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School of Professional Development

Become a Mathematics Teacher

The Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics (HEGIS 1701) is a course of study leading to New York State certification for teaching mathematics in the secondary schools (grades 7-12), with an extension option for grades 5-6.

In Stony Brook University's distributed teacher education model, each MAT program is a collaboration between the academic departments (for content courses) and the School of Professional Development (for professional education courses).

MAT in Mathematics students take their content courses through the University's Department of Mathematics, learning from its prestigious faculty and gaining a deep subject-level expertise. 

This program is designed for those who have little or no previous coursework in education or formal classroom teaching experience. If you are already provisionally certified to teach mathematics in grades 7-12, then you should consider applying to  the Master of Arts in Mathematics (secondary teacher option). Details on the Math website.

Two MAT math students writing out lesson plans on paper

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Program Requirements

The degree program consists of 45 credits, distributed among the areas listed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is three credits. All degree requirements must be completed within five (5) years from the semester date of admission as a matriculated student.

Mathematics Content Courses — 15 credits

Course selection will be determined by the student and advisor. Students who have academic deficiencies in Mathematics will be required to include courses that specifically address these deficiencies. These courses will be part of the 15 credits selected to satisfy this requirement. If additional deficiencies exist, those credits required to meet these mandates will be over and above those requirements for the degree.

  • MAE 501 Foundations of the Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum
  • MAT 511 Fundamental Concepts of Mathematics (may be replaced by a different graduate mathematics course with approval of program director)

Plus nine additional credits selected from the following:

  • AMS 504 Foundations of Applied Mathematics
  • AMS 507 Introduction to Probability
  • AMS 572 Data Analysis I
  • MAT 512 Algebra for Teachers
  • MAT 513 Analysis for Teachers I
  • MAT 514 Analysis for Teachers II
  • MAT 515 Geometry for Teachers
  • MAT 516 Probability & Statistics for Teachers
  • MAT 530 Topology/Geometry I
  • MAT 534 Algebra I
  • MAT 542 Complex Analysis I
  • MAT 544 Analysis
  • MAT 550 Real Analysis I
  • MAT 599 Masters Level Independent Study

Professional Studies in Education — 24 credits

  • CEE 505 Education: Theory and Practice
  • CEE 565 Human Development (formerly  PSY 595)
  •  CEE 588 Methods of Instruction in Literature and Composition in Secondary School (corequisite CEF 551)
  • CEE 590 Student Teaching Seminar (corequisites CEQ 591 & CEQ 592; prerequisites CEE 588, CEE 593, CEF 551

Supervised Student Teaching — 6 credits

  • CEE 505 Education: Theory and Practice
  • CEE 565 Human Development (formerly PSY 595)
  • CEE 594 Language Acquisition and Literacy Development (formerly LIN 544)
  • CEF 547 Principles and Practices of Special Education
  • MAE 510 Introduction to Methods of Teaching & Learning Standards (co- or prerequisite: MAE 501)
  • MAE 520 Advanced Methods of Teaching Secondary School Mathematics (prerequisites: MAE 501 and MAE 510)
  • MAE 530 Directed Readings in Mathematics Education (1 credit course; prerequisites: MAE 510 & MAE 520; corequisite: MAE 540)
  • MAE 540 Clinical Experience (2 credits; prerequisites: MAE 510 & MAE 520; co-requisite: MAE 530)
  • MAE 554 Student Teaching Seminar (co-requisites MAE 551 & MAE 552; prerequisites CEE 505, CEE 565, CEE 594, MAE 501, MAE 510, MAE 520, MAE 530, MAE 540; satisfaction of all content requirements and permission of the Director of Mathematics Education)

Supervised Student Teaching — 6 credits

MAE 551 Supervised Student Teaching Middle School Grades 7-9: Mathematics

Eligibility requirements:

  • Co-requisites: MAE 552 & MAE 554
  • Pre-requisites: CEE 505, CEE 565, CEE 594, MAE 501, MAE 510, MAE 520, MAE 530, MAE 540
  • Satisfaction of all content requirements and permission of the Director of Mathematics Education)

MAE 552 Supervised Student Teaching High School Grades 10 - 12: Mathematics

Eligibility requirements:

  • Co-requisites: MAE 551 & MAE 554
  • Pre-requisites: CEE 505, CEE 565, CEE 594, MAE 501, MAE 510, MAE 520, MAE 530, MAE 540
  • Satisfaction of all content requirements and permission of the Director of Mathematics Education)

Teacher Certification

Stony Brook University requires that students must have completed an undergraduate degree and have at least 36 credits in the content field for admission to the MAT program. This course of study should be substantially the equivalent to that of a Stony Brook undergraduate degree program.

The Master of Arts in Teaching is a New York State registered and approved program that qualifies students for license upon successful degree completion. Students must complete all courses required for the MAT and must receive a grade of B or better in all pedagogy and foundation courses as well as an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in all course work attempted while matriculated in a graduate teacher preparation program.

Workshops

Teacher preparation candidates must be fingerprinted and must also complete certification workshops in:

  • Child Abuse
  • Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
  • School Violence (Project Save)
  • Identification and Referral of Substance Abuse 

See Certification and Licensing Workshops for workshop details and schedules.

Tests

All students will have to complete the Educating All Students Test and the revised CST (Content Specialty Test) in the area of the Certificate. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor the TEACH website to ensure that they are taking the appropriate examinations. 

Note: As of April 27, 2022, the NYS Education Department eliminated the edTPA as a certification requirement.  Effective September 1, 2023, in lieu of the edTPA, all students in teacher preparation programs will be required to complete a teacher performance assessment.  This assessment will be developed, administered, and evaluated by Stony Brook University instructors.

Mandatory Professional Licensure Disclosure for Registered Teacher Certification Programs at Stony Brook

New York State prides itself in the high quality of its licensed and certified professionals.  For the protection of its citizens, each license and certificate has requirements that individuals must meet in order to be licensed or certified in New York State. SUNY’s academic programs leading to licensure or certification are carefully designed to meet and exceed these State requirements. This is a role SUNY plays in protecting the public.  

Per federal regulations on state authorization (34 CFR 600.9) and disclosure of information about licensed programs (34 CFR 668.43), Stony Brook University has determined that if successfully completed, the Master of Arts in Teaching English teacher certification program is sufficient to meet the educational requirements for licensure/certification in New York State.

For purposes of state authorization and disclosure of information about licensed programs, Stony Brook University determines a student’s initial location based on the reported permanent (“home”) address on the admission application. (See Student Location Procedure for complete details.)

Enrolled out-of-state students and prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact their state’s licensure entity to review all licensure and certification requirements imposed by their state(s) of choice.

Visit the New York State Education Department's Office of Teaching Initiatives website for complete details on certification requirements.

Tuition and Financial Information

Cost of Attendance

Tuition and fee information can be found on the Bursar's website.

Payment Plan

Stony Brook recognizes the need for helping students manage the expenses of higher education. To this end, the University offers a Time Option Payment Plan (TOPP), a program that allows students to make equal and consecutive payments throughout the year.

Financial Aid

For information on financial aid options, contact the Stony Brook Office of Financial Aid at (631) 632-6840, or visit the Financial Aid website.

Application Instructions

Minimum Requirements to Apply*

  • An academic major in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics or the equivalent (see below) with a minimum of 36 credits in Mathematics **
  • A minimum GPA of 3.00 in your overall bachelor's degree program
  • A minimum GPA of 3.00 in Mathematics studies
  • One year of college-level study of a foreign language with a grade of “C” or better (this may include American Sign Language)

*Note: As of Spring 2022, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are no longer required for admission.

**These 36 credits must include courses in single and multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and at least two of the following four more advanced subjects: abstract and/or applied algebra; analysis or advanced calculus; geometry, including non-Euclidean geometry; probability and/or statistics. You must also have taken at least one mathematics course that significantly uses computers and/or graphing calculators.

Applications are submitted through our application portal. All materials must be submitted by the published deadlines for priority review. Note that international students are not admitted for the Summer term.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Contact Information

For program questions, please contact:

Lisa Berger, PhD
Director of Mathematics Education and Associate Professor of Mathematics
(631) 632-8278
Email: Lisa.Berger@stonybrook.edu

Jason Starr, PhD
Advisor for Mathematics Education and Professor of Mathematics
(631) 632-8270
Email: Jason.Starr@stonybrook.edu

For application procedure questions, please contact:

MAT Admissions
School of Professional Development
S113 Social & Behavioral Sciences Building
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794 - 4310
Telephone: 631-632-7050
Email: spd@stonybrook.edu



AAQEP – Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation

 

Stony Brook University is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Its teacher education programs have been awarded full accreditation by AAQEP through June 30, 2030.