There are several paths that Rutgers students can follow to prepare for a career in secondary school teaching.
1. The Five-Year Mathematics Teacher Preparation Program in the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education (GSE) integrates the mathematics undergraduate program with teaching preparation, leading to a B.A. degree in mathematics, an M.Ed. degree, and New Jersey teacher certification. Students must apply for admission (usually in the junior year), complete a standard mathematics major, satisfy undergraduate requirements set by the GSE as well as those set by the School of Arts and Sciences, and, in the fifth year, complete additional coursework, including an additional mathematics elective, and do a student teaching internship. The nine required mathematics courses at the 300 to 400 level must include 01:640:300, 311, 351, 435, 436, 477, 481, and an applied math course.
2. After completing the mathematics major, students may obtain an M.Ed. and New Jersey teacher certification through the Rutgers GSE Postbaccalaureate Certification Program or through postbaccalaureate certification programs at other institutions. Application to the program may be made in the fall of a student's senior year or anytime after graduation. This 45-credit program requires coursework in both mathematics and education as well as a student teaching internship, and may be pursued either full time or part time.
3. Other paths to secondary school mathematics teaching include (1) "alternate route" certification, which usually requires a period of apprenticeship in a high school and 200 hours of coursework at a cooperating college or university, and (2) teaching without certification in a private independent or parochial school.
Prospective teachers should contact the mathematics department and/or the Office of Teacher Education in the Graduate School of Education as early as possible in their undergraduate careers and should stay informed about the rapidly evolving procedures and standards for certification. Further information on all Rutgers teaching programs can be obtained from GSE or from the website http://www.gse.rutgers.edu.
