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Texas A&M University
Mathematics

Masters degree: Teaching Track

This option is aimed primarily at preparing students to teach mathematics at secondary school and junior college levels. Students acquire a solid mathematical background together with the necessary pedagogical skills and support coursework from other departments, such as Statistics and Education. The main emphasis is to produce future educators who will provide high-quality content-based instruction.

Non-Thesis option

  1. Requires a minimum of 36 credit hours, at least 24 of which must be in mathematics.
  2. There must be 12 credit hours in specialized mathematics courses consisting of the following:
    • MATH 645 (Survey of Mathematical Problems I);
    • MATH 646 (Survey of Mathematical Problems II);
    • MATH 629 (History of Mathematics);
    • MATH 696 (Mathematical Communication and Technology).
  3. There must be 12 hours of regular mathematics courses, at least six of which must be standard graduate mathematics courses. The other six hours can be used to remove any deficiencies.
    • Suggested standard courses include:
      • MATH 607 (Real Variables I);
      • MATH 609 (Numerical analysis);
      • MATH 615 (Introduction to Classical Analysis);
      • MATH 617 (Complex Variables I);
      • MATH 622 (Differential Geometry I);
      • MATH 636 (Topology I);
      • MATH 641 (Analysis for Applications I);
      • MATH 653 (Algebra I).
    • Suggested courses to remove deficiencies include:
      • MATH 407 (Complex Variables);
      • MATH 416 (Modern Algebra II);
      • MATH 427 (Introduction to Number Theory);
      • MATH 431 (Structures and Methods of Combinatorics);
      • MATH 436 (Introduction to Topology);
      • MATH 439 (Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces);
      • MATH 467 (Modern Geometry).
      Please note that students can include a maximum of two undergraduate courses on their degree plan. The math service courses MATH 601 and MATH 602 can also serve to remove deficiencies, but these courses count toward the two allowed undergraduate courses.
  4. There must be 9 credit hours of supporting coursework selected from the following:
    • Two graduate courses in Education (the student has the option of an emphasis at either the secondary or collegiate level). Suggested courses include:
      • EDAD 601 (College Teaching);
      • EDAD 609 (Public School Laws);
      • EDAD 610 (Higher Education Law);
      • EHRD 616 (Methods of Teaching Adults);
      • EDTC 608 (Foundations of Distance Learning);
      • EDCI 642 (Multicultural Education: Theory, Research, and Practice);
      • EDCI 644 (Curriculum Development).
    • One graduate course in statistical methods. Suggested courses include:
      • STAT 610 (Theory of Statistics - Distribution Theory).
  5. This leaves 3 of 36 credit hours to be chosen in consultation with the student's advisor. In most cases, these credits should be taken as a mathematics course, though in exceptions they can be used for courses directly relevant to the student's long term teaching goals.

This option is also available through Distance Learning.