Calculator Advice

calculatorThe following courses in the Department of Mathematics at Western Michigan University require a graphing calculator.

Choosing a calculator

For the lowest level courses, get the model you will eventually need in a later course (e.g., a student in MATH 1100 who will eventually take MATH 1160 should get a TI-83/84, but a student in MATH 1100 who will eventually take MATH 1500 should get a TI-73).

  • MATH 1090—any (get a model that will be required in your later courses*)
  • MATH 1100—any (get a model that will be required in your later courses*)
  • MATH 1110—any (get a model that will be required in your later courses*)
  • MATH 1140—any (recommended: TI-83/84 Plus)
  • MATH 1160—TI-83/84 or TI-83/84 Plus
  • MATH 1180—any (recommended: TI-83/84 Plus, TI-89 or higher)
  • MATH 1220—any (recommended: TI-89 or higher)
  • MATH 1230—any (recommended: TI-89 or higher)
  • MATH 1500—TI-73
  • MATH 1510—TI-73
  • MATH 1700—TI-89 or higher
  • MATH 1710—TI-89 or higher
  • MATH 2000—any (recommended: TI-83/84 Plus)
  • MATH 2650—TI-73
  • MATH 2720—any (recommended: TI-89 or higher)
  • MATH 3510—TI-92, Voyage 200
  • MATH 3740—any (recommended: TI-89 or higher)
  • MATH 5540—TI-73
  • MATH 5550—TI-73

*Students in MATH 1100 will typically take MATH 1140 (for general education credit), MATH 1160 (for business), MATH 1500 (for elementary education), or MATH 1110 (if going on to other higher mathematics courses).

Students in MATH 1110 will typically be going on to MATH 1180 (for eventual calculus) or MATH 2000 (brief calculus).

Models

The TI-83 (not Plus), TI-86, TI-92 and the TI-92 Plus are no longer manufactured. Certainly these older calculators may still be used in courses allowing any calculator.

The designation TI-89 or higher indicates the TI-89 (including the Titanium), TI-92 Plus and Voyage 200. We consider these to be functionally equivalent for courses in pre-calculus and calculus, and all will be allowed. However, secondary mathematics education majors and minors should purchase a Voyage 200 calculator for the geometry application to be used in MATH 3510.