Math, BA - Secondary Teaching Emphasis

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics with a Secondary Education emphasis gives students a firm grounding in all the mathematics they will need to be an excellent high school or middle school teacher. Students develop their own critical skills in courses ranging from calculus through number theory with an eye towards creating those skills in their future students.

The degree is a mathematics degree within the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, but it is a collaborative degree in which students take secondary education licensure courses in the College of Education.

The secondary teaching option prepares students for teaching mathematics at the middle or high school level.

The Bachelor of Science (BA) in Mathematics requires the following:

• A minimum of 45 credit hours of MATH coursework. At least 27 of those hours must be upper division (courses numbered 3000 or higher)
• A grade of C or better in courses applied to the major
• A minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all MATH coursework
• No more than 60 credit hours of MATH coursework may apply to the bachelor’s degree
• An Exit Interview with the Mathematics department is required prior to graduation
• All Mathematics majors are required to meet with a faculty advisor in the Mathematics department during their first year as Mathematics majors

General requirements for all students in the Mathematics BA program include the following:

• Complete at least 45-49 credit hours of MATH courses depending on option selected (45 for Secondary Teaching Emphasis)
• Complete each required MATH course with a grade of C or better
• Maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.0
• Complete an exit interview with the mathematics department prior to graduation
• Meet with a faculty advisor in the mathematics department during the first year as a mathematics major
• Fulfill the specific requirements for the Option selected

All students are expected to take nine core courses, which allow students to become familiar with the different subfields of mathematics before choosing their focus. Core courses include:

• MATH 1350 - Calculus I
• MATH 1360 - Calculus II
• MATH 2150 - Discrete Mathematics
• MATH 2350 - Calculus III
• MATH 3110 - Theory of Numbers
• MATH 3130 - Introduction to Linear Algebra
• MATH 3400 - Introduction to Differential Equations
• MATH 3410 - Introduction to Analysis
• MATH 3810 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics

BA in Secondary Teaching Emphasis Requirements

In addition to the ten core courses, students selecting the Secondary Teaching Emphasis must complete the following four courses (12 credit hours).

• Math 2650 – Introduction to Computational Mathematics
• Math 3010 – Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I
• Math 3020 – Mathematics for Elementary Teachers II
• Math 3210 – Introduction to Geometry

Complete an additional 3 credit hours (1 course) of elective MATH courses numbered 4130 or higher.

Finally, secondary teaching students must also complete the following courses required for the UCCSTeach Program (30 credit hours):

• UTED 1030 - Inquiry Approaches/Lesson Plan Design for Secondary Math/Science Teaching
• UTED 2010 - Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science
• UTED 3020 - Classroom Interactions
• UTED 4710 - Project-Based Instruction
• UTED 4720 - Reading in the Content Area
• UTED 4730 - Apprentice Teaching UCCS Teach and Seminar
• UTLS 3030 - Perspectives on Science and Math

For more information on degree requirements, please visit the Academic Catalog.

To learn more about admission requirements and the application process, please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

Additional resources for Admissions:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships