Data Science - Math Preparation - Distance Calculus Winter 2025 Online Course

Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University offers Precalculus, Calculus I/II, Multivariable, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Probability Theory (Calculus-based Statistics) during every Winter term.

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 Preparation for Data Science 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 Data Science - Math Preparation - Distance 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 Preparation for Data Science from Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University:

Earning Real Academic Credits for Calculus






Applied Calculus vs Calculus I



Preparation for Data Science can best be described as a "a cross between a mathematician/statistician and a programmer ".

This topic has many names, all being equivalent:
  • Applied Statistics
  • Data Science
  • Big Data
  • Programmer+Mathematician

Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University can help prepare you for a study of Data Science - either for a degree in Data Science or perhaps a certificate - by helping you complete the core mathematics courses necessary for starting a Data Science degree or certificate.

If you wish to become a Data Scientist, you will need to develop both strong programming skills, and have a very strong mathematics background.

There are no short-cuts for Data Science. You just can't learn Python and then pretend you are a Data Scientist because you watched a few videos on running data sets through Python! You NEED a very strong mathematics background that includes ALL of the following courses:







Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Jenny Zuercher★★★★
Posted: May 18, 2025
Courses Completed: Precalculus, Calculus II
Dr. Curtis's courses are very difficult, but they are definitely worth it! I took Calculus 2 from Dr. Curtis in my senior year of high school and went into a combined Calculus 2 and Calculus 3 course my first year of college. This course prepared me, and I found that I already knew much of the Calculus 3 coursework. The most difficult part of these courses, in my opinion, is pacing yourself. If you can keep yourself on track, then you are all good to go!
Email: jenz2.home@icloud.com
Transferred Credits To: University of Iowa
Bill K.★★★★★
Posted: Dec 20, 2019
Courses Completed: Calculus I, Calculus II, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra
I took the whole calculus series and Linear Algebra via Distance Calculus. Dr. Curtis spent countless hours messaging back and forth with me, answering every question, no matter how trivial they might seem. Dr. Curtis is extremely responsive, especially if the student is curious and is willing to work hard. I don't think I ever waited much more than a day for Dr. Curtis to get a notebook back to me. Dr. Curtis would also make videos of concepts if I was really lost.

The course materials are fantastic. If you are a student sitting on the fence, trying to decide between a normal classroom class or Distance Calculus classes with Livemath and Mathematica, my choice would be the Distance Calculus classes every time. The Distance Calculus classes are more engaging. The visual aspects of the class notebooks are awesome. You get the hand calculation skills you need.

The best summary I can give is to say, given the opportunity, I would put my own son's math education in Dr. Curtis's hands.
Transferred Credits To: None
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
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
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
Emmy★★★★★
Posted: May 26, 2025
Courses Completed: Applied Calculus
Distance Calculus was the perfect answer to getting ahead in math over the summer of my junior year in HS. I was able to complete the entire course over the summer. The teacher was responsive and the course was understandable. Highly recommend.
Transferred Credits To: Syracuse University
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