Natural Science M.S. Middle-Level Math Concentration (MMA)

SMTC Student Learner Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the MS degree program in Natural Science, a student will be able to:

• Engage in teacher research to transform STEM instruction:

  - Design and implement a research project that asks and answers a question using appropriate materials, concepts and methods, and ethical practices, and
  - Effectively communicate all aspects of the research project in both oral and written forms.

• Use professional and academic standards to ensure high-quality interdisciplinary instruction (i.e., place-based, culturally relevant, and/or social justice pedagogy) to maximize learning for all students.

• Engage in mathematical and/or scientific discourse and scientific thinking as active participants in communities of practice.

Program Specific Admission Requirements

For the MS-Natural Science Master’s Degrees (with concentrations in MSC and MMA) and the MST:

Two years of teaching experience and a valid teaching license required for MSC and MMA

Application Fee

Official Transcripts from all Institutions attended and Bachelor Degree conferring institution

3.0 undergraduate grade point average; provisional admission with a lesser GPA only with consent from Academic Affairs

GRE (minimum 292 score) or an Alternative Portfolio including evidence that supports the potential success of the candidate as a graduate student and a document that interprets the evidence (These items are not required of applicants who hold a prior master’s degree)

Writing Sample in response to three provided questions

Resume

Three Letters of Recommendation including a letter from the teacher’s principal or an employers and two other colleagues.

Graduate Assistantships and Scholarships

Graduate Assistantships and Scholarships

The SMTC has scholarships and graduate assistantships available for graduates accepted for the above Master’s degree programs. Scholarships cover partial to full tuition for current Wyoming teachers for the MMA and MSC programs. More information upon admission and acceptance.

For the Master of Science in Natural Science Master’s Degrees

Plan B (non-thesis)

• 30 Credit Hours of graduate-level coursework is required in all of the programs.  This includes 24 credit hours in required coursework depending on the program plus 6 credit hours of additional coursework that may include a research class, Plan B independent research and an elective.
• The Middle Level Science (MSC) concentration is a 3-year program, for the required coursework, in the summers only on UW’s main campus. Courses are offered on a 3-year rotation cycle; students may enter the program in any year. 
• The Middle Level Math (MMA) concentration is a 2-year program with classes offered virtually in the fall and spring and in-person on the main campus in the summer, for the required courses. Students may enter the program in any semester. 
• The Natural Science Education (NED) concentration is a 2-year program with classes offered in the graduate program at the Teton Science Schools in Jackson, WY, in year 1, and additional classes offered at the UW main campus in year 2. 
• The MST (Master’s of Science in Teaching) and the MS- Natural Science Master’s Degrees are Main campus degrees. They are self-directed master’s degree programs designed individually based on the student’s interests and needs. 
• All students must complete and defend a Plan B research project. 
• A Plan A (thesis) may be completed with an extra year of research.

NOTE: Middle-Level Science & Middle-Level Mathematics; 24 credit hours in the core courses are required for institutional recommendation for WY middle-level endorsement from the Professional Teaching Standards Board, PTSB.

NOTE: *NASC 5810 Middle-Level Science and Mathematics 3 credit hour course Practica (required course for teachers without previous coursework or experience teaching middle-level students. Offered spring semester in even years only).

Core Courses

Students can start the program during any semester. The program is on a two-year rotation where course offerings alternate depending on whether it’s an even or an odd year.

Odd Number Year Program Requirements (2025, 2027)

• Spring

• NASC 5205 - Methods of Teaching Middle-Level Mathematics, MMA Credits: 3

• Summer (in Laramie) 

• NASC 5170 - Connecting Geometry with Problem- Solving for the Middle-Level Learner, MMA Credits: 3
• NASC 5225 - Assessment for Middle-Level Mathematics, MMA Credits: 3

• Fall

• NASC 5190 - Mathematics of Change and the Middle-Level Learner, MMA Credits: 3

Even Number Year Program Requirements (2024, 2026)

• Spring

• NASC 5140 - Numbers, Operations, and Patterns for the Middle-Level Learner, MMA Credits: 3

• Summer (in Laramie)

• NASC 5215 - Using Technology for Middle-Level Mathematics Credits: 3
• NASC 5185 - Analysis of Data in the Media for the Middle-Level Learner, MMA Credits: 3

• Fall

• NASC 5160 - Social and Historical Issues in Mathematics and the Middle-Level Learner, MMA Credits: 3

Suggested Courses

• NASC 5670 - Research Methodology Credits: 4 (offered synchronously on-line during the fall semesters after school hours)
• NASC 5810 - ML Science & Math Practicum Credits: 3 (required for teachers who are not currently teaching middle level science/math; 3 credits) is offered online synchronously in the spring semester of even years (2024, 2026, 2028, etc.)