MST + License

Master of Science in Teaching Secondary School Mathematics for Students Seeking Licensure Heading link

Please click here to apply.

The purpose of the Master of Science in Teaching Mathematics (MST) option for students seeking licensure is to prepare students to successfully teach mathematics at the secondary level. This program is designed so that students, in particular those switching careers, can both obtain the MST degree and fulfill the requirements for an Illinois secondary school teaching license.

For admission to this program, students should have a background comparable to the coursework listed in the admission requirements section below. Other applicants will be required to take appropriate courses to make up for any deficiencies in their mathematical preparation. The GRE is not required. Some full-time MST students may hold teaching assistantships.

Applicants need to have satisfied all the state of Illinois teaching license testing requirements.  Please see the Council on Teacher Education website for more information on these requirements.

 

Required Course Credits Heading link

For the degree, students are required to earn 32 semester hours of adviser-approved graduate credit, with at least 12 semester hours of work completed at the 500 level. Additional classes carrying 38 hours of credit are required for certification. Many of the courses are offered in the late afternoon and early evening. Some courses are also offered during the summer. At the conclusion of the program, the student should have completed 70 credit hours. An overview of the distribution of those credits among the main course classifications is shown in the table below.
Field Hours
Admission Requirements 22
Higher level courses 32
Teaching courses 20
Education / Instruction courses 18

Detailed Course Requirements Heading link

Students must take ALL courses listed below

Calculus I MATH 180 4 hours
Calculus II MATH 181 4 hours
Calculus III MATH 210 3 hours

Students must also take at least 2 of the following courses

Introduction to Advanced Mathematics MATH 215 3 hours
Linear Algebra MATH 320 3 hours
Abstract Algebra MTHT 435 3 hours
Analysis I MATH 313 3 hours

Students are required to take 32 credit hours of of higher level courses in MTHT, MATH, MSCS, and/or STAT, including ALL 4 courses listed below

16 out of 32 credit hours are comprised by these 4 courses.
Math Analysis for Teachers I MTHT 430 4 hours
Advanced Euclidean Geometry MTHT 411 4 hours
Introduction to Higher Geometry MTHT 510 4 hours
Math Analysis for Teachers II MTHT 530 4 hours

Additional Requirements

Among the remaining 16 credit hours, the student has to satisfy 4 hours by completing either Linear Algebra II (MATH 425) or Abstract Algebra (MTHT 435). The remaining 12 credit hours can be satisfied by 3 courses (4 credit hours each) in MTHT, MATH, MSCS, or STAT. Note that at least one of those 3 courses must be a 500-level course.

All of the following courses are mandatory

Methods of Teaching Secondary Mathematics I MTHT 400 4 hours
Methods of Teaching Secondary Mathematics II MTHT 401 4 hours
Educational Practice with Seminar I MTHT 438 6 hours
Educational Practice with Seminar II MTHT 439 6 hours

Note that MTHT 400 and 401 should be taken in the two semesters immediately preceding student teaching (in any order). MTHT 401 Methods of Teaching Secondary Mathematics II Includes 20 hours of field experience. All courses listed are required for licensure. The Methods courses are not counted towards a student’s Math GPA.

Students must complete 18 credit hours in courses focusing on education and instruction, including the following:

Survey Characteristics of Learners with Disabilities SPED 410 3 hours
Instruction and Evaluation in Secondary Education ED 432 5 hours
Secondary Literacy CI 504 4 hours

Note that ED 432 is to be taken in the semester immediately preceding Student Teaching (MTHT 438 and MTHT 439).

Additional Requirements

The remaining 6 credit hours should be covered by two 3-hour courses. The first one has to be one of

  • ED 402 Philosophy of Education, or
  • ED 403 Policy Issues in the History of American Education:

while the second one has to be one of

  • ED 421 Advanced Educational Psychology, or
  • ED 445 Adolescence and the Schools

Additional Requirements Heading link

As part of the program, one full semester of supervised student teaching in a secondary school is required for certification. The candidate registers for MTHT 438 and 439 during that semester. For further information, see the Council on Teacher Education’s Student Handbook and Secondary Student Teaching Handbook.Substitutions may be possible with the approval of an advisor.

For more information

Always consult your adviser when you have questions. In addition, consult your Graduate Catalog and the current UIC Timetable for more complete details regarding degree programs. For details regarding licensure, consult your adviser for the latest information. Licensure is subject to the most recent legislation and regulations (i.e., there is no ‘grandfathering’).