Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

Precalculus, MAT172

This page contains information on the following topics:
  • Prerequisite Courses
  • Moving on to Calculus
  • Textbook Information
  • Syllabus
  • Uniform Final Exam Information
  • Supplemental Course Materials

Prerequisites: To take MAT 172: Precalculus, a student must have received a grade of C (or better) in MAT 104: College Algebra. Students who have completed a comparable course at another institution should consult with a Department Math adviser. A list of advising hours can be found on the Department's website.

Moving on to Calculus: In order to take MAT 175: Calculus I, a student must receive a grade of C (or better) in MAT 172: Precalculus. The department, however, strongly recommends that students planning to take Calculus ace the material presented in MAT 172. Students who are unsure as to whether or not they should move on to MAT 175 should consult with their instructor or a Department Math adviser.

Textbook Information: The department recommends that students purchase the 7th Edition of R. Larson and R.P. Hostetler's Precalculus book published by the Houghton Muffin Company. The ISBN number is 0618643443. Though this is not the most recent edition, used copies can be purchased online for a very reasonable price.

If they wish, students may purchase the 8th edition of the same book in the Lehman College Bookstore. There are minor content changes between the editions and a renumbering of exercises. For a detailed explanation of the content changes and a correlation guide between the exercises, use the following links:

Syllabus: An updated department syllabus can be found in the Department Office, Room 211 of Gillet Hall. You can also click the following link:

Uniform Final Exam Information: All students must take and pass a Department uniform final exam in order to pass the course. This final will be given during finals week at the end of the semester. A sample final exam can be found in the Department Office, Room 211 of Gillet Hall. Two different Sample Final Exams (the second being the older version) are given in the following links:

Supplemental Course Materials: The links below offer students/instructors review material and projects. Some instructors may choose to assign material from these projects as homework. 

Last modified: Jun 26, 2012

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