Just Equations Research Fellow Alexis Robin Hale contributes to Inside Higher Ed’s Beyond Transfer column, highlighting the issue of inconsistent math requirements across California’s public universities.
Hale shares new research, a supplement to the A Complex Equation report with Program Associate Zachary Fauconier, which evaluates math requirements for four popular majors across all University of California and California State University campuses. The analysis shows significant variation in both the number of courses and specific courses required for highly sought-after majors, including biology, computer science, business, and psychology. She illustrates how the transfer maze frequently creates barriers for students, sharing her own personal experience in the California system.
“Both STEM and non-STEM students risk becoming tangled in confusing requirements that could deter them from attending a four-year college altogether… The question for educators and advocates is: Where can we, collectively, identify the unnecessary dead ends and establish clear pathways for all students? That is the opportunity ahead of us and how we can turn California’s transfer maze into a direct route to student success.”
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