Mathematics Education (MS)

Summary

Students in this program have the opportunity to study deep, rich mathematics and to connect this to the mathematics they teach. All students in this program take Real Analysis and Abstract Algebra; these courses extend, deepen and abstract the ideas of arithmetic, school algebra and calculus. All students also take Algebraic Structures in School Mathematics and Geometric Structures in School Mathematics, courses which make explicit links between the abstract mathematics in the program and the mathematics taught in K-12 schools.

Our math education faculty includes professors with research and instructional interests in data analysis, geometry, rational number, number sense and algebra in grades K-16, and with teaching experience in middle school, high school and college in this country and in Taiwan. Our faculty are interested in supporting the transition of practicing teachers from teaching K-12 mathematics to being students of advanced mathematics. 

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Degree

Master of Science

Major Credits

34

Total Credits

34

Locations

Mankato

Career Cluster

Education and Training

Accreditation

CAEP

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation

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Program Requirements

Common Core

The topology of Euclidean spaces, norms, classical inequalities, local and global properties of continuous functions, preservation of compactness and connectedness, sequences in Euclidean space and sequences of functions.

Prerequisites: MATH 223 and MATH 290 with "C" (2.0) or better or consent.

A rigorous excursion through some of the topics of abstract algebra which are essential components of the background of a masters level graduate student. Abstract topics include groups, rings, fields, and modules. Concrete applications include properties of the integers, polynomial rings, and the symmetric group.

Prerequisites: MATH 345 or consent.

Heuristics in mathematical problem solving and mathematical modeling for teachers.

Prerequisites: none

Algebraic concepts and procedures interpreted and related from the perspectives of abstract algebra, cognitive research on the learning of algebra, and professional curriculum and instruction programs.

Prerequisites: MATH 345 or consent.

The Van Hiele model of the development of geometric thought and recent developments of geometric theory and applications which are related to the school mathematics curriculum.

Prerequisites: MATH 332 or consent.

Research/Methods Course(s)

Examination of cognitive theories guiding research in mathematics education; analysis and interpretation of research procedures applied in experimental, qualitative, program evaluation, survey, meta-analysis, theory-generating, and action research studies in mathematics education.

Prerequisites: (STAT 450 or STAT 550) or (STAT 451 or STAT 551) or consent.

Restricted Electives

Professional Education - Choose 6 Credit(s). Any 500/600 level Professional Education courses that must be approved by the student's advisor.

Unrestricted Electives

Choose 7 - 9 Credit(s). Any 500/600 level courses must be approved by student's advisor in order to fulfill the total required hours

Capstone Course

Choose 1 - 3 Credit(s).

Research under the supervision of the student's advisor leading to an alternate plan paper.

Prerequisites: none

Research under the supervision of the student's advisor leading to a thesis.

Prerequisites: Consent