AP Calculus vs Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University Summer 2026 Online Calculus Academic Credits

Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University operates 24/7/365 with open enrollment outside of the traditional academic calendar. We offer all of our courses during the Summer, Fall, Winter, before semesters traditionally start, after semesters start, during vacation weeks ... I think you get the idea :)
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If you wish to complete a AP Calculus vs Distance Calculus course online, make sure you take this course from a regionally accredited college/university so that the credits you earn from this course will actually transfer to your home college/university.

The free courses available from the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) like edX, Coursera, Udacity, Khan Academy, MIT Open Courseware, etc. are really excellent courses, but they do NOT result in transferrable academic credits from an accredited university!

There are more than a few actual colleges/universities offering AP Calculus vs Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University courses online. Be careful as you investigate these courses - they may not fit your needs for actual course instruction and timing. Most require you enroll and engage your course during their standard academic semesters. Most will have you use a publisher's "automated textbook" which is .... um .... well, if you like that kind of thing, then you have a few options over there at those schools.

Distance Calculus is all about real university-level calculus courses - that's all we do! We have been running these courses for 20+ years, so we know how to get students through the these courses fast fast fast!

Here is a video about earning real academic credits in AP Calculus vs Distance Calculus from Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University:

Earning Real Academic Credits for Calculus

Applied Calculus vs Calculus I

Video: Skip (or Not Pass) The AP® Calculus Exam?

Are you thinking about skipping the AP® Calculus exam? Or perhaps you took the AP® Calculus exam AB or BC, but you did not score a high enough grade to earn college credits at your new college or university? Distance Calculus is an excellent option to consider for taking the next set of classes - Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and/or Probability Theory (Calculus-Based Statistics), and skipping over the AP® Calculus AB (Calculus I) and BC (Calculus II) course structures.

Video: Distance Calculus - After AP® Calculus

Have you completed the AP® Calculus AB and/or BC course? Many high school students complete these AP Calculus courses during their junior year, leaving their senior year without any math courses. One idea to consider is taking the second-year Distance Calculus courses during your high school senior year, to further your math requirement completions. Many high school seniors take Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and/or Probability Theory (Calculus-Based Statistics), with some students finishing all of their calculus requirements before they start at their new college/university as freshman!

What About AP® Calculus?

If you are a high school student, you may be faced with the challenge of the AP - Advanced Placement - Calculus Exam administered by The College Board.

After taking your high school calculus course, you are able to earn college credit by passing the AB Calculus and/or BC Calculus exams.

Distance Calculus is a calculus course, and is roughly equivalent - in terms of the calculus topics covered - to your high school calculus course, much the same way any Calculus I course at any college or university is roughly equivalent to your high school calculus course.

Unlike your high school calculus course, when you complete a Distance Calculus course, you do not have to take an additional examination to receive college credit - you EARN college credit by completing the Distance Calculus course!

So, in this big huge regard, completing a Distance Calculus course is better than completing your high school calculus course, because upon completion, you get real university credits for a real university course rather than having to take an extra (high pressure, high stakes) examination.

Are There Advantages To Taking the AP Exam Over Distance Calculus?

Many high schools reward students for taking AP Calculus and passing the AP Calculus exam via "extra grade points", thus potentially inflating your G.P.A. beyond a "4.0". Your high school may allow for this, others do not. You should check with your high school counselor to see if such "rewards" apply.

Students who are seeking academic-based scholarships are keen to maximize their G.P.A. in all ways possible. If your high school provides for increasing your G.P.A. via taking AP-level courses and passing the AP exams, and you need to maximize your G.P.A. in this way, then it is obvious that you need to follow the AP course and exam path, rather than Distance Calculus.

Will Distance Calculus Prepare Me For the AP Calculus Exam?

In some ways: Yes. In other ways: No.

Distance Calculus will teach you the academic content in Calculus I, II, etc. In this way, Distance Calculus will prepare you for the AP Calculus exam by teaching you the topics in calculus that will be on these exams.

Commonly, AP Calculus courses in high schools have a significant component - usually the last 2 months of the course - where the focus is on exam prep. Distance Calculus does not have an "exam prep" component to aid those students wishing to take the AP Calculus Exam.

There are many great "exam prep" services out there, including HyperLearning, Kaplan, and The Princeton Review. These services can be "pricey", but these companies are experts in coaching students on preparing for these exams.

Distance Calculus does not offer these services. If you need AP Calculus exam prep, we recommend hiring the services of one of these companies.

Of course, if you complete your calculus coursework via Distance Calculus in high school, and you do not need (or are not allowed) to amplify your G.P.A. with AP courses and exams, you do not NEED to take the AP Calculus exam, because you will (upon successful completion of a Distance Calculus course) earn real university credits without the AP exam.

Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Catherine M.★★★★★

Posted: Apr 5, 2020

Courses Completed: Calculus I

Calculus I from Distance Calculus was wonderful! I took AB Calculus in high school, but I didn't take the AP Calc exam. Instead I took Calculus I with Distance Calculus, and it was so much better! It was a little review of topics, but not really. I really understood calculus when I finished!

Transferred Credits To: University of Chicago

Rachel H.★★★★★

Posted: Jan 15, 2021

Courses Completed: Probability Theory

Dr. Curtis gave helpful and timely feedback, and made the teaching videos very engaging! The course model and associated software was easy to acclimate to.

Transferred Credits To: Cedarville University

Ian M.★★★★★

Posted: May 18, 2025

Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus

Distance Calculus was a life saver! I needed an accredited program to complete multi-variable calculus for grad school and at the time was an American living in England. Being able to take the course on my own timeline, from my own home, was amazing! The content was thorough and the visualization exercises were very helpful for comprehension and understanding. This was an exceptionally, affordable, thorough, and convenient course that I found a lot of value in and I’m thankful it was available to me!

Transferred Credits To: Air Force Institute of Technology

M M.★★★★★

Posted: Feb 8, 2026

Courses Completed: Precalculus, Calculus I

The courses were excellent. Very flexible and engaging and the platform offers a lot of upper-level courses. Dr. Curtis is an outstanding professor and very responsive. I would take again.

Transferred Credits To: None yet

Tanja B.★★★★★

Posted: Jan 28, 2026

Courses Completed: Calculus I

After two failed attempts at my university, this course helped me understand Calculus. The live maths tool along with Dr. Curtis were especially helpful, allowing me to visualize concepts and expand my understanding. The explanations were clear, the examples practical, and I could learn at my own pace, which built my confidence. Thank you.

Transferred Credits To: University of Namibia

Henry F.★★★★★

Posted: Dec 18, 2025

Courses Completed: Differential Equations

Transferred Credits To: Saint Joseph High School