A significant amount of research has investigated calculus as a barrier to student success and persistence in engineering school. Very little research, however, has investigated the mathematics courses that follow calculus I. These courses are built upon concepts and skills that are learned in the first semester and introduce more advanced material, building up a strong basis for math-dependent, domain-specific engineering courses. This paper investigates the longitudinal progress of two cohorts of students through the mathematics sequence at the University of Louisville's J.B. Speed School of Engineering, identifying both semesters and courses that have high levels of student repetition and attrition. Two student populations within the cohorts are considered: those who take calculus in their first semester, and those who require a remedial calculus intervention semester before taking calculus. This study adds to the literature by focusing on bottlenecks in mathematics sequences beyond calculus, providing insight into engineering school retention rates beyond the first-year.
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