Earn Your Online Masters Degree in Mathematics
Most people who earn degrees in mathematics do so because they want to become teachers. The exact approach you take will depend on whether you want to teach elementary math, high school math, or college level mathematics courses. A masters degree will be sufficient for a job at any educational level, and you can now complete it entirely online.
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 The MA in Mathematics Education degree offered at Western Governors University prepares you to pass the certification exam in secondary mathematics or to complete a professional development program in elementary math. You should already have a teaching license and be able to spend about 15-20 hours a week on your studies. |
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At Liberty University you can earn a Master of Education with a program specialty in Math. The program is intended for those wanting to be teachers in grades K – 12. A teaching internship is required and your program may have some on-campus requirements. At Liberty you will learn how to incorporate Christian values into your teaching practice. |
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A Master of Arts degree in Teaching and Learning—Elementary Math can be earned at Nova Southeastern University. The program is an education program designed to teach classroom practices in several subject areas. The Elementary Math specialization concentrates on primary mathematics skills. The 30 hour degree program can be completed in 14 months. |
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Walden University is the place for those who want to teach mathematics to children in grades K – 5. The university offers a Master of Science with a specialization in Mathematics through their Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. It is an online program with courses that align with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards. |
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If you are interested in teaching children mathematics, your best approach is to major in Education with a concentration, second major, or a minor in mathematics. The Education degree allows you to pick up a masters degree in any other subject without additional core courses that would typically be taken on the undergraduate level. Thus you could have multiple masters degrees in disciplines that interest you and thereby have more options for teaching positions.
If you intend to teach on either the high school or college levels, you will be better served by majoring in math and education, or by majoring in math and getting a minor in education. Nearly all high schools look for certain education courses such as educational psychology, curriculum development and lesson planning along with the successful completion of a student teaching assignment. However, a minor in education is enough to enable you to successfully pass your state Teacher’s Examination. The subject area test—in your case, the Mathematics test, will be much more demanding and more successfully completed if you spend as much of your effort as possible in mathematics courses.
If you really want to teach college level math and are determined never to apply to a high school or elementary school, you can forget the minor in education altogether, although a course in lesson planning and test design would be useful. Colleges tend to scoff at the education major (except for those who are trying to attract would be teachers), favoring instead those who have both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in the area they want to teach.
Job Outlook and Salary for Mathematics Teachers
Mathematics teachers should have no trouble finding employment on any level. Be aware that a mathematics teacher on the elementary level often has to teach other courses as well, such as science or social studies. On either the college or high school level, you might be expected to teach general math, business math, algebra, trigonometry, or calculus. Since all applicants for the job will have the same degree that you have, your success in landing the position will depend on your experience and on your ability to show that you can make mathematical concepts simply enough for anyone to grasp them. If you get an opportunity, provide the search committee with photos or visuals of innovative ways of teaching one or two math concepts. A three minute demonstration will stick in their minds longer than 30 minutes of detail about why you would make a good math teacher.
The one drawback to teaching—or at least the one you will hear the most often from teachers—is salary. While teachers in some areas make $50,000 or more, those in poorer states are still being paid salaries in the low to mid $30s. Teachers in state colleges are often paid more than those in small private colleges although those in Ivy League Universities sometimes earn close to six figures, especially once they have a few years of experience to their credit.
