University of North Dakota Online Calculus versus Distance Calculus

Another Calculus online program available on the internet is from the University of North Dakota (UND).

UND's Calculus online program is quite different than Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University.

As reported by former UND Calculus course students, the UND Calculus course is centered on using a traditional paper textbook, having the student work through the textbook problems, and utilize the Calculus videos from Khan Academy to supplement the textbook.

In contrast, Distance Calculus is quite a different course in so many ways! Our video library of instructions is tied DIRECTLY to our own curriculum (Calculus&LiveMath), and using a computer algebra graphing software (LiveMath) as the cornerstone of the coursework platform, quite unlike a regular paper Calculus textbook. We use our own course management system (CMS), which is not Moodle nor Blackboard nor any of the other CMS's you may have had contact with previously.

For many students, a paper-textbook-centered course structure may work for them. If you are good at reading a paper textbook, working through the textbook problems, and watching Khan Academy videos to help out, then UND's course may be a very good choice for you.

UND's Calculus I (Math 165) course is less expensive (tuition: $1368) than Distance Calculus Calculus I (tuition: $1782 + e-text/software $115). So if you are looking for the lowest price course, UND is the less expensive option.

Distance Calculus is designed to facilitate tremendous interaction between student and instructor via the exchange of these LiveMath (and Mathematica for the higher courses) notebooks, back and forth, back and forth, until the student work is 100% correct and complete. Explore below in more detail (in video format) the Distance Calculus courses, and write us if you have any questions!

Student interaction with the instructor(s) is via this computer algebra notebook exchange, but also on sharing screen-cast recorded movies back and forth, which solves many "I'm stuck and writing out my question is not working out!", and then also real-time chat back and forth with the instructor(s) on Skype chat.

Is Distance Calculus For You?

Distance Calculus Success Indicators

Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Date Posted: May 17, 2025
Review by: Colin Donahoe
Student Email: colindonahoe4@gmail.com
Courses Completed: Calculus II
Review: Dr. Curtis's lessons were well taught, and livemath wasn't too bad once you understood it. Some of the assignments were pretty difficult and required some more explanation, which was hard to get outside of the given lessons.
Transferred Credits to: Saint Joseph's Univesity

Date Posted: Nov 20, 2025
Review by: John
Courses Completed: Precalculus, Applied Calculus
Review: 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)

Date Posted: Mar 17, 2020
Review by: Rebecca M.
Courses Completed: Calculus II, Multivariable Calculus
Review: Fantastic courses! I barely made it through Cal 1, and halfway through Cal 2 I found this program. I took Cal 2 and then Multivariable and I just loved it! SOOOOOOO much better than a classroom+textbook class. I highly recommend!
Transferred Credits to: Tulane University

Distance Calculus - Curriculum Exploration

Rational Polynomial Functions

P6: Rational Polynomial Functions:

P6.1: Reciprocating

P6.2: Polynomial Over Polynomial

P6.3: Rational Polynomial Equations

P6.4: Rational Polynomials Revisited

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Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Anonymous☆☆☆☆☆

Posted: Dec 31, 1969

Anonymous★★★★☆

Posted: Jan 12, 2020

Courses Completed: Calculus I, Calculus II

I needed to brush up on my high school calculus and finally take Calc II before starting a graduate program that needed them as prereqs. This was perfect choice to fit in that summer. Got done at fast pace that I wanted and needed. Also had added bonus of one on one feedback and help when needed. Video lessons were better than many on campus instructors in large lecture settings. Recommend for anyone needing to satisfy prereqs at home institution.

Transferred Credits To: University of Michigan

Anonymous☆☆☆☆☆

Posted: Dec 31, 1969

Teddy M.★★★★☆

Posted: Feb 28, 2020

Courses Completed: Precalculus, Calculus I

Pros: once you get going, you can go really fast. The visual textbook is pretty cool. The instructors were very responsive.
Cons: the movies are great, but the software crashes more than it should. Sometimes it is just a hassle doing things in the software instead of on paper, but once I got used to the software, it was ok.

Transferred Credits To: Texas Christian University

Howard B.★★★★★

Posted: May 17, 2025

Courses Completed: Applied Calculus

I truly loved this class—it's one of the most enjoyable math courses I’ve ever taken.

Pros:

-- Exceptional Instruction and Support: Dr. Curtis was incredibly responsive and helpful whenever I had questions. The TA was also very supportive, and thanks to their guidance, I was proud to earn a 100% in the course—even without having taken pre-calculus beforehand.

-- Innovative Software Platform: The custom software used in the course made a huge difference for me. I found it intuitive and engaging, and it helped reinforce the concepts in a way traditional textbooks never did.

-- Thorough, Rigorous Curriculum: The structure of the course really pushed me to stay organized and plan ahead. I felt like I was being challenged in all the right ways.

Potential Considerations for Others:

-- Requires Strong Time Management: If you haven’t taken pre-calc, like me, you’ll need to be extra proactive. The course can move quickly if you need, and pacing yourself is essential.

-- Software Learning Curve: While I personally loved the software, students who aren’t comfortable adapting to new digital tools might need a bit of extra time upfront to get used to it.

-- Helpful to Have Supplementary Resources: One improvement might be to offer a short list of "starter resources" (videos, concept overviews, etc.) for students who need a broader intro to calculus before diving in.

Overall, I highly recommend this course to motivated students, especially those comfortable with self-paced learning and open to using new tools. Dr. Curtis is a fantastic instructor, and the course setup really works.

Transferred Credits To: MIT

Lucas L.★★★★★

Posted: Jun 25, 2026

Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus

The professor as well as the TAs give great feedback when you need help with problems and the videos are great at explaining concepts. Return time on work is good and the work is not too much to handle.

Transferred Credits To: University of Wisconsin

Hari K.★★★★☆

Posted: Jun 24, 2026

Courses Completed: Linear Algebra

This course gives a perspective on Linear algebra that no traditional course does. I’d say i gained much more intuition for this subject from the DC course than my friends who took traditional courses elsewhere. As a cs major, this version of learning with visualization has helped me a lot in understand ML models. However the course doesn’t have videos for the last 2 chapers so i had to self learn with the mathematica notebooks. Response times are a little slow but since it’s a remote class, i guess it’s justified. Overall amazing course and definitely take this over traditional lin alg classes.

Julia★★★★★

Posted: Jun 24, 2026

Courses Completed: Calculus I

As a full-time business owner completing an Executive MBA, I needed to satisfy a calculus prerequisite without putting my work on hold. Distance Calculus made that possible. The fully self-paced structure let me work early mornings and weekends around an unpredictable schedule, which a fixed-semester classroom course never would have allowed.
The course covered the core business calculus material thoroughly — derivatives, optimization, integration techniques including u-substitution, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, improper integrals, and numerical methods. The LiveMath computer algebra environment was central to the experience: it forced me to build each step explicitly rather than just arriving at an answer, which actually deepened my understanding of the mechanics.
Communication through the student portal was responsive when I had questions. For working professionals who need a rigorous, accredited calculus course on a flexible timeline, I'd recommend it.

Transferred Credits To: MIT Ebma