Illinois has suffered from a shortage of mathematics teachers for the last eight years. Source: "Designated Teacher Shortage Areas," Illinois State Board of Education
The critical shortage of qualified math teachers nationally has fueled the increased demand for certified mathematics educators. Governors State University's Mathematics Education certificate program prepares you for teacher certification in mathematics at the secondary education level. The program is open to baccalaureate graduates holding a degree in mathematics.
The sequence of coursework is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and leads to an initial high school license in mathematics. You may also obtain an endorsement for teaching in middle school.
To be recommended for an Illinois State Board of Education teaching license, you must present evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency (formerly Basic Skills), Subject-Matter Knowledge and Assessment of Professional Teaching examinations of the Illinois Certification Testing System. You must complete a student teaching requirement in mathematics and must meet other requirements for certification through approved programs in the teacher education and certification section of the GSU catalog.
Program Fact Sheet
Certificate RequirementsStudents must meet all university requirements for a license, and in addition, student must complete the general education requirement for teacher licensure Initial Secondary License listed in the Teacher Education section of this catalog.
In addition, students must:
- have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher;
- earn a grade of "C" or better in all general education courses;
- have a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher for all general education courses;
- have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in mathematics courses with a grade of "C" or better in each course;
- have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher for EDCP-6101, EDUC-3440, and SPED-6101, with a grade of "C" or better in each course;
- earn a grade of "B" or better in EDUC-2310, EDUC-6360, and EDUC-6370;
- earn a grade of "B" or better in EDUC-4999;
- complete a minimum of 100 clock hours of supervised pre-student teaching experiences;
- provide evidence of successful completion of the Illinois and U.S. Constitution examinations;
- show evidence of having passed the Assessment of Professional Teaching;
- meet any additional requirements listed in the Teacher Licensure section of this catalog; and
- receive a positive recommendation from the Secondary Education Student progress Committee.
Professional Education (minimum of 24 hours)
The following courses can be taken at either the lower-division or upper-division level:
The following courses must be taken at the upper-division level:
Additional RequirementsStudents may need to complete additional general education or Mathematics courses if their bachelor degree requirements do not meet the requirements of the approved Governors State University program for the endorsement in Mathematics Education.
Minimum Total - 24 Hours at GSU
Students must meet the university requirements for a certificate found in the GSU catalog. Please meet with your faculty or academic advisor after admission to complete your study plan.