Course Placement

students in the classroom

How will my test scores affect my course placement?

Stockton will utilize the highest SAT/ACT score submitted to place students who have sent in multiple test scores.

First Year Seminars

All incoming first-year students with fewer than 16 earned credits are required to take a First Year Seminar in their first year.

Students entering with fewer than 16 earned credits and scoring below the following marks will place into a critical thinking-intensive Freshman Seminar, FRST 1002 - Critical Thinking & Reading. At orientation, students will select from among themed sections of this course taught by carefully selected faculty.

  • SAT Reading sub score: 26
  • ACT Reading: 20
  • Accuplacer Next Gen Reading: 250 

Other students will select from among themed sections of General Studies freshman seminars at orientation.

FRST 1002 - Critical Thinking & Reading:

This course will count as a Freshman Seminar. Students need to earn a C or better in the class. Credits count towards graduation. Students will take this class in their first semester. Learn more about First-Year Studies courses and policies.

Writing

All incoming first-year students are required to take a writing course (W1) in their first year.

Students entering with fewer than 16 earned credits and scoring below the following marks will place into FRST 1101 - College Writing as their first-year writing course. Students will select a section at orientation.

  • SAT Writ/Language sub score: 27
  • ACT English: 20
  • Accuplacer Next Gen Writing: 250 

Students who place out of FRST 1101 - College Writing will select their first-year writing course at orientation, enrolling in a writing course such as FRST 2120 - Rhetoric and Composition or FRST 2051 - Argument and Persuasion.

FRST 1101 - College Writing: 

This course fulfills a student’s first-year writing (W1) requirement. Students need to earn a C or better in the class. Credits count towards graduation. Learn more about First-Year Studies courses and policies.

Mathematics

All incoming first-year students are required to take a mathematics course (Q1) in their first year.

Some students will be exempt from math placement testing. Please view our Placement Testing page for more details.

Students with a SAT Math score below 570, ACT Math score below 24, or no SAT/ACT scores must first take the Next-Generation Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics Accuplacer (APQS) test to further refine math placement. 

Performance on the QAS test may also qualify students to take the Advanced Algebra and Functions Accuplacer (APAA) test for those students who desire to test into MATH 1100 - Precalculus or MATH 2215 - Calculus I.

 

Mathematical Thinking (FRST 1102)

 

Next-Generation Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics (APQS) Accuplacer: Below 235

Quantitative Reasoning (FRST 1103) 

 meets 4-5 days a week with class 2 or 3 days and 55 minute workshop, required, two days.

Next-Generation Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics (APQS) Accuplacer: 235 to 255

Choice of Q1 Course - (Consult an Advisor Based on Your Intended Major)

SAT: 570 & Above

ACT: 24 & Above

 

Next-Generation Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics (APQS) Accuplacer: 256 and above

This score also qualifies a student to take the Accuplacer Next-Gen Advanced Algebra and Functions (APAA) test to try to test into Precalculus or Calculus.

Precalculus Mathematics (MATH 1100)

SAT: 570 to 610

ACT: 24 to 27

 

Next-Gen Advanced Algebra and Functions (APAA) Accuplacer: 260 to 284

Calculus I (MATH 2215)

SAT: 620 and above

ACT: 28 and above

 
Next-Gen Advanced Algebra and Functions (APAA) Accuplacer: 285 and above

Stockton also accepts both dual credit and AP scores for placement into higher level math courses. Specifically, for Precalculus, Calculus I, and Calculus II, Stockton accepts dual credit earned from a high school that partners with Stockton.

Stockton accepts AP scores 4 and 5 on the Calculus AB test for placement into Calculus II and AP scores 4 and 5 on the Calculus BC test for placement into Calculus III. For further information about dual credit and AP mathematics placement at Stockton contact Dr. Chia-Lin Wu.

FRST 1102 - Mathematical Thinking:

Because this course contains material that is considered pre-college, credit for this course will count toward the degree but not as a first-year mathematics (Q1) credit. Students need to earn a C or better in the class and then register for FRST 1103 - Quantitative Reasoning their next semester. Learn more about First-Year Studies courses and policies.

 

FRST 1103 - Quantitative Reasoning:

Prerequisite: Not open to students who transfer 16 or more credits. Quantitative Reasoning Intensive course (Q1). This course is designed to help first-year students become quantitatively literate citizens and consumers, and to prepare them for future courses in algebra and statistics. Heavy emphasis is placed on quantitative reasoning within real-life scenarios. Topics include financial literacy, algebraic reasoning with linear and exponential functions, introductory probability, introductory statistics, and other numerical reasoning topics. Foundational mathematical skills are reinforced in the context of the above topics. Grade C or better is required to satisfy the University’s competency requirement.

Students need to earn a C or better in the class. Credits count towards graduation. This course fulfills a student’s freshman mathematics (Q1) requirement. Learn more about First-Year Studies courses and policies.

 

GNM 2310/FRST 2310 - Algebraic Problem Solving

 

GNM 1126 - Intermediate Algebra

 

MATH 1100 - Precalculus

 

MATH 2215 - Calculus

Mathematics is the foundation of 21st century science. In order to declare for the following majors, students must earn placement into Precalculus or a higher-level math course:

All majors in the School of Health Sciences

All majors in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Computer Science in the School of Business

This requirement helps prepare students for Chemistry and other science courses that have set Precalculus as either a pre-requisite or a co-requisite.

Students may earn placement into Precalculus Mathematics through any of the following means:

  • SAT Math score of 570 and above.

  • ACT Math score of 24 and above.

  • Transferring a college-level algebra course. To view how your credits may transfer from another institution, visit our Transfer Equivalency page.

  • Advanced Algebra and Functions (APAA) Accuplacer score of 260 or higher.

    • Incoming first-year students who must complete placement testing to be admitted into one of the math or science majors above will take the General Admission Test Sequence.

      • Students will first complete the Quantitative Reasoning Algebra and Statistics (APQS) test. To continue to the Advanced Algebra (APAA) section, students must score a 256 or higher on the APQS Accuplacer.

        • If a student scores below 256, the test session will end after the APQS Accuplacer because the test-taker is not eligible to go on to the more difficult APAA section.

Advanced Placement (AP) credits can also satisfy the necessary mathematics requirements for STEM majors at Stockton. Refer to our AP credits policies linked here.

Languages

For students interested in majoring in a world language, refer to the information below.

Students who plan to take French, Spanish, German, or Italian at Stockton should take the language placement test. Students interested in Ancient Greek or Latin should inquire at languages@stockton.edu.