Calculus 3 vs Multivariable Calculus: the Same Course?

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Math 3654 creditsNCCRS recommended

Calculus 3 vs Multivariable Calculus: the same course?

Usually, yes: Calculus 3 and Multivariable Calculus are two names for the course that follows single-variable calculus; some colleges call it Calculus of Several Variables or Calculus and Vector Analysis. UPI Study's Calculus 3 (Math 365) covers the standard multivariable topics, from vectors and partial derivatives to multiple integrals and Green's, Stokes' and the Divergence Theorem.

Calculus 3 course

Math 365 Β· 4 credits Β· NCCRS

Calculus 3

Self-paced and online: vectors in space, partial derivatives, multiple integrals and vector calculus.

The same subject, another name

Multivariable Calculus

Also called Calculus of Several Variables or Calculus and Vector Analysis: the course after Calculus 1 and 2.

Names and numbers differ from college to college.

Same course?
Usually, yes
Check
Your college's description vs the syllabus
Credit
4 semester hours (NCCRS)

What you learn

The topics from the Texas common course description of Calculus III, every one of them in Math 365.

The standard Calculus III topics

  • Vectors and vector-valued functions
  • Partial differentiation
  • Lagrange multipliers
  • Multiple integrals and Jacobians
  • Line integrals and Green's Theorem
  • Stokes' and the Divergence Theorem

Names colleges use

  • Calculus III
  • Multivariable Calculus
  • Calculus of Several Variables
  • Calculus and Vector Analysis

Side by side

The standard Calculus III topics, and where Math 365 covers them
 In Texas's Calculus III?In Math 365
Vectors and vector-valued functionsYesChapters 1 and 2
Partial differentiationYesChapter 3, with the gradient
Lagrange multipliersYesChapter 4, optimization
Multiple integrals and JacobiansYesChapter 5
Line integrals and Green's TheoremYesChapter 6, vector calculus
Stokes' and the Divergence TheoremYesChapter 7

Texas lists a 3-credit and a 4-credit Calculus III; UT Dallas calls it Calculus of Several Variables, Penn State Calculus and Vector Analysis, UC Berkeley Multivariable Calculus.

Which one do you need?

Math 365 likely matches if

  • Your course is Calculus III, Multivariable Calculus or similar
  • Its description lists partial derivatives and multiple integrals
  • It follows Calculus I and II

Ask your registrar first if

  • Your college's version also teaches matrices
  • It is a different size, such as 3 credits
  • You have not finished Calculus 2 yet

Questions, answered

Is Calculus 3 the same as Multivariable Calculus?

Usually, yes. They are two names for the calculus of several variables. Numbers and order differ, though: MIT's catalog lists its subject 18.02 as Calculus, while MIT OpenCourseWare calls the same subject Multivariable Calculus and “the second semester in the freshman calculus sequence”.

Is Calculus 3 the same as Vector Calculus?

Vector calculus is part of it: line and surface integrals, and Green's, Stokes' and the Divergence Theorem. In Math 365 that is chapters 6 and 7. Penn State names its course Calculus and Vector Analysis.

How many credits is Calculus 3?

It depends on the college: the Texas common course list has a 3-credit and a 4-credit version of Calculus III. NCCRS recommends 4 semester hours for UPI Study's Math 365.

Will my college accept Math 365?

ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Search your school in Find My College and ask your registrar which course Math 365 would count as.

Where these credits can go

ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

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  • University of the People logo
  • Strayer University logo
  • Post University logo
  • Charter Oak State College logo
  • Indiana Tech logo
  • Columbia Southern University logo
  • University of Arkansas Grantham logo
  • American College of Education logo
  • Nexford University logo
  • Newlane University logo
  • Pathways College logo
  • Dunlap-Stone University logo
  • Woodmont College logo
  • University of Management and Technology (UMT) logo
  • Crestpoint University logo
  • Maestro University (formerly Bottega University) logo
  • Gracelyn University logo
  • EC-Council University logo

Plus many more partner colleges and ACE and NCCRS cooperating colleges.

Find My College →

Keep exploring

Check your college first

ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Sources (8)

UPI Study facts are from our course catalog, syllabi and course rules.