Requirements
Entrance Requirements
The requirements for entry into the MSMME program include
(1) a BS or BA with a major or minor in mathematics, (2) certification to
teach mathematics, and (3) at least two years of successful mathematics
teaching experience at the secondary level, grades 5-12. The graduate record
examination is required of all applicants. Applicants who do not have the
above qualifications (e.g., those teaching at a private school or in a
two-year college not requiring certification) will be reviewed on a
case-by-case basis. Normally students will be considered for admission
only if their undergraduate GPA is higher than 3.0.
Program Requirement
The MSMME program requires 30 semester hours of course work. The program
of study usually includes courses in analysis, foundations (structure and
language) of mathematics, geometry, statistics, math modeling, linear
algebra, discrete mathematics, and mathematics education. Each student's
program is individually designed to take into account the student's
background, interests and career goals. Students must pass a
comprehensive examination at the completion of their course work.
Core Courses
Three mathematics education courses ‹ Advanced Teaching Strategies (Math
533), Technology and the Teaching of Mathematics (Math 535), and a Mathematics
Education Seminar (Math 500) serve to give this program its distinctive
emphasis. Every student enrolling in the program is normally required to
complete these three core courses or approved alternative courses depending
on the student's background.
Advising
Each student is advised by a three-person faculty committee charged with
oversight of the student's program and with administering the student's
comprehensive examination. The committee must include at least two faculty
members from the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Students are required
to form this committee by the end of their first summer in the program.
Capstone Presentation &
Comprehensive Examination
Overview
All students must present (A) a capstone project and (B) pass a follow-up oral
examination in order to complete the MSMME program. These requirements are
intended to give the student the opportunity to synthesize a significant body
of knowledge based on their work in the MS program.
Part A: The capstone project is an action research project, based
upon a classroom topic of interest to the student and presented as a series
of web pages. The
underlying goals of the capstone project are to improve student achievement
in the teacher’s classroom or improve the teacher’s understanding
of the teaching and learning process. The first step of a capstone project is a
capstone proposal, which must be approved by the student's graduate
committee. The results of the work are presented in a seminar, symposium, or
other suitable forum approved by the student's committee. Here are some
samples of Capstone Project pages:
Part B: The oral exam allows the student and his/her graduate committee
to reflect on the theoretical foundations, methodology, and results of the capstone
project. This exam is normally taken
immediately following the capstone presentation. A notification of intent to take the
examination must be filed with the Department of Mathematical Sciences and
the Office of Graduate Studies in accordance with the "Dates and
Deadlines" posted in the MSU Graduate Catalog.
Course
& Credit Hour Requirements
The capstone project represents a significant component of the MSMME
program. As a result, the capstone
project now comprises seven (7) credit hours of the students’ entire
30-credit program of study.
Specifically, as of summer 2006, each student intending to complete a
capstone project must include the
following three courses on their program of study:
Math
571-01 In-Service
Mathematics Education: Introduction to Action Research 2 credits,
on-campus, offered each summer
Math
571-02 In-Service Mathematics Education: Proposal Development 2
credits, distance, offered each fall through the Burns
Telecommunications Center.
Math
577 Improving
Student Achievement in Mathematics 3 credits, on-campus/distance.
Offered each summer though the Burns
Telecommunications Center.
Most students will complete 571-01 during a summer session, 571-02 during
the subsequent fall semester, and 577 during the subsequent summer
session. Please note that the College
of Graduate Studies mandates that
each student must be enrolled in at least three credits of coursework (of
which 577 qualifies) during the semester they complete their capstone project
and during the semester they intend to graduate.
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Phone: (406) 994-5344 Comments: burke@math.montana.edu
Last Updated: 05-01-03
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