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Specialization in Mathematics

Middle School Math (M.S.)

Program Overview

The program in Mathematics Education offers courses and classroom experiences to prepare future middle school  teachers to successfully teach mathematics to a wide variety of students. The graduates leave the university equipped with the most current and appropriate knowledge, skills and dispositions for students to learn mathematics at the middle school level. The program is unique in its concentration on the mastery of content knowledge. Students take classes that concentrate on selected topics in abstract algebra, geometry, trigonometry, functions, vectors, calculus, discrete math and linear algebra. This theoretical course work in classical mathematics enables teacher candidates to teach middle school students from a content-enriched perspective.

Program Goals

  1. The passionate, professional educator is knowledgeable about subject matter.
  2. The passionate, professional educator is committed to inquiry.
  3. The passionate, professional educator is responsive to diversity.

Admission Requirements

  1. Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics or equivalent (twenty-four undergraduate hours).
  2. Passage of Praxis I or waiver based on SAT Score over 1000 (Prior to March 1995, combined SAT scores of 1000 and after April 1995, combined SAT scores of 1100).
  3. General education requirements semester credits in five of the following six fields: English, Math, Science, Social studies, Fine Arts or Foreign Language.
  4. U.S. History course covering at least 50 years.
  5. Two references attesting to the candidate’s suitability for teaching and ability to to graduate work.
  6. Personal essay of 350 words addressing reasons for seeking a teaching career and personal attributes that support that aspiration.  

Field Work and Resident Teaching

Each student must complete fieldwork and Resident Teaching experiences. Fieldwork occurs concurrent with enrollment in coursework and may take one of two forms: either a district-paid internship or a self-paid field experience in local schools. Both experiences award six semester hours of credit. Interns work at a school in a  district selected by the Director of the Intern Program. Interns spend an entire school year following the schedule of the selected school district. Tuition for University of Bridgeport course work is fully paid resulting in a tuition free degree/certification experience in academically related course work. Alternatively, each traditional student may choose to complete fieldwork in a school of the student's choice as an observer, assistant to a teacher, or assistant in other instructional related activity. As a culminating project, students (both intern and traditional) produce portfolios centering on the program objectives.

The Resident Teaching experience is a full 60 days of teaching in a school under the direction of a trained Cooperating Teacher. The arrangement for the placements are made through the School of Education and are also supervised by University staff.

Course Requirements:

  1. Nine credit hours in foundations of education coursework (differentiated instruction, educational psychology, and special education).
  2. Twenty-four hours of professional education requirements (curriculum and methods of teaching, statutory state requirements, and field experiences).
  3. Sixty-day (twelve-week) Resident Teaching experience (six credit hours)