First-Year Math and Physics Courses and their Role in Predicting Academic Success in Subsequent Courses

This paper builds on the previous literature, primarily studies at large public institutions, by exploring the role that first-year math and physics courses play in the persistence and success of undergraduate engineering students in the context of a small private business, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (BSTEM) only university. Literature has identified math and physics aptitude as predictors of academic success in college. Additional literature has indicated that there is the potential for overload through students taking too many courses in their first year; however the presence of a corequisite calculus and physics requirement provides an opportunity for the transfer of math knowledge to a different context. Findings from logistic regressions and group comparisons on institutional data from engineering students enrolled between 2001 and 2010 indicate that there are no significant differences in course grades between students that took calculus as a prerequisite versus as a corequisite, however students that had lower course loads during the semester they took Calculus I were more likely to graduate with a degree from the university, though not necessarily in engineering. Additionally, Physics I course grades appear to be a predictor of persistence in engineering and subsequent Physics II course and corequisite Calculus I grades. The findings provide information that can be used by other institutions of similar size and scope to examine the structure of their first year courses in engineering, initiate university policies, and develop interventions to support math, physics, and overall graduation success.