PhD in Mathematics Education

The Ph.D. in Mathematics Education is designed for students with a strong background in both mathematics and mathematics education who wish to be leading researchers in mathematics education. This degree combines graduate-level study of mathematics and mathematics education with work in qualitative and quantitative research methodology and other supporting fields as appropriate to your area of interest.

Highlights

• One of the oldest and most respected doctoral programs in the country
• A full-time, residential program
• 9 faculty members
• Approximately half of doctoral students have an assistantship
• Assistantships waive your tuition and pay you to pursue your degree
• You do not need a Master’s degree to begin the program

Curriculum

Work with an advisory committee to construct a program of study that bridges your background with your career aspirations. Typical coursework includes:

• Mathematics through the equivalent of a master’s degree
• Qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Mathematics education research in learning, curriculum, teaching, and critical issues
• Other supporting fields (e.g., educational psychology, statistics, sociology, etc.) as appropriate

To complete this degree, you must also pass written and oral comprehensive examinations and write a dissertation that reflects the highest levels of scholarship in mathematics education.

If you do not have some form of substantial teaching experience (although not necessarily as a classroom teacher) upon entering the program, you will be expected to acquire these skills during your studies.

Download a Program of Study (PDF)

Our Faculty

Our nationally recognized faculty will work with you to customize your degree program. Learn more about our faculty and their expertise.

Additional information and disclosures regarding state licensure for professional practice in this field can be found at the UGA Licensure Disclosure Portal .

How to Apply

Part 1: Apply to the University of Georgia

The Graduate School handles admission for all graduate programs at the University of Georgia, including those in the College of Education. The Graduate School website contains important details about the application process, orientation, and many other useful links to guide you through the process of attending UGA at the graduate level.

Start A Graduate School Application

Part 2: Apply to the Ph.D. in Mathematics Education

We base admissions decisions on a variety of factors including past performance in coursework, especially mathematics course work, GPAs in past degree programs, entrance exam scores, and letters of recommendation.

The Graduate School requires a minimum 3.0 GPA in your undergraduate degree and a minimum 3.5 GPA in your graduate degree.

Applicants must submit their official GRE scores during application. In recent years, students admitted to our doctoral degree program have earned average GRE (quantitative) scores in the 80th to 85th percentile and average GRE (verbal) scores in the 55th to 60th percentile

Strong mathematics background equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in mathematics/mathematical sciences is expected.

K-16 mathematics teaching experience strongly preferred prior to admission.

While completing the Graduate School application, you will need to provide:

• Three letters of recommendation
  You will identify your letter writers and their email addresses when you apply, and they will receive an email from the Graduate School asking them to complete the form online. Choose recommenders who know your academic work well and can speak to your capacity to engage in graduate level study of mathematics, to perform well in courses requiring high levels of reading and writing, to work as a classroom teacher, and to be successful in a graduate program. Do not solicit “character references” from friends, family, or people you know socially.
• Transcripts
  Applicants should submit unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended as part of the online application. Official transcripts are not required during the review process and will only be required for applicants who are offered admission. Do not mail official transcripts until offered admission.
• Test Scores
  Have your GRE scores sent directly to UGA using the institution code 5813.

In addition to completing the online Graduate School application, please submit these materials directly to the department:

• Sample of scholarly writing
  Submit a piece of scholarly writing that demonstrates both your technical writing skills and your ability to make claims and support them with references and chains of logic. A paper that you have written for a previous course may suffice, or you may wish to construct a new paper. Your writing sample should be (mathematics) education related; please do not submit a technical mathematics paper. If you do not have an appropriate sample available, contact AnnaMarie Conner for a writing prompt to which you will respond.
• Current curriculum vita/resume (we recommend fitting this on two pages)
• Statement of purpose (we recommend fitting this on two pages)
  Submit a statement explaining why you are interested in pursuing a doctoral degree in mathematics education at the University of Georgia. Identify the educational problem or concern that drives you to pursue a Ph.D.. Because the Ph.D. is a research degree, identify a potential topic (or topics) of investigation and provisionally identify members of the faculty with whom you might work.

Submit your Materials

Deadline To Apply

Please refer to the UGA Graduate School deadlines for full details.

Early Admissions: Apply by Nov. 1 for full consideration in all assistantship competitions and supported campus visits

Regular Admissions: Apply by Jan. 3 for full consideration in select assistantship competitions

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