UTeach Summer MA in Mathematics

The Summer MA in Mathematics

Introduction

The UT Mathematics Department and UTeach have collaborated to create a Summer MA in Mathematics program. Students in the summer program will identify the core mathematics content in middle school and high school curricula, building a knowledge base that augments future curricula. Proof is emphasized as much as conceptual connections. Master Mathematics teachers will be exposed to a broader mathematics experience and will, consequently, become sophisticated users of mathematics. The Summer Masters Program will produce the next generation of Master Teacher Leaders in Mathematics - individuals who will return to the classroom and their school districts as highly qualified content specialists.

We have developed new mathematics courses at the graduate level for teachers who wish to increase their content knowledge and to use this knowledge effectively in a secondary setting. These courses will be incorporated into an innovative option obtaining a Master of Arts in Mathematics (UTeach option) especially designed for working teachers and overseen by both the UT Mathematics Department and the UTeach Natural Sciences Program.

The Summer MA in Mathematics allows students to earn the eighteen graduate credit hours required to teach AP courses or community college courses within the 33 hours required for the degree. Included in the 33 hours are two structured courses in Science and Mathematics Education (SME), six structured courses in Mathematics, and an online component. For prospective students interested in a mathematics program with more education-curriculum courses please refer to the Summer Masters in Mathematics Education program.

Key Components Include:

• Completion of the degree in 3 consecutive summers and two academic years
• Required campus-based coursework completed in 9 week sessions during the summer months
• Additional 1-hour course credits earned during the academic year through online courses with assistance from instructors at the University of Texas
• Supervised submission of a final report that relates a candidate's advanced content knowledge to teaching mathematics in the secondary setting
• Limited scholarships available to subsidize costs of travel, lodging and tuition

Application

Candidates are selected through a competitive application process.

Interested individuals must:

All applicants need to apply to two different offices: The Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) and the Department of Mathematics. Different items go to each office and it is vital that all applicants follow these directions carefully, sending the required materials to each office. This is true for all applicants, even those from UT-Austin.

The Department of Mathematics Admissions Committee will review the materials submitted online on our department's site, regardless of your official GIAC file's status. The online application status only refers to your file with GIAC, not with the department. It is the applicant's responsibility to check that each office has the materials it requires.

Steps To Apply:

1. Apply electronically on the GIAC website.

   Note: Do not request for the e-mail of those who will provide letters of recommendation on the GIAC website. Recommendations will be requested through the Department Application.
   You also have the option of mailing the hard copies to our Mathematics Department address listed below.

There are two forms of identification that you will get when you fill out the Texas Common Application (via the GIAC web site). First, you will be given an application number. Second, within 24-48 hours (longer on weekends and holidays), you will receive an email with the UT EID the system has assigned to you. This is an identifier UT Austin uses for applicants and students. Do not create an EID on their site. You must use the one assigned to you.

Note: University offices will be closed Dec. 24, Dec. 25, and Jan. 1. You will not be able to get your UTEID during this holiday period.

These two forms of identification are very helpful to our office and to GIAC's. The UT EID is the preferred and main identifier you will need to keep handy. When you go to fill out the Departmental Application online, it will ask you to provide your UT EID before you can begin using the application.

If you are a previous or current student of UT-Austin, you should use your existing UT EID.

You do not need to provide a "Statement of Purpose" on the GIAC web site, only on ours.

Follow these steps to complete your application to the Graduate School (GIAC):

1. Request official transcript(s) to be sent from all universities and colleges you have attended.
2. Request official test scores to be sent. The UT-Austin Institution code is: 6882. We do not require the TWE nor TSE. Official test score reports are always sent by ETS directly to GIAC first; the GIAC office forwards it to the department.

GIAC does not need to receive your letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, resume, or similar documents. GIAC does not review such materials for admission to our department. Those materials should be submitted only to the Mathematics department.

GIAC mailing address:

UT Graduate/International Admissions (GIAC)
PO Box 7608
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78713-7608 USA

To check your GIAC application status:

http://utdirect.utexas .edu/nr/appstat.html

2. Apply electronically on the Mathematics Department website:

   Please note that this is a separate application form from the Texas Common Application. All applicants must fill out both application forms (Texas Common and the Mathematics department application).

3. All applicants to the graduate programs in Mathematics are required to take the general GRE exam as well as the GRE subject area exam in Mathematics as a condition of acceptance into a program. The GRE subject area exam is used for diagnostic purposes.  GRE website.

In addition to providing basic information using the online application, you will need to provide the following to the Department of Mathematics:

1. Statement of Purpose
2. Three letters of reference (These will be submitted by your recommenders). An email is sent to them automatically by the system. The letters may also be sent directly to the Math Department. If recommenders wish to submit a paper reference, then do not include their email on our application. There are recommendation letter forms downloadable on the GIAC website. We do not require these forms, all we need is the letter.
3. Official or photocopy of all college transcripts Note: We do not accept print-outs from university web sites. Only photocopies or faxes of official transcript or the original transcript will be accepted. It is not necessary to mail a hard copy of your transcript if you upload a copy electronically on our Departmental application.
4. Photocopy of test score reports: General and Subject GRE

The statement of purpose and letters of recommendation must be submitted online in either ASCII text (.txt) or PDf (.pdf) format. You may either mail hard copies of your test scores and transcripts directly to the Math Department or upload scanned copies of the originals using the online application. It is not necessary to mail hard copies if you submitted scanned copies electronically.

Your application will be processed more quickly if you send us a photocopy of your score report (or electronic download), in addition to having the official scores reported to UT-Austin.

Applicants who would like to submit transcripts for the Math Department and for GIAC together in one envelope to save on postage cost, should make sure to mail that envelope directly to the Math Department since our deadlines are more stringent than GIAC's. We will gladly forward the transcript for GIAC to their office.

Mail transcripts and photocopies of score reports to:

Graduate Admissions
Department of Mathematics, UTeach Summer Masters
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station C1200
Austin, TX 78712-0257 USA

The Department of Mathematics Admissions Committee will only review the materials submitted on our department's web site. (We will upload the transcripts that you mail directly to our department.)

If you have any questions, please contact us.

To check your Department Application status:

http://www.ma.utexas.edu/cgi-bin/grad_application/grad_application.pl

If you choose to mail (not preferred) the Statement of Purpose, References, MA Mathematics Department Application and a resume, these documents should be submitted to:

Graduate Admissions, Bonnie O'Neil
Department of Mathematics, UTeach
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station C1200
Austin, TX 78712-0257 USA

For specific questions regarding the UTeach SUMMER Master of Arts in Mathematics program, please contact Dr. Mark L. Daniels.

Notification of Admission Decisions

Notification of admit decisions will be made by email, followed by a hard copy letter, as soon as a decision has been reached by the Department of Mathematics Admissions Committee. Decisions can be viewed on the GIAC application status check. Decisions are usually made mid-March.

Curriculum

In general, Summer MA Mathematics courses do not coincide with the general summer session. Candidates will earn 9 - 10 graduate hours over 3 consecutive sessions each summer.

Degree Plan for SUMMER MA Mathematics

Financial Aid

Each semester, a limited amount of financial support will be available to help offset the costs of the program. The amount awarded each semester may vary and is subject to availability.

For those who will travel to the Austin area and need temporary housing to complete the summer sessions, assistance will be provided. Each summer the program will contract with a dorm near campus to provide summer housing. This plan includes room, board and parking. Rooming is provided in a double room and, if space is available a single room can be requested, but the participant will be required to pay the difference in costs directly to the housing management.

The policy regarding financial aid and housing assistance can be amended and rescinded by the program at any time. Participants who are not making adequate progress through the program may have their aid suspended.

Master Mathematics and Master Science Teacher Certification

Completion of the UTeach Summer Master's Program satisfies the University's requirements for Master Mathematics or Master Science Teacher certification. Successful candidates will be recommended to take the certification exam. Currently, this is the only pathway to the MMT or MST certification offered at the University of Texas at Austin.