Math Major Guide for Choosing First-Semester Courses
We know that choosing courses can be daunting, so below is a guide to assist you with the process. We will also talk through any questions you may have during your advising appointment. If you have questions, the mathematics summer advisors can be contacted at summeradvising@vt.edu.
First, start by downloading the Sample 4-Year Course Plan for your intended degree option. Use the courses listed in in Fall Semester Year 1 as an outline from which you will make adjustments to fit your individual plans and goals, and account for any incoming transfer credit you may have. When making adjustments, consider the following categories for your fall course schedule.
- Math Placement: 3, 4, 5, or 6 credits
- English Placement: 0 or 3 credits
- Programming Course: 0 or 3 credits
- MATH 1004: 1 credit
- Courses for Special Programs: credits vary
- Pathways General Education: add until fall course schedule totals 14-17 credits
Below is a guide for each category listed above. You should have a total of 14-17 credits on your Fall 2025 course schedule. Adjustments can be made to your schedule during and after your academic advising appointment.
Math placement is generally done per the table below. Summer advisors will speak with each student individually during their advising session to ensure proper placement.
| Documented MATH Transfer Credit | VT MATH Course Placement |
| None & VT ALEKS Placement Assessment Score < 80 | MATH 12141 |
| None & VT ALEKS Placement Assessment Score >= 80 | MATH 12251 (CRN 87314) |
| MATH 1225 | MATH 1226 |
| MATH 1225+1226 from AP BC Calc Score of 5 | MATH 2405H2 |
| MATH 1225+1226 from AP BC Calc Score of 4 or another source | MATH 2204 (CRN 87437) & MATH 2114 (CRN 87406)2 |
| MATH 1225+1226+other(s) | placement on individual basis3 |
Video Guide to First-Semester Math Courses [video] [slides]
1 Math majors who take MATH 1225 must enroll in CRN 87314. This is the math major section of the course. To stay on track to graduate in four years, math majors who do not have transfer credit for MATH 1225 (Calculus of a Single Variable) should take MATH 1225 in their first semester. To be elibigle to enroll in the course, you must earn a score of 80 or better on an ALEKS Placement Assessment or have a qualifying score on a college-level examination shown on your record in Hokie Spa. Students who do not earn an "Eligible to Enroll" status for MATH 1225 must instead take MATH 1214 (Preparation for Calculus).
The VT ALEKS Placement Assessment is designed to determine what you know and what you need to work on; you do NOT need to review/study for the assessment. At the end of the assessment, you will have a much better sense of your strengths and weaknesses and have a chance to brush up on topics that may have been forgotten or haven't been practiced for some time. You will have three attempts to attain the score needed.
Take the assessment as soon as possible. Access to ALEKS is available now and is offered free of charge for Virginia Tech students. Remote testing closes on July 31, 2025. All College of Science majors (except psychology majors) should complete the VT ALEKS placement assessment, regardless of anticipated AP, IB, CLEP, Cambridge, or other transfer credits.
2 If you have transfer credit for both MATH 1225 and MATH 1226 you have some choices outlined below. Discuss this with the summer advisors during your advising session.
- Choice 1: Recommended for students who earn an AP BC Calculus exam score of 5. Enroll in MATH 2405H – Mathematics in a Computational Context. This course is the first semester of a year-long integrated sequence which covers MATH 2114 (linear algebra), MATH 2204 (multivariable calculus) and MATH 2214 (differential equations), with an eye to applications and algorithmic implementation of solutions.
- Choice 2: Enroll in MATH 2114 (linear algebra, CRN 87406) and MATH 2204 (multivariable calculus, CRN 87437). The CRNs listed are the math major sections of each course. Students can also consider an honors section of one or both of these courses. Honors course considerations should be discussed with an academic advisor.
3 If you have transfer credit for at least one math course beyond MATH 1226, discuss your options with the summer advisors.
English placement is generally done per the table below. Summer advisors will speak with each student individually during their advising session to ensure proper placement.
| Documented English Transfer Credit | VT ENGL Course Placement |
| None | ENGL 1105 |
| ENGL 1105 | ENGL 1106 |
| ENGL 1105 + 1106 | no required first-year writing course |
All math majors are required to take a programming course. You don't have to take this course in your first semester, but many of students want another STEM-focused course, and we have provided some guidelines below. Discuss your choice of programming course with a summer advisor.
Students should consider enrolling in MATH 1454: Intro to Math Programming if all of the following apply:
- you do not plan to pursue the Applied Discrete Mathematics (ADM) degree option OR you plan to pursue the ADM degree option and want a more introductory first programming course than CS 1114, which is required for ADM students
- you do not have transfer credit for any programming (CS) class or extensive previous programming experience
- you scored an 80 or higher on a VT ALEKS Placement Assessment or you have transfer credit for MATH 1225
NOTE: MATH 1225 is a corequisite for MATH 1454. This means that you must be enrolled in MATH 1225 or have already earned credit for MATH 1225 in order to enroll in MATH 1454.
Students should consider enrolling in CS 1114: Intro to Software Design if all of the following apply:
- you plan to pursue the Applied Discrete Mathematics (ADM) degree option
- you scored an 80 or higher on the VT ALEKS Placment Assessment or you have transfer credit for MATH 1225
If you are unsure about your eligibility for MATH 1454 or CS 1114, or have questions about programming course placement, consult the summer advisors.
All first-year math majors enroll in MATH 1004: Discovering Math I (CRN 87255). This is the Math Department’s first-year experience course. It is taken by all first-year math majors, and is an introduction to the scope and applicability of mathematics and its many sub-disciplines. In this course, you will be introduced to the process of thinking, learning, and writing as a mathematician. If you are a transfer student, talk with a summer advisor about whether MATH 1004 is right for you.
MATH 1004 is optional for transfer students. We generally recommend that transfer students who are enrolled in 1000-level or 2000-level MATH classes take this course, and you should discuss this decision with a summer advisor. Virginia Tech also offers a first-year experience course specifically for transfer students, UNIV 2114: Unleash Your Hokie Potential (1 credit). This course is a great opportunity to learn about resources at VT and to build community with other transfer students. It is not a major-specific course like MATH 1004. Be sure to also review the Transfer Students section under Resources on our summer advising website to learn about more opportunities for transfer students.
If you are enrolled in any of these types of programs, you should hear from the program about the necessary courses. Students in the Corps of Cadets, Living-Learning Programs, Marching Virginians, Honor College, and Athletics will find course information in the Resources section of math.vt.edu/summeradvising. Contact the summer advisors if you have not heard from your program and if you do not find the necessary course information in the previous link.
This document contains a first-year Pathways course list that includes Pathways course selections appropriate for first-year students. This will help you to find additional courses that you are interested in to complete your fall class schedule. Consider Pathways concepts for which you do not have transfer credit. Register for a total of 14-17 credits on your Fall 2025 schedule. The table below shows how many credits are required for math majors in each Pathways Concept by the time you graduate.
| Pathways Concept Number and Title | Required Number of Credits and Required Course(s) for Graduation |
| 1f: Foundational Discourse | 6 credits: ENGL 1105 & ENGL 1106 |
| 1a: Advanced Discourse | 3 credits |
| 2: Critical Thinking in the Humanities | 6 credits |
| 3: Reasoning in the Social Sciences | 6 credits (EDCI 3144 counts as 3 of 6 credits for Math Ed option students) |
| 4: Reasoning in the Natural Sciences | 6 credits from an approved Pathway 4 course in BIOL, CHEM, GEOS, ISC, NEUR, PHYS, or PSYC |
| 5f: Foundational Quant & Comp Thinking | 6 credits: MATH 1225 & MATH 1226 |
| 5a: Advanced Quant & Comp Thinking | 3 credits: MATH 2214 |
| 6d: Critique and Practice in Design | 3 credits (CS 2114 for ADM option students) |
| 6a: Critique and Practice in Arts | 3 credits |
| 7: Critical Analysis of Identity & Equity in the US* | 3* credits |
* Some courses may be used for Concept 7 plus one other Pathways Concept, but no other double-counting among Pathways courses is permitted.
Course Registration Tutorials
Need help getting courses onto your fall schedule? Below are tutorials that can help!
Timetable of Classes: The Timetable of Classes is a database of all the courses available in a term. Students can use this resource to search for classes before the registration period opens to plan their schedule, and to see remaining seat availability once registration has begun. Two video tutorials are below.
Course Registration Tutorials: Use the button below to view all video and written tutorials for the course registration process through Hokie SPA, or use the provided individual links.
- How to Get to the Add/Drop Screen in Hokie SPA
- How to Add Classes in Hokie SPA
- How to Drop Classes in Hokie SPA
- How to Make a Change to Your Schedule (Conditional Add/Drop Feature)
- How to Read Course Information
- Viewing Registration Holds & Actions to Resolve
- Common Errors: What to do if You Get an Error Message