The purpose of the Summer Immersion Program is to enable incoming students to complete one level of algebra before the fall semester begins. Classes meet Mondays through Thursdays and are taught by trained instructors supported by nationally certified SACC tutors.

Eligible students will receive an invitation by email with a link for an online registration form.  Spaces are limited and your registration depends on the timeliness of your reply.

If you are a SEEK student, please contact the SEEK department at SEEK@baruch.cuny.edu.

The Immersion Program is intensive. Immersion students are not permitted to enroll in other summer session courses.

The Summer 2024 Immersion Program Schedule will be posted at a later time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the Math Immersion Program?

Successful completion of a 2000-level math course is a degree requirement for all Baruch students and a requirement for admission to many of Baruch’s most popular majors.  Depending on your math placement and your intended major, you may be required to complete one or more levels of algebra before you can take the 2000-level math course required for your degree.  The Immersion Program enables you to complete some or all of your algebra coursework before your first semester at Baruch.

You may not enroll in any other summer or winter courses at Baruch while you are participating in the math immersion program.

Q. How do I know if I need to take algebra?

There are two reasons why admitted students may need to take algebra:  proficiency or placement.  It’s important to know the distinction between the two.  You can find information about CUNY math proficiency standards and Baruch’s math placement practices on the website of Baruch’s Office of Testing and Evaluation.

Proficiency:  If you do not yet meet CUNY standards for proficiency in mathematics, your full admission to Baruch is contingent upon your meeting proficiency standards by passing Elementary Algebra in the immersion program.  Students who need this course must take it before their first term of enrollment (summer for incoming fall students, January for incoming spring students) regardless of their intended major.

Placement: Students who meet proficiency standards will be given a math placement.  If you place into algebra, whether or not you actually need to take it depends on your intended undergraduate major.  Most majors at Baruch require you to take courses for which algebra is a prerequisite, such as pre-calculus or statistics.  Therefore, most students who place into algebra actually do need to take it.  Use this information as a guide:

• If your intended major falls within the Zicklin School of Business or the Marxe School of Public & International Affairs, you definitely need algebra.
• If your major falls within the Weissman School of Arts & Sciences, you probably need algebra.  However, there are a few majors in the Weissman school that do not require courses for which algebra is a prerequisite.  Those majors include English, History, Music, Philosophy, Spanish, and some others.  If you plan to choose a major in Weissman and you are not sure whether you need algebra, please email newfreshman@baruch.cuny.edu or new.transfer@baruch.cuny.edu for guidance.

Q. My placement seems low.  Could it be wrong?

Math placement is determined using a placement index that incorporates several pieces of information about you.  You are invited to participate in the immersion program based on the placement score on file for you at the time you appear on our outreach list.  If Baruch receives additional documents after that time, such as Advanced Placement scores or transcripts indicating previous college-level coursework in mathematics, your placement score may increase.  If that happens, you may need a different immersion course, or you may not need immersion at all.  If you believe not all of your relevant documents have been received and evaluated yet, please send an email to newfreshman@baruch.cuny.edu or new.transfer@baruch.cuny.edu for guidance.  The immersion program staff cannot answer questions of this type.

Q. What happens if my placement score changes after I’ve already signed up for the immersion program?

If your math placement changes, please email immersion@baruch.cuny.edu immediately.  If you place into a higher level of algebra, we may be able to move you to a different immersion course if it’s not too late to do so.  If you no longer need the immersion program at all, we will remove you from the program as long as you let us know before the end of the course.

Q. Which Immersion course do I need & when does it meet?

There are four different algebra courses in the Math Immersion Program:

College Algebra (FSPM 1031): This course is the equivalent of MTH 1030 (College Algebra).  If you place into MTH 1030, you may take FSPM 1031, which meets from early July to mid-August.

Intermediate & College Algebra (FSPM 1023): This course is the equivalent of MTH 1023 (Intermediate & College Algebra).  If you place into MTH 1023, you may take either FSPM 1023 or FSPM 0121.  FSPM 1023 is the better choice if it fits into your schedule because it enables you to complete two levels of algebra in a single course.  FSPM 1023 runs from early June through mid-August.

Intermediate Algebra (FSPM 0121): This course exists only in the Math Immersion program and is not equivalent to any MTH course.  It covers only the Intermediate Algebra portion of MTH 1023.  If you place into MTH 1023 (Intermediate & College Algebra), you may take FSPM 0121, which meets from early July through mid-August.  However, you should only take FSPM 0121 if you are unable to take FSPM 1023 (the course is full or it doesn’t fit into your schedule).  FSPM 0121 covers only Intermediate Algebra, which means you will still need to take College Algebra (MTH 1030) in the fall.

Elementary Algebra (FSPM/IBSIP 0100):  If you do not meet CUNY standards for proficiency in mathematics, you will need to take Elementary Algebra before your first term of enrollment, regardless of your intended major.  In the summer, this course is called FSPM 0100, and it runs in July and sometimes again in August.  This course also runs in January as IBSIP 0100 for students entering Baruch in the spring semester.

Q. How does the summer immersion program benefit me?

Participating in the summer immersion program confers several advantages:  First, it enables you to begin your math coursework at Baruch in the summer when you are not yet balancing a full course load.  Second, it saves you money.  Baruch charges no tuition or fees for math immersion courses.  Your only cost is the cost of the course materials.  Third, students taking FSPM 1023 or FSPM 1031 in the summer will be completely finished with algebra and can move on to a 2000-level course in the fall.  Students taking FSPM 1021 in the summer lighten their fall course loads and free up valuable time in their fall schedules by completing the Intermediate algebra topics in the summer so they can concentrate on just the College Algebra topics in the fall, taking MTH 1030 (which meets twice per week) rather than MTH 1023 (which meets four times per week).  Both courses fulfill the same requirement, but a fall semester schedule that includes MTH 1030 rather than MTH 1023 is much less demanding.

Q. What if I have more questions before I register for the Immersion Program?

Ask us.  We’re here to help.  The Summer Math Immersion Program is a service of Baruch’s Student Academic Consulting Center (SACC).  You can email us at Immersion@baruch.cuny.edu or call SACC at 646-312-4830.

Q. How do I register for the Immersion Program?

Admitted students who qualify for immersion will receive an invitation via email.  Invitations start going out about a month before each course begins.  Your invitation will include a link to complete an online registration form.  Please complete the form promptly, as class sizes are limited.  Note that you will not be able to register yourself for immersion courses in CUNYfirst the way you can for other types of courses.

If you have credit evaluation pending for transfer courses or AP scores that may change your math placement, please contact new.transfer@baruch.cuny.edu for guidance before registering for an immersion course.

Q. I have a disability.  Can I receive accommodations during my immersion course?

Any student with a documented disability who may need accommodations during immersion should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible.  For details and contact information, please visit SDS on the web at https://studentaffairs.baruch.cuny.edu/student-disability-services/.

Last Updated: August 22, 2023