Information for Incoming Freshmen AND Current Students Thinking of Declaring a CSAM Major
Here you will find important scheduling information for first-year students, and matriculated students thinking about declaring a CSAM major.
Please review the following information before meeting with your advisor to discuss.
If you are thinking about declaring a CSAM major:
Because of the structured nature of the curricula, it is recommended to begin taking the prerequisite/major coursework early on. This is important for staying on track for graduation. See department links below for major-specific guidelines/curriculum.
First-year students will be placed in a math class based on their application materials. If you have completed or are currently enrolled in a math course at a college – through a dual enrollment program with your high school or AP – then you must email csamssc@montclair.edu as soon as possible with the course and grade/score that you expect to receive or have earned.
Current students seeking placement in Mathematics or Chemistry courses should fill out the Math and Chemistry Placement Form. Your information will be verified by an advisor in the CSAM Student Success Center. The department will then contact you to let you know which course(s) will be appropriate placement(s) for you after submitting the form.
- For incoming freshmen placed into MATH100 and/or CHEM106 – it would be optimal to try to take these courses over the summer.
- For CHEM106, a chemistry readiness test score below 15 and a C- or better in MATH100, or place into a higher level math course are required.
- For students who take CHEM106 and do not pass, or are just making the minimum grade of C-, it will be important to determine what is preventing better performance. A solid foundation in CHEM106 is imperative for success in additional chemistry courses, and therefore in majors requiring chemistry.
Although you may hear you should get Gen Ed’s out of the way in your first and second year, this is not recommended for STEM majors.
- It’s most important to get prerequisite course work started and move into major course work as soon as possible.
- Be sure to review the required collateral coursework for the major.
- Not only do CSAM majors have many credits to complete, it’s also advantageous to begin taking needed courses as soon as possible to make sure the major is a good fit. It is much easier to switch from a CSAM major into another major if desired, rather than the other way around!
Please click on the links below for specific information for your intended major: