to find the area under and between 2D shapes and curves, along with various solving techniques and applications. In this class you will learn how to use integrals to find the volume under, between, and inside of 3D shapes and surfaces, along with various solving techniques and applications. You’ll use these methods to tackle some wild physics problems involving motion of objects and magnetic fields. |
| MATHC 098 | Intermediate Algebra for Precalculus Corequisite | This is a support class attached to MATH 98. If you need additional help with math concepts and skills such as arithmetic with real numbers, order of operations, algebraic expressions, slope-intercept form of a linear equation, solving equations, graphing, exponents and radicals, or just additional support with how to be a better math student, this 2-credit class may be beneficial for you. |
| MATHC 107 | Math in Society Corequisite | This is a support class attached to MATH& 107. If you need additional help with math concepts and skills such as numeracy, proportional reasoning, equations/formulas and graphs, or just additional support with how to be a better math student, this 2-credit class may be beneficial for you. |
| MATHC 111 | College Math for Early Childhood Education Corequisite | This is a support class attached to MATH 111. If you need additional help with math concepts and skills such as numeracy, proportional reasoning, equations/formulas and graphs, or just additional support with how to be a better math student, this 2-credit class may be beneficial for you. |
| MATHC 131 | Math for Elementary Education I Corequisite | This is a support class attached to MATH& 131. If you need additional help with math concepts and skills such as numeracy, proportional reasoning, equations/formulas and graphs, or just additional support with how to be a better math student, this 2-credit class may be beneficial for you. |
| MATHC 141 | Precalculus I Corequisite | This is a support class attached to MATH& 141. If you need additional help with math concepts and skills such as order of operations, algebraic expressions, solving equations and inequalities, graphing, functions, linear functions and graphs, and using graphing calculators, or just additional support with how to be a better math student, this 2-credit class may be beneficial for you. |
| MATHC 146 | Introduction to Statistics Corequisite | This is a support class attached to MATH& 146. If you need additional help with math concepts and skills such as numeracy, proportional reasoning, equations/formulas, inequalities and graphs, or just additional support with how to be a better math student, this 2-credit class may be beneficial for you. |
| MATHC 147 | Business Precalculus Corequisite | This is a support class attached to MATH 147. If you need additional help with math concepts and skills such as order of operations, algebraic expressions, solving equations and inequalities, graphing, functions, linear functions and graphs, and using graphing calculators, or just additional support with how to be a better math student, this 2-credit class may be beneficial for you. |
To accommodate students with a variety of math backgrounds, Pierce College also has pre-college mathematics classes from arithmetic to pre-algebra offered through Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Pierce College Adult Diploma (PCAD). To learn more about these courses, please contact Advising.