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Math Course Descriptions      

Our courses include the study of contemporary math, math for elementary education, math for business, math for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and statistics.

The math courses you take at Pierce College will depend on the career you want to pursue, if and where you will transfer for future degrees, and what classes you have already taken.  Learn about math courses at Pierce College.

Career Pathways

Career Pathways

The Mathematics Department offers a sequence of introductory courses that build the basic quantitative and symbolic reasoning skills needed in almost all fields of study and professional/technical programs, and for students transferring to four-year colleges. These courses satisfy the math requirements for majors in all of the following areas:

If you have not chosen a career pathway, explore career pathways now.

If you want to learn more about careers in Mathematics Education and Mathematics pathways, check out opportunities in math.

If you want specific information about which courses you will need for your program of study, you can find them by looking at the course map for your chosen degree or certificate.

Math Placement at Pierce College 

Your math instructors at Pierce College want you to have the most positive experience with learning math. A large part of this is taking the courses that help you to progress toward your career of choice and choosing an initial course for which you have the background knowledge necessary to succeed. To facilitate this, we have created a process called Guided Self Placement (GSP) to help you choose the math class that is best for you. Learn more about GSP.

Helpful Information for Registering

MATH Course Prefixes

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.

You will need this information to search and register for a class.

Selecting the Right Course

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.

How to Get Instructor Permission

There are certain occasions when you might need instructor permission to enroll in a class, such as if you do not meet the prerequisites for the class, the class is full, or it is after the deadline for enrollment. In these cases, you will need to contact the instructor for the class in which you wish to enroll. Please note that the decision to provide a permission code is up to the discretion of individual instructors and is not guaranteed. You can find contact information for each instructor on the Math Faculty & Staff page.