Math Requirements by School

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Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

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These are the math requirements (or lack thereof) by medical school. These are for MD-only programs. If you are applying MSTP, please check each school's website for possible additional requirements. This information is current as of August 2012; if you find a mistake or if a school changes their requirements, please PM me a link to the schools admissions website and I will update the list.

Summary:

  • 50 schools have a math requirement; only 19 schools require calculus and/or stats
  • No school requires math beyond calculus 2; those that require calculus 2 will allow you to substitute 1 semester of stats
  • 80 schools have no math requirement; 29 of those have some recommendations
  • If you want to cover all bases for all schools you only need to take 1 semester of calculus and 1 semester of stats

Schools With a Math Requirement

Albert Einstein – 6 hours of college math
Arizona (Phoenix) - 1 semester of stats
Arkansas – 2 semesters of college math (1 semester of calc recommended)
Brown – 1 semester of calc
Central Florida – 6 hours of college math (1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats recommended)
Colorado – 6 hours of college math
Dartmouth – 3 hours of calc or stats
Florida Atlantic – 2 semesters of college math (1 semester of calc recommended)
Florida International – 2 semesters of calc, 2 semesters of stats, or 1 of each
Florida state – 6 hours of college math
Georgetown – 1 semester of college math
Harvard – 2 semesters of calc or 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
Howard – 2 semesters of college math
Iowa – 1 semester of college math
Johns Hopkins – 6-8 hours of calc and/or stats
Kansas – 1 semester of college math
Medical College of Wisconsin – 4 hours of college math required, 1 semester of calc recommended
Meharry – 3 hours of college math required, calc recommended
Michigan State – 1 semester of college math
Mississippi – 6 hours of college math (1 semester of calc recommended)
Missouri (Columbia) – 3 hours of college math
Morehouse – 2 semesters of college math
Mount Sinai - 2 semesters of college math
Nebraska – 1 semester of calc or stats
New Jersey (Robert Wood Johnson) – 1 semester of college math (1 semester of stats recommended)
North Dakota – 3 hours of college math
Oakland – 2 semesters of college math
Oregon (OHSU) – 2 quarter of college math (1 quarter of calc and 1 quarter of stats recommended)
Penn State – 2 semesters of college math (1 semester of calc recommended)
South Alabama – 6 hours of college math (1 semester of calc recommended)
SUNY Upstate – 1 semester of stats (1 semester of calc recommended)
Texas A&M – 3 hours of stats
Texas Tech (El Paso) – 3 hours of calc or stats
Texas Tech (Lubbock) – 3 hours of stats
Toledo – 2 semesters of college math
UC Davis – 1 year of college math
UC Irvine – 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
UCLA – 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
UCSD – 8 hours of college math (1 semester of calc recommended)
University of South Dakota – 2 semesters of college math (1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats recommended)
USF – 2 semesters of college math
USUHS – 1 semester of calc
UT Galveston – 1 semester of calc
UT San Antonio – 3 hours of stats
UT Southwestern – 1 semester of calc or 1 semester of stats
Virginia Commonwealth – 2 semesters of college math
Virginia Tech – 2 semesters of calc or 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
Washington – 1 semester of calc
Washington University St. Louis (WashU) – 2 semesters of calc or 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
Wisconsin – 1 semester of college math, 1 semester of stats (1 semester of calc recommended)
 Wright State – 2 semester of college math (1 semester of calc recommended)

Schools With No Math Requirement but Some Recommendations
 Boston – 2 semesters of college math
Buffalo State – 2 semesters of stats
Case Western – 1 semester of stats
Connecticut – 1 semester of calc
Cooper – 1 semester of stats
Cornell – 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
Duke – 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
East Carolina – 1 semester of stats
Hawaii – 1 semester of college math
Hofstra – 2 semesters of college math
Loma Linda – 1 semester of stats
LSU New Orleans – 1 semester of calc
Massachusetts (UMass) – 1 year of calc, 1 semester of stats
Medical College of Georgia – 1 semester of stats
Nevada – 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
New Jersey (New Jersey) – 1 semester of college math
New York Medical College – 1 semester of stats
Northeast Ohio – 1 semester of calc
Pennsylvania (UPenn) – 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
Rochester – 1 semester of stats
Southern Illinois – 1 year of college math including 1 semester of stats
Stanford – 1 semester of calc
The Commonwealth Medical College – 1 semester of calc
Thomas Jefferson – 1 semester of college math
University of Chicago Pritzker – 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats
USC Keck – 1 semester of calc
Utah – 1 semester of calc
Vermont – 1 semester of college math
Virginia – 1 semester of stats

Schools With No Math Requirement and No Recommendations
 Alabama
Albany Medical College
Arizona (Tucson)
Baylor
Central Michigan
Cincinnati
Columbia
Creighton
Drexel
East Tennessee
Eastern Virginia
Emory
Florida
George Washington
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Loyola
LSU Shreveport
Marshall
Maryland
Mayo
Mercer
Miami
Michigan
Missouri (Kansas City)
New Mexico
North Carolina
Northwestern
NYU
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Pittsburgh
Rosalind Franklin
Rush
Saint Louis University
South Carolina
South Carolina
Stony Brook
SUNY Downstate
Temple
Tennessee
Tufts
Tulane
UCSF
UT Houston
Vanderbilt
Wake Forest
Wayne State
West Virginia
Yale
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Last edited:
Where did you get this list? I know just off the very top of my head that UA--Phoenix requires 3 hours of math...I wouldn't put too much faith in it as I'm guessing there are other errors.
 
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BigBlueBear said:
Where did you get this list? I know just off the very top of my head that UA--Phoenix requires 3 hours of math...I wouldn't put too much faith in it as I'm guessing there are other errors.
Click to expand...

this list was compiled from information available on the internet; mostly from the schools' websites. thank you for the update to U of Arizona Phoenix, I will update the list accordingly. I assure you there are few errors, but I will update the list if any are found.
 
Anyone think two semesters of calc will substitute for the 1 semester of calc + 1 semester of stats (at the UC's)
 
nabilesmail said:
Anyone think two semesters of calc will substitute for the 1 semester of calc + 1 semester of stats (at the UC's)
Click to expand...

One simple email to the schools can give you a definitive answer
 
For virtually any school, Calc I and Stat will be fine. The exception is that HMS is the only one that requires 2 semesters of Calc.
 
Praefectus said:
For virtually any school, Calc I and Stat will be fine. The exception is that HMS is the only one that requires 2 semesters of Calc.
Click to expand...

In previous years, students said they were accepted with 1 semester of calculus and stats.
 
Praefectus said:
For virtually any school, Calc I and Stat will be fine. The exception is that HMS is the only one that requires 2 semesters of Calc.
Click to expand...
Harvard will now accept 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats. From their website: "A broader and more flexible range of requirements is encouraged, however, and, given the importance of statistics for understanding the literature of science and medicine, adequate grounding in statistics is required. Rather than increasing the one year devoted to mathematics preparation, the one-year effort should be more relevant to biology and medicine than the formerly required, traditional, one-year calculus course. Flexibility will be welcome in meeting these requirements (e.g., a semester course in calculus that covers derivatives and integration and a semester course in statistics; a calculus-based physics course and another science course that includes a firm grounding in biostatistics; or, preferably, a unified two-semester course that covers important, biologically relevant concepts in calculus and statistics)."
 
Does anyone have any insight as to whether a class such as Probability & Statistics would cover the statistics requirement? My college offers both Prob & Stats and pure Stats. The Stats level course is higher, but so far I've only had Prob & Stats. I've recently graduated and am finishing up premed prereqs, so I could always take the higher level stats course, as well.

Also, would it be prudent to take past Calc 1? Anyone feel as though it assisted them as far as the MCAT or medical school is concerned?
 
drdoom12 said:
Does anyone have any insight as to whether a class such as Probability & Statistics would cover the statistics requirement? My college offers both Prob & Stats and pure Stats. The Stats level course is higher, but so far I've only had Prob & Stats. I've recently graduated and am finishing up premed prereqs, so I could always take the higher level stats course, as well.

Also, would it be prudent to take past Calc 1? Anyone feel as though it assisted them as far as the MCAT or medical school is concerned?
Click to expand...

your prob & stats course should be fine; none of the schools make a distinction between lower division and upper division stats because each undergrad is slightly different. you only need to take past calc 1 if you are pursuing a PhD as well. for MD-only, calc 1 and stats is good enough for all schools. also, the math on the mcat is very basic - you might see some trigonometry on physics
 
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On their site, UTSW says Calc and/or Stats (you have the option). Thanks for the list though.
 
hi i have a question. if a school requires calculus and stats, do we have to take both for a grade? or can we pass fail it?

also, if our school gives us math credit through getting a 5 on AP Calc BC, how much does that get us for med school? one or 2 semester of calc?

thanks
 
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fudGez14 said:
hi i have a question. if a school requires calculus and stats, do we have to take both for a grade? or can we pass fail it?

also, if our school gives us math credit through getting a 5 on AP Calc BC, how much does that get us for med school? one or 2 semester of calc?

thanks
Click to expand...

always take prereqs for a grade. for AP credit, it is school-dependent how they deal with it; most accept it but you'll want to confirm with the individual schools
 
God, so disappointing - took Calc 1 and 2 as a freshman as it was part of my (then) Bio major. Switched halfway through to Econ and no longer required it at all. Turned out to be some of my worst grades too. 😳
 
Kind of wish I never took Calc II (B) but it was a neuro requirement
 
This just makes me so mad that calc 2 is a requirement for the bio major at my school (probably based on old med school requirements). It's a cruel joke that the grade I got in that class is probably going to be my biggest setback. Shouldn't have had to take it in the first place. Oh well. Nothing/nobody to blame but myself.
 
Richard Dawkins said:
Harvard will now accept 1 semester of calc and 1 semester of stats. From their website: "A broader and more flexible range of requirements is encouraged, however, and, given the importance of statistics for understanding the literature of science and medicine, adequate grounding in statistics is required. Rather than increasing the one year devoted to mathematics preparation, the one-year effort should be more relevant to biology and medicine than the formerly required, traditional, one-year calculus course. Flexibility will be welcome in meeting these requirements (e.g., a semester course in calculus that covers derivatives and integration and a semester course in statistics; a calculus-based physics course and another science course that includes a firm grounding in biostatistics; or, preferably, a unified two-semester course that covers important, biologically relevant concepts in calculus and statistics)."
Click to expand...

Neat. I guess my statement was based on my evaluation of the math requirement when I was actually taking Calc freshman year. You learn something new every day.
 
Palam said:
Kind of wish I never took Calc II (B) but it was a neuro requirement
Click to expand...

neurotroph said:
This just makes me so mad that calc 2 is a requirement for the bio major at my school (probably based on old med school requirements). It's a cruel joke that the grade I got in that class is probably going to be my biggest setback. Shouldn't have had to take it in the first place. Oh well. Nothing/nobody to blame but myself.
Click to expand...

the "premed" course model is decades old now is finally starting to change to become more relevant, i think with the new mcat approaching requirement changes will trickle down
 
im sorry, does anybody have a definitive answer to whether most medical schools accept AP credit with a score of 4 or 5? so if i were to have received 5 on AP Calc BC and a 4 on Statistics, does that mean i'm golden with regards to the math prereqs for all medical schools?
 
I skipped out of Calc I and II and took a semester of Calc III instead. Would that satisfy a semester of "introductory calculus" for UCLA specifically?
 
cloudysunshine said:
I skipped out of Calc I and II and took a semester of Calc III instead. Would that satisfy a semester of "introductory calculus" for UCLA specifically?
Click to expand...

If you call the admissions office and get a woman, it's more than likely the troll I've been dealing with who gives bad info that contradicts AMCAS.

If you call the admissions office and get a guy, he knows what he's talking about.
 
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Can anyone tell me if the "college math" requirement can be met with one semester of stats and 2 semesters of precalculus? I of course realize that this is not the case if they specify calculus 1, but most schools do not. Calculus is a weak point of mine, so I'd like to avoid that class if possible.
 
drbsn said:
Can anyone tell me if the "college math" requirement can be met with one semester of stats and 2 semesters of precalculus? I of course realize that this is not the case if they specify calculus 1, but most schools do not. Calculus is a weak point of mine, so I'd like to avoid that class if possible.
Click to expand...

Only one of those precalculus classes will count. But yes, stats + pre-calc would satisfy a year of math (on the semester system for sure and maybe the quarter system) unless calculus is specifically required.
 
Great. My major doesn't require calculus, so I may abstain from taking it altogether.
 
fudGez14 said:
im sorry, does anybody have a definitive answer to whether most medical schools accept AP credit with a score of 4 or 5? so if i were to have received 5 on AP Calc BC and a 4 on Statistics, does that mean i'm golden with regards to the math prereqs for all medical schools?
Click to expand...

fudGez14 said:
anyone?
Click to expand...

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My institution offers a Biostatistics course. Would this be a good replacement for a calculus course? I know of some medical schools "recommending" a biostats course, but I am not sure how ubiquitous it is. I've had a general MTH probability and statistics course, which is a prerequisite for the biostats course.
 
If this list is accurate it is an excellent resource. Much faster than using the MSAR.
 
Wow the school's that I thought didn't have a Math requirement, do have one.

And the one's that I thought did have one doesn't, weird.
 
I thought that the calculus requirement for medical school was much more widespread than what it actually is. I'm still on the fence about taking the calculus course. This semester I can basically choose between calculus, biostats, or genetics, but only one of those. Also, if I don't take those this semester, I will not have the opportunity to before applying. Any advice?
 
I personally think everyone should have to take calculus, even humanities majors. The fact premeds can slide by without it is kind of scary. Calculus is integral (haha) to so much about the modern world, and I feel like you can't truly understand most science without it.
 
phunky said:
I personally think everyone should have to take calculus, even humanities majors. The fact premeds can slide by without it is kind of scary. Calculus is integral (haha) to so much about the modern world, and I feel like you can't truly understand most science without it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. IMO it's shameful to graduate college without knowing calculus seeing as how it's a subject that's taught in high school. This is especially true if you majored in a science and wish to be taken seriously.

Also, I'm really surprised that med schools don't all require statistics. An understanding of statistics is necessary if you wish to comprehend scientific literature. If you can only take one math class in college, make it statistics.
 
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