University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignDepartment of Mathematics
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Teacher Certification in Mathematics for Undergraduates

Students may choose to enter a teacher certification program in mathematics in one of three ways. Mathematics majors wishing to be certified to teach in a second area outside of Mathematics should complete a teaching minor in that area and consult the Certification Officer via e-mail: chetzych@uiuc.edu

Admission to all Teacher Education programs is by application once a year. Students may apply in their sophomore year. Applications are available from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 270 Lincoln Hall or from the Collge of Education, 110 Education Building. They should be submitted by February 1st for admission the following fall. Students are expected to have completed Calculus and one advanced mathematics course (preferably Math 347-Fundamental Mathematics) before applying.

Preferably by the end of the spring semester in which the student applies but before entering the program the following fall, the student should have completed two additional advanced mathematics courses, Ed Psych 201 and either EPS 201 or 202, and to have maintained grades of at least 2.5 in mathematics courses on this campus and 2.5 overall. Students must also have taken and passed the State Basic Skills Test before applying. For information, see www.icts.nesinc.com. Volunteer tutoring experience at the middle school and high school level is strongly encouraged prior to application. In addition the student should be making reasonable progress in the selection of general education courses which satisfy LAS requirements. For further information and advice on selecting these courses consult your adviser or one of

  • Joseph Miles
    Director of Undergraduate Programs in Mathematics
    313 Altgeld Hall
    (217) 333-1108
    randy@math.uiuc.edu

  • Phyllis Vanlandingham
    Director of Secondary Education
    120 Education Building
    (217) 333-2800
    vanl@uiuc.edu
Students interested in the Minor in Teacher Education should contact Phyllis Vanlandingham to be placed on the Secondary Education e-mail list for further information about requirements, tutoring opportunities, and the application process.

Program Requirements

Students are required to maintain GPA's of 2.5 or better in Mathematics and in all U of I courses to remain in the program. Failure to meet these standards may result in a student not being allowed to complete the program. The requirements fall into three categories:

Departmental Distinction:
Graduation with distinction will be awarded on the basis of selection of 400-level courses in mathematics and the grade-point average. See the graduation with distinction webpage for complete details.

  • Mathematics Course Requirements for Sec. Ed.
    • Calculus through Math 241, 242, or 243 (11-12 hours)
    • Computer Programming (3 hours)
      • CS 101 or
      • CS 125
    • Advanced Math Courses (27-28 hours)
      • Math 347 or 348 (Fundamental Mathematics)
      • Math 415 or 418 (Abstract Algebra)
      • Math 461 or 463 (Probability or Statistics)
      • Math 402 or 403 (Geometry)
      • Math 417 or 453 (Abstract Algebra or Number Theory)
      • Math 444 or 447 (Real Analysis)
      • Any three additional advanced math courses
    • The following is not required but is recommended:
      In addition to the required computer science course take an additional mathematics course which uses computers or calculators, or assist in such a course; e.g., Math 405, Math 257, Calculus and Mathematica

  • General Education Course Requirements for Sec. Ed.
     Select courses from the LAS approved general education lists at http://www.las.uiuc.edu/students/programs/gen_ed_requirements.html including Psych 100 as your behavioral science (prerequisite for EPSY 201).
    • Communication
      • Rhet 105 or equiv.
      • Speech Comm. 101 or equiv.
      • Composition II requirement
    • Four Semesters of a single foreign language, or equiv.

  • Professional Education Requirements
    C&I Courses may be taken only after admission to the Teacher Education Minor.
    Courses outside of Education may be taken in the first 3 of these semesters. These offerings are subject to change.
    • First Semester (after admission)
      • CI 402 (3 hrs) and EOL 440 (1 hr)
    • Second Semester
      • CI 401 (3 hrs) and CI 335 (1 hr)
      • SPED 205 (1 hr) and CI 473 (1 hr)
      • EPSY 430 (2 hrs)
    • Third Semester
      • CI 403 (3 hrs) and SPED 405 (2 hrs)
      • EPSY 485 (2 hrs)
    • Fourth Semester
      • CI 404 (4 hrs)
      • EDPR 442 (8 hrs)

Suggested Schedule of Courses

Below is a suggested schedule of courses for a typical student in the Teaching of Mathematics curriculum. This is intended only as a guideline. Students differ. Consult an adviser often. You should take Math 347 relatively early. It is intended to help prepare you for more theoretical courses. Experience shows that most students have difficulty with the required courses Math 417 and Math 444/447. For this reason it is recommended that
  1. you take them in different semesters and
  2. you precede them with several other 400 level courses.
In addition to Math 347, Math 415 and Math 402/403 are useful preparation.

Since future classrooms will make use of technology in unforeseen ways, consider enriching your program with some course in addition to computer programming which involves computer or calculator work; e,g., Calculus & Mathematica or Math 405

  • First Year
    • Fall Semester
      • Math 220 or 221
    • Spring Semester
      • Math 231
      • Psych 100
  • Second Year
    • Fall Semester
      • Math 241
      • Math 347 or 348
      • Ed Psych 201 or EPS 201/202
    • Spring Semester (Apply for admission by February 1st)
      • Math 415
      • Math 402/403
      • Ed Psych 201 or EPS 201/202
  • Third Year
    • Fall Semester
      • Math 417
      • Math 463/461
      • First Sem. Prof Ed courses
    • Spring Semester
      • Math 444/447
      • Math elective
      • Second Sem. Prof Ed courses
  • Fourth Year
    • Fall Semester
      • Math elective
      • Math elective
      • Third Sem. Prof Ed courses
    • Spring Semester
      • Fourth Sem. Prof Ed courses -- Student Teaching

Advising

The chief adviser for the program is The freshman adviser is

The transition and math minor adviser is

Teacher Education Minor in Mathematics, Grades 9 through 12

For students in teacher education curricula other than mathematics who wish to be qualified to teach mathematics there are two minors: one for grades 6 through 8 and one for grades 9 through 12
Hours
Requirements to Teach Mathematics in Grades 9-12
8 MATH 220—Calculus or MATH 221—Calculus I
MATH 231—Calculus II; or equivalent
3 Methods courses in the teaching of mathematics:
CI 499 TSM: Teaching Secondary Mathematics for Other Majors
(offered only in spring semester)
14 At least 14 hours of work including the following:
MATH 241—Calculus of Several Variables
MATH 402—Non Euclidean Geometry
8 Courses from at least two areas other than applied mathematics and geometry, to be chosen from the following list:
Computer Science:
CS 101— Intro to Computing, Eng & Sci
CS 105— Intro to Computing, Non-Tech
Linear Algebra:
MATH 125—Elementary Linear Algebra
MATH 225—Introductory Matrix Theory
MATH 415—Linear Algebra
Modern Algebra:
MATH 413—Intro to Combinatorics
MATH 417—Intro to Abstract Algebra
MATH 453—Elementary Theory of Numbers
Advanced Aspects of Euclidean Geometry:
MATH 403—Euclidean Geometry
Applied Mathematics:
MATH 347—Fundamental Mathematics or MATH 348- Fundamental Mathematics-ACP
MATH 380—Advanced Calculus
MATH 385—Intro Differential Equations
MATH 441—Differential Equations
MATH 444—Elementary Real Analysis
MATH 446—Applied Complex Variables
Probability-Statistics:
STAT 400/MATH 463—Statistics and Probability I
History of Calculus:
MATH 406—History of Calculus

Teacher Education Minor in Mathematics, Grades 6 through 8

Hours
Requirements to Teach Mathematics in Grades 6-8
2 CI 410-Middle School Instruction
3 CI 431- Tchg Elementary Mathematics
or CI 499 TSM-Teaching Secondary Mathematics
2 EPS 427-Philosophy of Middle School
2

EPSY 430-Early Adolescent Development
4

MATH 117-Elementary Mathematics
12-14 Four courses from at least three of the following areas:
Calculus:
MATH 220-Calculus (5)
or MATH 221-Calculus I (4)
or MATH 234-Calculus for Business I (4)
MATH 231-Calculus II (3)
Topics in Geometry:
MATH 119-Ideas in Geometry (3)
MATH 402-Non Euclidean Geometry (3)
MATH 403-Euclidean Geometry (3)
Computer Science:
CS 101- Intro to Computing, Eng & Sci (3)
or CS 105 - Intro to Computing, Non-Tech (3)
Probability-Statistics:
MATH 124-Finite Mathematics (3)
STAT 100/MATH 161-Statistics (3)
STAT 400/MATH 463-Statistics and Probability I (3)
History of Mathematics:
MATH 406-History of Calculus (3)
Modern Algebra or Number Theory:
MATH 413-Intro to Combinatorics (3)
MATH 417-Intro to Abstract Algebra (3)
MATH 453-Elementary Theory of Numbers (3)
 
Students, who are not completing the Secondary Education Minor and an approved Teaching Major, are advised that additional course work is necessary to teach in grades six through eight. Consult the certification officer at the Council on Teacher Education for additional information. 

Department of Mathematics
273 Altgeld Hall, MC-382
1409 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
Telephone: (217) 333-3350    Fax: (217) 333-9576     Email: office@math.uiuc.edu