Degree Requirements
Master's Degrees
Prerequisites for admission to each master’s degree program are a baccalaureate degree and coursework in education, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Master of Arts. The program consists of thirty-five semester hours, with at least twenty-one hours at the graduate level. The major field is composed of eighteen hours in education, including nine hours in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics education core course sequence, three hours of research methodology, and six hours for researching and writing the thesis. The minor field consists of twelve hours in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. An additional five hours may be drawn from coursework chosen by the student in conjunction with the graduate adviser. A degree plan without thesis or report is also available. Students in this option take six additional hours of coursework in a concentration of interest.
Master of Education. The program is the same as the program for the Master of Arts described above, with one exception: in addition to the requirements for a Master of Arts, students must be certified to teach at the elementary or secondary level. Students may earn certification to teach through additional coursework while enrolled in the Master of Education program.
Summer option for master’s degrees. Some students may be able to pursue either master’s degree by enrolling in the summer option. Under this option, the required coursework is completed in three consecutive summer terms, with some additional coursework completed online during the fall and spring semesters.
The summer option consists of thirty-three semester hours composed of nine hours in education, fifteen hours in courses with science, technology, engineering, or mathematics content, two hours of research methodology, and four hours of related coursework. The option requires a report instead of a thesis, completed in a three-hour report course.
To qualify for the Master of Arts summer option, students must have experience teaching science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. To qualify for the Master of Education summer option, students must be certified to teach at the elementary or secondary level. More information on the summer option can be found at the program’s Web site at http://uteachweb.cns.utexas.edu/students/future/masters/ .
Doctor of Philosophy
Students seeking the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must show evidence of related professional and academic experience, including a master’s degree or the equivalent in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics content area.
Program Requirements
Core courses. Students must complete the fifteen-semester-hour core course sequence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education through the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. A description of the sequence is available from the graduate program. It is highly recommended that students enroll each semester in Curriculum and Instruction 185G (Topic: Science and Mathematics Education Forum).
Research methodology. Students must complete at least twelve hours of coursework in research
methodology.
Content courses. Students must complete fifteen semester hours of coursework in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. This requirement is waived for students who enter the program with a master’s degree in mathematics or one of the sciences.
Related courses. Students are expected to broaden and deepen their Program of Work by taking a variety of related courses consonant with their scholarly interests. This coursework must be chosen in consultation with the graduate adviser; a list of possible courses is available from the graduate program.