All SPU students are required to complete a mathematics or statistics course to fulfill the Ways of Knowing in Quantitative Reasoning requirement for the Exploratory Curriculum. Additionally, many academic majors require one or more mathematics or statistics courses. Prior to taking any mathematics or statistics course at SPU, you must demonstrate eligibility.

The purpose of established eligibility criteria is to help determine whether you are ready for college-level mathematics and to help you develop any math skills needed to successfully complete Exploratory Curriculum and academic program requirements.

SPU has divided college readiness and Exploratory Curriculum math classes into several groupings. Some departments other than the Mathematics Department may require attainment of a particular Mathematics Placement Level as a prerequisite for courses in their majors.

Eligibility to enroll in a particular course can be demonstrated through: 

• A sufficiently high SAT or ACT math score
• A qualifying ALEKS Math Placement Test score
• A qualifying score on the SPU Mobius Mathematics Placement Test and/or on SPU's Calculus Placement Test (these tests were discontinued in May 2025 and replaced by ALEKS)
• Transfer of an approved college mathematics course
• Completion of a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree or its approved equivalent from Oregon or California
• Math credit awarded for AP, Cambridge International, IB, or CLEP exam

Complete details of mathematics placement policies can be found on the Placement Criteria and Levels tab.

College Readiness Mathematics

The courses MAT 0144 College Readiness Math I and MAT 0145 College Readiness Math II are designed for students who do not have adequate mathematical backgrounds to succeed in college-level coursework in mathematics.

If you need to take a course with prerequisites of Mathematics Placement Level A, you will need to take MAT 0144 College Readiness Math I if you do not meet any of the other conditions listed. If you need to take courses with prerequisites of Mathematics Placement Level B, you may need to take both MAT 0144 College Readiness Math I and MAT 0145 College Readiness Math II.

Mathematics Placement policies are summarized in the tables on the Placement Criteria and Levels tab.

Placement Criteria for Mathematics Courses

Mathematics Placement Summary Table

Mathematics placement policies are summarized in the tables below. To enroll in a course listed in the second column below, you must meet at least one of the corresponding eligibility criteria. Students who do not currently meet the eligibility requirements for a course that they need to take should consider taking the ALEKS Math Placement Test to determine appropriate math placement.

Math Placement

Placement Level	Intended Math Course	Eligibility Criteria for Enrollment
Level 0	MAT 0144	If you have not met any criteria for Levels A or B, you place into Level 0.
Level A	MAT 0145, MAT 1560, MAT 1521	ALEKS Math Placement Test Score: 45 or above; or SAT Math Score: 600 or above; or ACT Math Score: 25 or above; or SPU Mobius Math Placement Test Score: 40 or above*; or College Coursework: MAT 0144 with a grade of C- or better or Intermediate Algebra with a grade of C- (1.7) or better
Level B	MAT 1010, MAT 1300, MAT 2360, BUS 2700, PSY 2360, SOC 2360	ALEKS Math Placement Test Score: 55 or above; or SAT Math Score: 600 or above; or ACT Math Score: 25 or above; or SPU Mobius Math Placement Test Score: 60 or above*; or College Coursework: MAT 0145 with a grade of C- or Intermediate Algebra with a grade of C- (1.7) or better
	MAT 1110	ALEKS Math Placement Test Score: 65 or above; or College Coursework: MAT 1010 with a grade of C- or better
	MAT 1221	ALEKS Math Placement Test Score: 65 or above; or College Coursework: MAT 1010 with a grade of C- or better; or SPU Calculus Placement Test Score: total 13 or above or 8 or above on Part 1*
	MAT 1234	ALEKS Math Placement Test Score: 80 or above; or College Coursework: MAT 1110 with a grade of C- or better; or SPU Calculus Placement Test Score: total 13 or above or 8 or above on Part 1*

*NOTE: The SPU Mobius Math Placement Test and SPU Calculus Placement Test were discontinued as of May 2025. For all subsequent Math and Calculus Placement testing, please use the current ALEKS Math Placement Test. 

Mathematics Placement Level 0

A Placement Level of 0 (i.e., zero) indicates one of two things: The student has not yet taken the ALEKS Math Placement Test, or the student does not meet any of the criteria for Mathematics Placement Level A and should begin by enrolling in MAT 0144 College Readiness Math I.

Mathematics Placement Level A

To be eligible to enroll in MAT 0145 College Readiness Math II, MAT 1521 Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics, or MAT 1560 Numerical Reasoning, you must meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Score 45 or above on the ALEKS Math Placement Test.
• Score 600 or above on the math portion of the SAT.
• Score 25 or above on the math portion of the ACT. 
• Score 40 or above on SPU's discontinued Mobius Mathematics Placement Test* taken prior to May 1, 2025.
• Complete MAT 0144 College Readiness Math I with a grade of C- or better, or complete an approved course in intermediate algebra at another college or university with a grade of C- or better. 

Mathematics Placement Level B

To be eligible to enroll in MAT 1010 College Algebra,MAT 1300 Introduction to Statistical Reasoning, MAT 2360 Introduction to Statistics for the Sciences, BUS 2700 Statistics for Business and Economics, PSY 2360 Introduction to Statistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences or SOC 2360 Introduction to Statistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Score 55 or above on the ALEKS Math Placement Test.
• Score 600 or above on the math portion of the SAT. 
• Score 25 or above on the math portion of the ACT. 
• Score 60 or above on SPU's discontinued Mobius Mathematics Placement Test* taken prior to May 1, 2025.
• Complete MAT 0145 College Readiness Math II with a grade of C- or better, or complete an approved course in Intermediate Algebra at another college or university with a grade of C- or better. 

Calculus and Precalculus

MAT 1110 Precalculus, MAT 1221 Survey of Calculus, and MAT 1234 Calculus I each have other college-level mathematics courses as prerequisites. These prerequisites can be waived based on qualifying scores on the ALEKS Math Placement Test or on SPU's discontinued Calculus Placement Test* taken prior to May 1, 2025.

Precalculus

To be eligible to enroll in MAT 1110 Precalculus, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Complete MAT 1010 College Algebra with a grade of C- or better.
• Score 65 or above on the ALEKS Math Placement Test.

Survey of Calculus

To be eligible to enroll in MAT 1221 Survey of Calculus, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Complete MAT 1010 College Algebra with a grade of C- or better.
• Score 65 or above on the ALEKS Math Placement Test.
• Score 13 or above on the SPU's discontinued Calculus Placement Test* taken prior to May 1, 2025.
• Score 8 or above on Part 1 of SPU's discontinued Calculus Placement Test* taken prior to May 1, 2025.

Calculus I

To be eligible to enroll in MAT 1234 Calculus I, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Complete MAT 1110 Precalculus with a grade of C- or better.
• Score 80 or above on the ALEKS Math Placement Test.
• Score 13 or above on the SPU's discontinued Calculus Placement Test* taken prior to May 1, 2025.
• Score 8 or above on Part 1 of SPU's discontinued Calculus Placement Test* taken prior to May 1, 2025.