Program B Requirements 2023

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 Office of Education Services, N201 Lindquist Center.

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.

Students who declared math major for the first time at the UI in Fall 2023 or later must use this Program B Requirements 2023. Students who declared math major at the UI by Summer 2023 may choose to follow this Program B Requirements 2023 or the previous Program B rules.

Admission to the Teacher Education Programs (TEP)

Application forms for admission to the teacher education program may be obtained from the Office of Education Services, N201 LC.  The application deadlines are March 15 and October 1.  A limited number of applicants are accepted into the mathematics teacher education program, so meeting the minimum requirements listed below does not ensure admission.  Other criteria relevant to teaching success are also considered.

Minimum Admission Requirements

• A University of Iowa GPA and cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of admission.
• Successful completion of at least 30 semester hours of college credit.
• Successful completion of Calculus I and II with a GPA of 2.5.
• Successful completion of a 10-hour volunteer practicum in a K-12 classroom setting.

A student in the TEP has a TEP advisor as well as a Mathematics advisor.  The student should meet with both advisors to plan and monitor progress. See the Office of Education Services for more information.

Courses in Mathematics & Mathematical Sciences (11 for BA, 13 for BS)

Candidates for the BA degree must take the required eleven courses listed below.

• Calculus I and Calculus II, 8-10 s.h. (starting in Fall 2014, all MATH Calculus I and II courses will each be 4 s.h.)
  NOTE: Either of the sequences MATH:1550-1560 (8 s.h.) or MATH:1850-1860 (10 s.h.) is acceptable. The sequences are distinct enough that the Department 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 s.h.
• MATH:2700  Introduction to Linear Algebra, 4 s.h.
• MATH:2850  Calculus III, 4 s.h.
• MATH:3720  Introduction to Abstract Algebra I, 4 s.h.
• MATH:3770  Fundamental Properties of Spaces and Functions I, 4 s.h.
• MATH:4050  Introduction to Discrete Mathematics, 3 s.h.
  OR
  MATH:4060  Discrete Mathematical Models, 3 s.h.
• One additional Mathematics post-calculus course, 3-4 s.h.
  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 s.h.
• STAT:3120  Probability and Statistics, 4 s.h.

Candidates for the BS degree must take at least 2 additional mathematics (MATH) courses beyond the 11 courses for the BA above.  These 2 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 above 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.

College of Education Required Courses

Foundation Courses

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

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

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

Methods and Practicum Courses

• EDTL:3533  Introduction & Practicum: Mathematics, 3 s.h. (This course must be completed prior to EDTL:3534 and EDTL:4535.)
• EDTL:3534  Methods: Middle School Mathematics, 3 s.h. (This course must be taken prior to or concurrently with EDTL:4535)
• EDTL:4535  Methods: High School Mathematics, 3 s.h.

Student Teaching (final semester)

• EDTL:4087  Seminar: Curriculum and Student Teaching, 1 s.h.
• EDTL:4091/4092  Observation and Lab. Practice in Secondary School, 12 s.h.

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.

Residency Requirement of the Math Department

• Every math major must earn at least 15 s.h. at the UI in post-calculus mathematics courses offered by the Department of Mathematics (prefixed MATH) or cross-listed with a MATH-prefixed course.
• Post-calculus courses in the Department of Mathematics are numbered 2000 or above, excluding MATH:3700, 3750, 3995, 3996, 3997, 4010, and 4020.

Additional Requirements

• In addition to the requirements outlined here, students earning a degree in mathematics must satisfy the department’s rules and those of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 
• More information about CLAS regulations can be found in the University of Iowa College Catalog.