Program in Secondary Education

Center your studies around secondary education

This program is intended for students seeking secondary school teaching licensure. However, students not seeking licensure may complete the program without being admitted to the Teacher Education Program (TEP). To obtain licensure, students complete mathematics BA/BS requirements and also certification requirements of the state and the College of Education.

The information presented here is sufficient for most planning, but students also need to obtain a licensure program guide and a TEP application form from the College of Education's Office of Student Services.

To be eligible for secondary-school certification in mathematics, students must be admitted to the TEP, complete mathematics courses for a BA/BS degree, complete courses required by the College of Education, and satisfy additional requirements required for all math majors.

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Requirements for secondary education

In addition to meeting the requirements for the BA or BS in Mathematics degree, there are courses in mathematics and education in the program for secondary education.

Note: There are different requirements depending on when you declared as a math major for the first time. If you declared in fall of 2023 or later, you'll use the 2023 requirements. If you declared in summer of 2023 or earlier, you'll follow the previous requirements.

Program requirements (since fall 2023)

Candidates for the BA and BS degree must take the following required eleven courses listed.

Calculus I and Calculus II, 8-10 semester hours
- Note: Either of the sequences MATH:1550-1560 (8 semester hours) or MATH:1850-1860 (10 semester hours) is acceptable.
- The sequences are distinct enough that the Department of Mathematics does not encourage students to switch from one version of Calculus I to a different version of Calculus II unless there is a strong need and good preparation.
- Advanced placement credit, CLEP credit, and credit obtained through the Mathematics Incentive Program is accepted for all or part of the calculus requirement.
MATH:2150 Foundations of Geometry, 3 semester hours
MATH:2700 Introduction to Linear Algebra, 4 semester hours
MATH:2850 Calculus III, 4 semester hours
MATH:3720 Introduction to Abstract Algebra I, 4 semester hours
MATH:3770 Fundamental Properties of Spaces and Functions I, 4 semester hours
MATH:4050 Introduction to Discrete Mathematics, 3 semester hours or MATH:4060 Discrete Mathematical Models, 3 semester hours
One additional mathematics post-calculus course, 3-4 semester hours
- The post-calculus courses in Mathematics are those MATH courses numbered 2000 or higher except MATH:3700, 3750, 3995-3997, 4010, and 4020.
- The schedule of course offerings indicates which courses are post-calculus courses and which semesters they are offered to help with academic planning.
- The post-calculus courses must be chosen avoiding duplication and regression with the core mathematics courses, particularly when engineering mathematics courses are considered.
- With the department's approval, capable students are encouraged to substitute more advanced courses in the same subject area for any of the electives.
CS:1210 Computer Science I: Fundamentals, 4 semester hours
STAT:3120 Probability and Statistics, 4 semester hours

Candidates for the BS degree must take at least two additional mathematics (MATH) courses beyond the 11 courses for the BA. These two courses must be MATH:3900 or any MATH course numbered 4040 or higher. BS-level computer science (CS) or statistics (STAT) courses might be acceptable if approved by the Director of the Undergraduate Program.

While the additional course(s) for the BA/BS can be any courses meeting the previous requirements, the following might be especially useful:

Whichever of MATH:4050 or MATH:4060 was not used to satisfy the list of required courses
Either of MATH:4120 or MATH:4080

Foundation courses

PSQF:1075 Educational Psychology and Measurement, 3 semester hours
- This course can be taken before admission to the TEP.
EDTL:3002 Teaching and Learning Technologies, 2 semester hours
EDTL:3090 Orientation to Secondary Education, 1 semester hour
EDTL:3095 Teaching Reading in Secondary Content Areas, 1 semester hour

The previous three courses must be taken during the student’s first semester in the College of Education.

EDTL:3000 Foundations of Education, 3 semester hours
- This course can be taken before admission to the TEP.
EDTL:3071 Secondary Classroom Management, 2-3 semester hours
EDTL:4900 Foundations of Special Education, 3 semester hours
- This course can be taken before admission to the TEP.
EPLS:4180 Human Relations for the Classroom Teacher, 3 semester hours
- This course may only be waived in N310 Lindquist Center (LC).
- This course can be counted as a CLAS Cultural Diversity General Education requirement.

Methods and practicum courses

EDTL:3533 Introduction & Practicum: Mathematics, 3 semester hours
- This course must be completed prior to EDTL:3534 and EDTL:4535.
EDTL:3534 Methods: Middle School Mathematics, 3 semester hours
- This course must be taken prior to or concurrently with EDTL:4535.
EDTL:4535 Methods: High School Mathematics, 3 semester hours

Student teaching (final semester)

EDTL:4087 Seminar: Curriculum and Student Teaching, 1 semester hour
EDTL:4091/4092 Observation and Lab. Practice in Secondary School, 12 semester hours

A checklist of the math and education courses required for the Mathematics Teacher Education (5-12) Program may be found at the College of Education website in the list of program guides.

Former program requirements (for majors declared in summer 2023 or earlier)