UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
Department of Mathematics
MASTER'S DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS: SECONDARY EMPHASIS
PROGRAM OF STUDY: The Department of Mathematics at the University of Northern
Iowa offers a program of courses in mathematics and mathematics education
leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Mathematics: Secondary Emphasis.
The purpose of the program is two-fold:
To strengthen and extend the understanding of mathematics
To enhance teaching methods
In mathematics, students select courses from among the areas of algebra,
analysis, geometry (transformations and symmetry), history and philosophy of
mathematics, mathematical logic, number theory, probability and statistics,
and topology. Programs are constructed in consultation with a faculty
adviser, and are designed to exhibit both breadth and depth of mathematical
content. In mathematics education, students take several courses designed to
integrate the content and ideas examined in their mathematical courses with
the secondary curriculum. These include a seminar involving a mathematical
connections laboratory, a course designed to examine problems and issues in
teaching either junior high school or high school mathematics, and a course in
the secondary school mathematics curriculum. The length of the program will
vary depending on the candidate's background, but will normally take two years
to complete. By taking three additional courses in higher education, the
student will, upon application to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners,
also be licensed to teach in community colleges in the state of Iowa.
To be accepted into the program, the student must have a license to teach
mathematics at the secondary level. Teaching experience, while not required,
is encouraged.
The Department of Mathematics also offers a Master of Arts in
Mathematics. A separate description of this program is available from the
address below.
FACILITIES: The Department of Mathematics is housed in a newly renovated
building that features a comfortable working environment along with several
computer labs. IBM-compatible computers, Macintosh computers and Sun
workstations are all available to graduate students and are networked together
as an internet domain. In addition, the University of Northern Iowa is an
academic affiliate of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
Departmental graduate students are permitted access to the NCSA's CRAY Y-MP
supercomputer.
There is a mathematics education laboratory containing manipulatives, K-
12 texts, computer software, videotapes, and Macintosh computers.
The university library, conveniently located adjacent to the Mathematics
building, has a collection of over 700,000 books and more than 3000 current
periodicals and newspaper subscriptions. The holdings of the UNI library, as
well as other libraries in the state, are accessible via the computer network.
The University of Northern Iowa, as well as the entire state of Iowa, has
access to a fiber-optics network to transmit course work and to conduct
conferences.
FINANCIAL AID: Graduate Assistantship Stipends and Graduate Tuition
Scholarships are available to qualified students on a competitive basis.
Graduate Assistantship Stipends for the 1994-95 academic year are $6000.
Graduate Tuition Scholarships cover the entire in-state or out-of-state
tuition, but do not include student fees. Students awarded a Graduate
Assistantship Stipend or a Graduate Tuition Scholarship must enroll for a
minimum of 9 hours of graduate credit per semester. Some additional support
is available during the summer session.
COST OF STUDY: In 1994-95, students without Graduate Tuition Scholarships who
are taking 9 or more graduate credit hours per semester will pay $2656 in
tuition for the entire academic year if they are Iowa residents or $6592 in
tuition for the same period if they are out-of-state residents. Additional
fees will average about $100 per semester for both in-state and out-of-state
students.
COST OF LIVING: The cost of room and board for the academic year is about
$3000. Residence hall fees for summer sessions (based on double occupancy)
are approximately $350 for the 4-week session and $700 for the full 8-week
session. Apartments (one and two bedroom) are available on campus with rents
ranging from $180 to $275 per month, plus utilities. A large number of
privately-owned apartments within a short distance of campus are also
available.
STUDENT BODY: The University of Northern Iowa currently has over 1250
graduate students and 11,500 undergraduate students. In the Department of
Mathematics, there are about 30 students currently enrolled on either a full-
time or part-time basis in graduate degree programs. There is an excellent
student-faculty ratio, and graduate students have the opportunity to work
closely with their advisers and other faculty members in the department. As a
consequence, the completion rate for students entering the program is high.
LOCATION: The Cedar Falls/Waterloo metropolitan area has a population of
about 150,000 and offers a wide variety of cultural, educational and
recreational opportunities. Cedar Falls is located 268 miles west of Chicago,
200 miles south of Minneapolis and 108 miles northeast of Des Moines and is
accessible via Interstate 380. Four air carriers (American Eagle, Northwest
AirLink, TWA Express and United Express) serve the Waterloo airport.
THE UNIVERSITY AND THE DEPARTMENT: The University of Northern Iowa was
established in 1876 and was granted university status in 1967. While the
university has grown to an institution of over thirty academic departments
with a wide diversity of both undergraduate and graduate programs, it
continues to enjoy an international reputation, along with its associated
Malcolm Price (K-12) Laboratory School, as a center of excellence for both
undergraduate and graduate programs in the field of teacher education. The
Department of Mathematics has been offering master's degrees for more than
thirty years.
APPLICATION: Application forms for admission and financial support, as well
as additional information about the department and its programs, can be
obtained from the address below. Applicants whose native language is not
English must have a current TOEFL score of at least 500 for admission and a
score of at least 500 to be eligible for a Graduate Assistantship Stipend.
All application materials for Graduate Assistantship Stipends or Graduate
Tuition Scholarships must be received by March 1. Awards for stipends or
scholarships for the following academic year are made in early April.
CORRESPONDENCE AND INFORMATION: Dr. Joel Haack
Head, Department of Mathematics
Wright Hall 220
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0506
Phone: (319)273-2631
Fax: (319)273-2546
e-mail: haack@math.uni.edu