Coursera Calculus versus Distance Calculus

Coursera is a consortium of various universities (University of Pennsylvania, University of Sydney, et al) where their various online course offerings are presented together in one central location for students to find courses to take online.

One Calculus I course from Coursera is from University of Pennsylvania - it is a set of lectures from one of their professors, which receives great reviews as shown on that page.

Can you get academic credits for this Coursera Calculus I ? It is free - definitely cheaper than Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University $1732 tuition fee.

This question is quite simply: no. But they mention this big "maybe" compare coursera to distance calculus

A "certificate" of any form like this is not the same as accredited, transferable academic credits!

As far as we can tell, you cannot earn real, transferable academic credits by taking an Coursera Calculus course.

Earning Real Academic Credits for Calculus

Applied Calculus vs Calculus I

Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Date Posted: Apr 6, 2020
Review by: Paul Simmons
Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations
Review: I took Multivariable and Diff Eq during the summer. The DiffEq course was awesome - very useful for my physics and engineering course. I was unsure about Mathematica at first, but I got the hang of it quickly. Thank you Distance Calculus!
Transferred Credits to: University of Oregon

Date Posted: May 7, 2025
Review by: Chris M.
Student Email: chrismillermd@me.com
Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Probability Theory
Review: I've taken Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Probability Theory through Distance Calculus. All four courses were awesome. Dr. Curtis and the TA's were very responsive and helpful. The biggest advantage of these courses, compared to taking a traditional course, is that in addition to the theory, I was forced to also think computationally. I have become quite adept at using LiveMath and Mathematica for doing calculations and plots. All of the courses were accepted for credit transfer (Johns Hopkins University)
Transferred Credits to: Johns Hopkins University

Date Posted: Jan 15, 2021
Review by: Rachel H.
Courses Completed: Probability Theory
Review: 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

Distance Calculus - Curriculum Exploration

Inequalities & Absolute Value

P11: Inequalities & Absolute Value:

P11.1: 1D Inequalities

P11.2: 2D Inequalities

P11.3: Systems of 2D Inequalities

P11.4: Absolute Value

P11.5: 3D Inequalities

Course Information

How Distance Calculus Courses Work

HONORS Courses

Frequent Questions

Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Anonymous☆☆☆☆☆

Posted: Dec 31, 1969

Jessica M.★★★★★

Posted: Feb 25, 2020

Courses Completed: Applied Calculus

I highly recommend this course. I started the Kennedy School at Harvard with a last-minute admission, but my application required the Liberal Arts calculus course, so I had to finish the course in 3 weeks. Diane was an awesome instructor! The class was surprisingly interesting. If you need to take calculus fast, this is the program to use.

Transferred Credits To: Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Harlan E.★★★★★

Posted: Apr 29, 2020

Courses Completed: Calculus I, Calculus II

I did not do well in AP Calculus during my senior year in high school. Instead of trying to cram for the AP exam, I decided to jump ship and go to Distance Calculus to complete Calculus I. This was awesome! I finished Calculus I in about 6 weeks, and then I kept going into Calculus II. I started as a freshman at UCLA with both Calculus I and II done!

Transferred Credits To: University of California, Los Angeles

Henry R.★★★★★

Posted: Jul 12, 2021

Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus

Fantastic and unique course, particularly good for visual/spatial thinkers. The course forces you to develop a real conceptual understanding of the math concepts, as opposed to just teaching math formulas like other courses tend to do.

There is a steep learning curve early on to get used to the software and the kind of course this is.

Ultimately, I feel like what I learned will allow me to actually use the math and build upon it in the future. If you care about learning, rather than just passing a requirement, this is a great course for you.

Transferred Credits To: Harvard University

Henry F.★★★★★

Posted: Dec 18, 2025

Courses Completed: Differential Equations

Transferred Credits To: Saint Joseph High School

John ★★★★★

Posted: Nov 20, 2025

Courses Completed: Precalculus, Applied Calculus

Great course. Professor Curtis and the TAs graded quickly and gave really helpful feedback that made the class feel smooth and manageable. Definitely recommend it.

Transferred Credits To: Binghamton University (School of Managment)

Trevor★★★★★

Posted: Jun 19, 2025

Courses Completed: Calculus I

POSITIVES:
One of the best math classes I have ever taken. The lessons made the failures of my previous professors very apparent. In a few short minutes, things that I used to struggle with just clicked. This professor is top notch and really wants you to understand how to use the material.
NEGATIVES:
The SOFTWARE is extremely frustrating. Even after taking the time to learn, there are countless glitches. You learn to work around them, and overall, the software makes the math convenient, but its failures are sorely felt throughout the course. Make sure you save often as it crashes regularly, especially with graphs.
The assignments are easy enough but some of them don't line up with the taught material. Be prepared to do some of your own independent research to get a deeper understanding of why things are the way they are.

Transferred Credits To: US Army