Review of Core Mathematics Requirements
Fall 2015 Updated Edition
Each year, Texas universities have the opportunity to revise their core curriculum in accordance
with state and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) rules. This brief provides an
annual summary of the most common core curriculum requirements in mathematics and tracks
trends in requirements since 2010. Math 1314 (College Algebra), Math 1332 (Contemporary
Mathematics), and Math 1342 (Elementary Statistical Methods) are the three most common
courses used to satisfy the core curriculum requirements for mathematics. Our current analysis
reveals that a continuing positive trend in the use of multiple math options to satisfy core
requirements.
In 2015, the number of universities offering Math 1332 or a comparable math for liberal arts
course in their core curriculum equals the number offering Math 1314 – 30 out of 35 Texas
universities. Twenty-four universities offer Math 1342 or a comparable entry-level statistics course
in their core curriculum. Since 2010, the number of universities offering college algebra has
decreased modestly, while eight institutions have added contemporary math and seven have
added statistics.
This brief illustrates that public universities increasingly offer multiple math pathways and
demonstrates how the New Mathways Project (NMP) pathways are aligned to university
requirements in mathematics.
Core Curriculum Requirements Among Texas Universities
The three most common courses used to satisfy the core curriculum requirements for
mathematics are Math 1314, Math 1332, and Math 1342.
Figure 1 shows the
number of Texas
universities offering
30
contemporary
25
30
mathematics, elementary
21
25
statistical methods, and
20
Equivalent
college algebra as part of
11
15
5 5
5
their core curriculum. We
Comparable
10
3
0
considered a course
5
NotOffered
0
“equivalent” to these
Math1342
Math1332
Math1314
options if its catalog entry
Elementary Contemporary
Algebra
indicates learning
Statistics
Math
outcomes that match
those found in the Texas
Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM). We designated similar, though not directly
equivalent, offerings in the core curriculum as “comparable” courses. Often, university core
curriculum with comparable courses will accept Math 1332 and Math 1342 for transfer.
Figure1:
CoreMathCourseOfferingsatTexasPublicUniversities
For more information about the Dana Center’s New Mathways Project please visit: http://www.utdanacenter.org/highereducation/new-mathways-project/
Thirty institutions include college algebra in their core curriculum, making it the most common
core math course. Thirty institutions include contemporary math or a comparable course, and
twenty-four include statistics or a comparable course. A total of twenty institutions offer statistics,
contemporary math, or a comparable course in their core curriculum.
The New Mathways Project and Core Curriculum
NMP pathways align with the majority of Texas’ core curriculum policies. Additionally, the
degree of NMP alignment has increased with each successive school year. The figure below
illustrates the state’s trend towards broader core mathematics course offerings. Since 2010,
seven institutions have added statistics and eight institutions have added contemporary
mathematics courses, or both, to their list of approved core courses.
Figure21:
ChangesinCoreMathematicsCourseOfferings2010–2015
35
30
25
20
31
30
29
30
22
23
19
23
20
24
21
17
15
29
22
30
24
Math1342Elementary
Statistics
Math1332
ContemporaryMath
10
Math1314Algebra
5
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Other Key Findings
•
•
Out of 35 institutions, 31 require three hours of mathematics to satisfy their general
education requirement, and the remaining four require six hours.
Since 2013, six schools decreased their mathematics general education requirement
from six to three hours.
________________________
In 2015, The University of Texas–Pan America and The University of Texas at Brownsville merged to create one
university, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, resulting in a decrease of 1 for the total count of public
universities in Texas. In addition, the trend lines in Figure 2 do not include data for The University of Texas of the
Permian Basin for years 2010–2012, because data were unavailable for these years.
1
For more information about the Dana Center’s New Mathways Project please visit: http://www.utdanacenter.org/highereducation/new-mathways-project/
The New Mathways Project
2
Review of Core Mathematics Requirements