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Differential Equations Course - Distance Calculus Course Information

Differential Equations course can best be described as a "first course in the study of differential equations of a single independent variable".

This course has many names, all being equivalent:
  • Ordinary Differential Equations
  • Introductory Differential Equations
  • Differential Equations of a Single Variable
  • DiffyQ !


Our Differential Equations course differs from a classroom/textbook-based course in that we employ Mastery Learning so that you complete all assignments at 100% to assure competancy, as well as our curriculum shifting the course to a laboratory-style course, where theorem/lemma/proof type exposition is replaced by running experiments in Mathematica as you would in a science laboratory to empirically deduce the concepts and behaviors of differential equations, both solvable (classically) via hand-based techiques, as well as studying differential equations that can only be solved and investigated graphically and numerically using a computer.


At Distance Calculus, we call our "Differential Equations" course as Differential Equations - DMAT 321 - 3 credits.

Below are some links for further information about the Differential Equations course via Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University.






Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Allie★★★★★
Posted: May 17, 2025
Courses Completed: Calculus I
This Calculus class saved my life! I needed to take this class to be able to secure a spot in my grad school program, and this was perfect for me - super flexible to my schedule, the teaching was great, and the material was super clear.

I felt like I really learned Calculus and also really enjoyed it!
Malia K.★★★★
Posted: Mar 16, 2020
Courses Completed: Applied Calculus
Course was good and fast. I don't like math so I can't say it was fun or anything. Grader was very nice. Software was ok.
Transferred Credits To: University of Maine
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
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
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