Graduate Certificate in Mathematics Education (5–8 or 8–12)

The Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development offers a Graduate Certificate program for qualified post-baccalaureate students (majored in mathematics or who have taken a minimum of six mathematics courses beyond Calculus I; applicants who are close to completing the prerequisite minimum number of math courses are encouraged to contact the program) who are interested in receiving Initial Licensure as teacher of Mathematics, Grades 5–8 or 8–12. Students who are successful in completing this program will develop the knowledge and skills necessary as a beginning teacher of Mathematics, 5–8 or 8–12. Specifically, the learning outcomes are as follows.

Boston University students completing the Mathematics Education licensure program will:

• Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of mathematics content that recognizes mathematics as a dynamic set of interconnected ideas as opposed to a set of discrete processes or disconnected facts.
• Demonstrate mathematical knowledge for teaching that connects knowledge of content, teaching practices, student learning, and curriculum that is appropriate for their grade band.
• Demonstrate high-level teaching competencies, including:
  • Designing and enacting instruction that focuses on building students’ understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures and engaging all students in the active construction of knowledge.
  • Creating and maintaining mathematics classroom environments that are active, collaborative, rigorous, investigative, and respectful.
  • Understanding issues around access, equity, and diversity for mathematics students and enacting equitable pedagogies in light of these issues.
  • Collecting and using meaningful evidence of students’ mathematical understanding to inform instruction.
• Synthesize knowledge of mathematics content, mathematical knowledge for teaching, and pedagogies to form a coherent philosophy of mathematics teaching.
• Demonstrate understanding of teaching as a profession that includes continually working to develop teaching practice, build relations with students, work collaboratively with colleagues, connect with the student families, and work within the broader community.

For those students successful in completing all the courses and practica in this certificate program, the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development provides a recommendation for licensure to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Office of Educator Licensure. Students must also apply directly to the DESE and are required to take additional tests (Massachusetts Test for Educational Licensures [MTELs]) to secure licenses.

Grades 5–8

Requirements for licensure as a teacher of Mathematics, Grades 5–8 are listed below. Please note, prior coursework may be submitted for review to determine equivalency. If determined to be equivalent, required courses listed may be waived as a part of the certificate program.

• SED CT 534 Classroom Management (2 cr)
• SED DS 502 Adolescent Development (2 cr)
• SED ME 507 Student Teaching Practicum Grades 5–8 (8 cr)
• SED ME 546 Methods of Teaching Mathematics: Middle School (4 cr)
• SED ME 559 Mathematics for Teaching: Geometry (4 cr) or with permission, ME 504 Mathematical Reasoning in the Elementary Grades: Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics (4 cr)
• SED ME 560 Mathematics for Teaching: Algebra (4 cr) or with permission, ME 503 Mathematical Reasoning in the Elementary Grades: Number Systems (4 cr)
• SED SE 510 Special Education (2 cr)
• SED TL 525 Sheltered English Immersion (4 cr)

Grades 8–12

Requirements for licensure as a teacher of Mathematics, Grades 8–12 are listed below. Please note, prior coursework may be submitted for review to determine equivalency. If determined to be equivalent, required courses listed may be waived as a part of the certificate program.

• SED CT 534 Classroom Management (2 cr)
• SED DS 502 Adolescent Development (2 cr)
• SED ME 508 Student Teaching Practicum Grades 8–12 (8 cr)
• SED ME 547 Methods of Teaching Mathematics: High School (4 cr)
• SED ME 559 Mathematics for Teaching: Geometry (4 cr)
• SED ME 560 Mathematics for Teaching: Algebra (4 cr)
• SED SE 510 Special Education (2 cr)
• SED TL 525 Sheltered English Immersion (4 cr)