Khan Academy Calculus versus Distance Calculus Academic Credits

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!

If you wish to complete a 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.

There are more than a few actual colleges/universities offering Calculus 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 Calculus from Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University:

Earning Real Academic Credits for Calculus

Applied Calculus vs Calculus I

Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Date Posted: May 18, 2025
Review by: Laura T.
Courses Completed: Linear Algebra
Review: I completed the Linear Algebra course as a prerequisite to an M.Ed program in Mathematics. I worked entirely at my own pace, it was cheap, I actually learned the material. This was not a "pay your fee, take your B" type of class. I had to demonstrate true understanding in order to earn credit. Dr. Curtis was responsive and helpful when I had questions. All in all I would recommend this course and any other Distance Calculus course.
Transferred Credits to: James Madison University

Date Posted: Jun 19, 2025
Review by: Trevor
Courses Completed: Calculus I
Review: 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

Date Posted: Jan 12, 2020
Review by: Mark Neiberg
Courses Completed: Calculus I, Calculus II, Multivariable Calculus
Review: Curriculum was high quality and allowed student to experiment with concepts which resulted in an enjoyable experience. Assignment Feedback was timely and meaningful.

Distance Calculus - Curriculum Exploration

Quadratic Functions

P4: Quadratic Functions:

P4.1: Quadratic Algebraic Functions

P4.2: Quadratic Data

P4.3: Quadratic Equations

P4.4: Quadratic Graphs

P4.5: Quadratic Functions Revisited

Course Information

How Distance Calculus Courses Work

HONORS Courses

Frequent Questions

Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Anonymous☆☆☆☆☆

Posted: Dec 31, 1969

Anonymous★★★★★

Posted: Jan 12, 2020

Courses Completed: Calculus I

This course is amazing! I took it as a requirement for admission to an MBA program, and couldn't have been happier with the quality and rigor of the course. I previously took calculus two times (at a public high school and then a large public university commonly cited as a "public ivy"), this course was by far the best and *finally* made the concepts click. Previously I had no idea what was going on because terrible PhD students were teaching the course and saying stuff like "a derivative is the slope of a tangent line" - ??? but what does that mean ???, but the instructors in the Shorter University course explain everything in ways where it FINALLY made sense (e.g., "imagine a roller coaster hitting the top of a hill, there's a moment where it shifts momentum and you're not accelerating or decelerating, that's what a 0 rate of change is - that's when the derivative would be zero"). They explain everything in multiple ways and relate it to other concepts. It all made perfect sense when I finally had a good instructor. Really recommend this class

Transferred Credits To: The Wharton School, UPenn

Anonymous☆☆☆☆☆

Posted: Dec 31, 1969

Daniel Marasco★★★★★

Posted: Jan 13, 2020

Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus

This course was more affordable than many, and the flexible format was terrific for me, as I am inclined to work very diligently on tasks on my own. It could be dangerous for a person who requires external discipline more, but it works well for self-starters, allowing you to prioritize when you have other pressing work. I was a full time teacher adding a math certification, and this course allowed me to master the math while working around my teaching schedule and fitting work into moments here and there when I had time. I was able to transfer the credits to Montana State University, Bozeman for my teaching internship program without a hitch. The instructors were all very helpful and patient, even when I failed to see a ridiculously simple solution on one problem after 20 emails back and forth. Overall, I was more pleased with my experience in this class than I was with any of my other 9 courses.

Transferred Credits To: Montana State University, Bozeman

Taylor C.★★★★★

Posted: May 27, 2025

Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus

Im a visual learner and had a difficult time understanding multivariable calculus my first go around, and found this course offered by Roger Williams University, which uses real-time 3d graphing of the equations. I would see my work be manipulating the models, which gave a robust understanding of what each variable did. absolutely loved the course and class recordings.

Transferred Credits To: Califorina Baptist University

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