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Dibs Fall 2026

LIFESCI 30A

Mathematics for Life Scientists

Lecture, three hours; laboratory, two hours. Preparation: three years of high school mathematics (to algebra II), some basic familiarity with computers. Mathematical modeling as tool for understanding dynamics of biological systems. Fundamental concepts of single-variable calculus and development of single- and multi-variable differential equation models of dynamical processes in ecology, physiology, and other subjects in which quantities change with time. Use of free computer program Sage for problem solving, plotting, and dynamical simulation in laboratory. Letter grading.

Course statistics

Predicted GPA
3.45
n = 6,799 · 11 terms · ± 0.007
A range
66%
of letter grades
Taken P/NP
0%
29% of those passed
D / F / W
4.5%
incl. withdrawals

Sections in Fall 2026

Sections offered, with live enrollment and predicted GPA
Section Status Enrolled Seat risk Meets Instructor Predicted GPA
Lec 1 Closed
135 of 135
100% full
 fills MW 11:00am-12:15pm Siskaki, M.
3.45n=6,799 · course average
Lec 2 Closed
135 of 135
100% full
 fills MW 12:30pm-1:45pm Siskaki, M.
3.45n=6,799 · course average
Lec 3 Closed
180 of 180
100% full
 fills TR 9:30am-10:45am Bennoun, S.J.
3.42n=2,936 · this instructor
Lec 4 Closed
126 of 126
100% full
 fills TR 11:00am-12:15pm Bennoun, S.J.
3.42n=2,936 · this instructor
Lec 5 Open
176 of 185
95% full
 fills TR 12:30pm-1:45pm Lee, C.
3.45n=6,799 · course average
Lec 6 Closed
131 of 131
100% full
 fills TR 2:00pm-3:15pm Lee, C.
3.45n=6,799 · course average

Enrollment history

Final enrollment per term, averaged across that term's sections. Four years deep, summer excluded. Per-section live curves are on each section page.

  • 36221F
  • 21022W
  • 37022F
  • 27723W
  • 35323F
  • 34924W
  • 35524F
  • 32225W
Enrolment by term: 21F 362, 22W 210, 22F 370, 23W 277, 23F 353, 24W 349, 24F 355, 25W 322
Peak 370 Most recent 322 in 25W 8 terms on record

Grade distribution

  • A+ 1,485 · 21.7%
  • A 2,227 · 32.5%
  • A- 748 · 10.9%
  • B+ 557 · 8.1%
  • B 587 · 8.6%
  • B- 327 · 4.8%
  • C+ 224 · 3.3%
  • C 222 · 3.2%
  • C- 123 · 1.8%
  • D+ 52 · 0.8%
  • D 77 · 1.1%
  • D- 76 · 1.1%
  • F 94 · 1.4%
  • P 2 · 0.0%
  • NP 5 · 0.1%
  • I 36 · 0.5%
  • DR 4 · 0.1%

Grey bars are non-letter outcomes — P/NP, S/U, incompletes. They are excluded from the GPA entirely rather than scored, because counting a P as a 4.0 would be a fabrication.

By instructor

Instructor Predicted Raw n Terms A range
BENNOUN, STEVE JACK 3.42 3.42 2,936 5 64%
SHEVTSOV, JANE 3.36 3.36 1,586 3 59%
DEEDS, ERIC JAMESON 3.51 3.51 947 3 70%
KERANEN, JUKKA PETRI MIKAEL 3.76 3.77 734 1 84%
BOUHADDOU, MEHDI 3.32 3.31 351 1 58%
LANNAN, RYAN 2.98 2.91 86 2 44%
VINET, MICAH 3.47 3.48 80 1 59%
VENUGOPAL, SHARMILA 3.71 3.75 79 1 87%

“Predicted” is shrunk toward the course average, which is itself shrunk toward the department — so an instructor with a handful of students sits near the course mean rather than topping the list.

By term