Primer Courses

Ease your transition from high school to university by refreshing your mathematics and statistics skills in a refresher course.

Our Mathematics Primer Course and Statistics Primer Course are both offered online. These are non-credit courses offered to help you transition from high school to university. The courses will refresh concepts studied in high school while in a setting similar to what you will be experiencing in September.

Most programs of study at the University of Alberta require a course in Mathematics or Statistics. The Online University Mathematics Primer Course will help to ensure that your mathematics skills are where they need to be in order to succeed in your university mathematics courses. You will review topics including the real numbers, basic algebra, geometry, functions, exponents and logarithms, and trigonometry.

If students prefer an in-person classroom experience, the University Mathematics Primer Course also has an in-person version. It will run from August 19th, 2024 till August 30th, 2024.

There will be lessons presented each day in one of the lecture theatres on campus. The lectures will be followed up by breakout work periods where you will have the opportunity to practice what was presented in the lectures. In these breakout periods, you will work in small groups led by a Teaching Assistant from the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences.

A typical day of the University Mathematics Primer Course is as follows:

9:30 to 10:45  Lecture with course instructor 
10:45 to 11:00  Break
11:00 to 12:15  Worksheet/Workshop with teaching assistant
12:15 to 1:00 Lunch
1:00 to 2:15 Lecture with course instructor
2:15 to 2:30  Break
2:30 to 3:45 Computer lab with teaching assistant


The Online Statistics Primer Course is a non-credit course that gives you the opportunity to refresh and practice your prerequisite statistics skills before you begin your STAT 151/161 class. The course will cover topics such as linear functions, probability, descriptive statistics, and interpretations of statistics displays.

Students often find the transition from high school to university difficult. The Mathematics Primer Courses and Statistics Primer Courses will help ease this transition by providing an environment similar to what you will experience in your first-year courses in September. The courses will be offered through eClass, which provides you with an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Learning Management System before classes begin in September. 

Registration for the Primer Courses is now open on UAlberta Marketplace.

Student testimonials from prior University Mathematics Primer Courses:

  • "I haven't taken math for a year and a half so it was great to review."
  • "I feel prepared to go into math, and excited for it."
  • "This [course] really helped to refresh my memory and clarify some concepts that I didn't really understand before."
  • "Great course - a huge wake up call for those who are apprehensive towards taking a University Math course."
  • "This course was an excellent idea and I'm glad it was available for me to take. I would be lost without all the reminders and tips."
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