Minimum Mathematical Needs of Prospective Students in a College of Engineering

There are several reasons why some students enter a college of engineering lacking adequate preparation in mathematics. One is that the mathematical needs of such students have not been clearly defined. It seems to be an auspicious hypothesis to assume that, if these needs are identified in some specificity and high school mathematics teachers apprized of them, students can be better prepared for collegiate work. Acting on this hypothesis, a study was conducted to discover the minimum mathematical needs of students who expect to enter the College of Engineering of the University of Illinois. Since the curricula and course content of most colleges of engineering tend to be similar, it is assumed that, in the absence of other data, these needs will serve very well to indicate “what it takes” in most colleges of engineering.