Ramp Up Courses

Ramp Up courses are preparatory online summer courses that prepare students for first-year biology, calculus, chemistry, and physics.

Ramp Up courses will help you strengthen your grasp of essential concepts in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics before you tackle more advanced coursework. These courses are not required but are strongly recommended. They are self-paced online courses that consist of recorded lectures, animated presentations, self-assessment quizzes, short homework assignments, and a final exam.

First stop: The Readiness Roadmap

The Readiness Roadmap is an opportunity for you to identify your quantitative strengths and pinpoint areas for growth. It will be a valuable tool for learning and preparing for first-year biology, calculus, chemistry, and/or physics courses at Northeastern. Upon completion, you will be given access to the RAMP UP courses. 

Ramp Up Biology

Ramp Up Biology helps you master fundamental concepts to prepare for challenging introductory biology courses at Northeastern while teaching you evidence-based study approaches for effectively learning and applying material to biological science problems.

  • Biological Molecules and Cell Structure
  • The Central Dogma-Transcription and Translation
  • DNA Replication and Inheritance of Traits
  • Evolution and Systems Biology

All students enrolled in BIOL 1111 or BIOL 1107 on Boston, London, New York City, and Oakland campuses will be auto-enrolled.

Ramp Up Biology is self-paced and offered online via Canvas. It is available starting August 1.

Launch the course

Ramp Up Calculus

Ramp Up Calculus features precalculus lessons and exercises to supplement your preparation for first-semester calculus at Northeastern.

  • Introduction to Functions
  • Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
  • Trigonometric Functions
  • Introduction to Rates of Change

All students enrolled in MATH 1231, MATH 1341 will be auto-enrolled.

Ramp Up Calculus is self-paced and offered online via Canvas. It is available starting August 1.

Launch the course
Steven Lopez

Ramp Up Chemistry

Ramp Up Chemistry will give you a head start by refreshing your knowledge of the fundamentals of matter and the periodic table, while also exposing you to the expectations of a college science course.

  • Matter and Energy
  • Numbers in Science
  • Chemical Bonding

All students enrolled in CHEM 1151, CHEM 1161, and CHEM 1211 will be auto-enrolled.

Ramp Up Chemistry is self-paced and offered online via Canvas. It is available starting July 14.

Launch the course

Ramp Up Physics

Ramp Up Physics is designed for freshman and sophomore undergraduate students. It introduces and reviews mathematical concepts needed for all “flavors” of introductory physics. 

  • Units and Dimensions
  • Graphical Representation and Coordinate Systems
  • Vectors
  • Differentiation in Physics
  • Integrals in Physics

All students enrolled in PHYS 1151, PHYS 1161, PHYS 1171, PHYS 1191 will be auto-enrolled.

Ramp Up Physics is self-paced and offered online via Canvas. It is available starting August 12.

Launch the course

Questions about Ramp Up courses?

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