So you want to be a math teacher?
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Level of licensure |
Requirements |
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Preliminary license |
Passing scores on the MTEL (both the Communication/literacy and the subject area portions) and a bachelor’s degree (in any subject). |
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Initial license |
Completion of a DOE-approved licensure program, which includes pedagogy courses and a student teaching practicum |
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Professional license |
Three years of teaching with an Initial license and a master’s degree with at least 12 credits in the subject area of licensure |
Fast Track – Mathematics (for those already teaching; 5 – 8 or 8 – 12)
M.A.T. Mathematics (8 – 12)
M.A.T. Middle School Mathematics Initial License Option (5 – 8)
Q: I wasn’t a math major as an undergraduate. What mathematics background do I need to be accepted into a mathematics licensure program?
A: For initial licensure in Math 8 – 12, at the minimum you need to have taken the following courses and received at least a grade of C: Calculus I, II and III, Abstract Algebra and Linear Algebra. These are undergraduate courses and may be taken at any accredited institution. They are required for both the Fast Track and for the M.A.T. Mathematics programs.
You also need background in statistics, geometry, history of mathematics and applied mathematics. Often the requirements in these subject areas can be satisfied with a combination of good performance on the MTEL, teaching/tutoring experience and other work experience in lieu of a course in the topic.
For initial licensure in Math 5 – 8, requirements include an introduction to calculus, geometry, statistics as well as basic algebra, number sense, history of mathematics and applied mathematics. To see if your prior coursework will suffice, contact the program coordinator. However, since our middle school program is set up differently, often these can be satisfied within the M.A.T. Middle School Mathematics program, as opposed to being prerequisites.
A full content review is required prior to entering the teaching practicum. In addition applicants must have a 3.0 g.p.a in mathematics courses (2.75 g.p.a. overall).
You can make an appointment with the program coordinator to go over your transcripts and see what prerequisite coursework you might need.
Q: What other prerequisites are there for the licensure programs?
A: You need a course in adolescent psychology. This may be any graduate or undergraduate psychology course with the word “adolescent” in the title and may be taken from any accredited institution. If you would like to take the course at Salem State, the courses that would satisfy the requirement are PSY 252, PSY 218 or PSY 737.
You also need to take either the GRE or the Miller Analogies Test and submit your scores with your application.
Q: If I complete the Fast Track program, can those courses count towards a master’s program later on?
A: Yes. As long as you haven’t used the courses for another degree program, they can count towards the M.A.T. Mathematics or the M. Ed. Secondary Education. Keep in mind, however, that the School of Graduates Studies has a policy that no course counting towards a program may be more than seven years old at the time of completion of that program.
Q: I already have a master’s degree, but it is not in mathematics or education. Do I need to get a second master’s in order to eventually obtain Professional license in secondary mathematics?
A: No, but you do need to take at least 12 credits (4 courses) of graduate mathematics courses.
Q: I would like to take my prerequisite mathematics courses at Salem State. What are the course numbers? Are these courses available in the evenings, and how often are they offered?
A: MAT 220 Calculus I
MAT 221 Calculus II
(MAT 220 and 221 are offered in the evenings every semester and during both summer sessions.)
MAT 320 Calculus III (MAT 320 offered in the evening during the first summer session, which runs from mid-May until the end of June.)
MAT 303 Abstract Algebra (MAT 303 is offered in the late afternoon during either the fall or the spring semester)
MAT 304 Linear Algebra (MAT 304 is offered in the late afternoon during either the fall or the spring semester.)
Other nearby colleges that may offer these courses during the evenings are North Shore CC, Middlesex CC, Bunker Hill CC, UMass Lowell and UMass Boston.
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