Does Queen's University accept Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL?

💡Expert's Take

“REAL CREDIT — BUT CHECK YOUR CALCULUS STREAM

The Good News:

For Arts & Science (Life Sci, General Science), Queen's awards MATH 121 (6.0 units) for IB Math AA HL (Score 5+). This is a full-year calculus credit that clears the requirement for most science majors.

What MATH 121 Actually Is:

It is "Applied Calculus" (Derivatives, Integrals, Modeling). It focuses on solving problems for science, not writing proofs for mathematicians.

Who Should PAUSE (or STOP) Before Taking It:

Smith Engineering: STOP. Smith Engineering explicitly grants NO CREDIT for IB Mathematics HL. You cannot use this to skip APSC 171/172. It does not count toward your degree.

Math/Physics Majors: DANGER. As the official policy states, "Students who wish to access a degree Plan in Mathematics must take MATH 120."

The Trap: MATH 121 is an exclusion to MATH 120. If you accept the credit, you are technically barred from the theoretical calculus stream required for your major.

The Fix: You must forfeit the credit and take MATH 120.

Smith Commerce: This credit is a strategic win. Commerce students need 6.0 units of non-Commerce electives. MATH 121 satisfies this perfectly.

Note: It likely does not replace your core COMM 161 (Business Calculus) requirement, but it clears your elective bucket instantly.

The 30-Second Decision Rule:

Check your degree plan.

If it says "MATH 121" or "100-level Calculus" → Take the credit.

If it says "MATH 120" or "APSC 171" → Decline/Ignore the credit and take the class.

Bottom Line:

This credit is a massive schedule win for Life Science and Commerce students (as an elective), but useless for Engineers and a potential trap for Math majors.”