Mathematics and Science Education

The Joint Doctoral Program

UCSD and San Diego State University have created this innovative program for students who already have a master's degree in biology, chemistry, mathematics, or physics. In this program, students will complement their discipline knowledge with studies of how people learn mathematics and science. The UCSD Joint Doctoral Group in Mathematics and Science Education currently consists of faculty from the Division of Biology and the Departments of Chemistry and Biochem-istry, Cognitive Science, Communication, Math-ematics, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, and Sociology. The SDSU Program faculty is drawn from the Departments of Biology, Mathematical Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physics, Psychology, and Teacher Education.

The program includes research, practical applications, and formal coursework. Students must commit four years to the program, and most students will complete the program in four to five years. An individualized course of study will be designed for each student, depending on the student's background and interests.

The graduates of this program will be able to contribute to the developing body of knowledge about human cognitive processes in mathematics and science. They will be expected to maintain a strong connection to educational practice through teaching and application of research results on learning to instructional situations.

Information regarding admission is found in the current edition of the Bulletin of the Graduate Division of San Diego State University.

Ph.D. Time Limit Policies

All time limits for this program start when a student first registers in this program. Students must be advanced to candidacy by the end of four years. Total university support to students in this program cannot exceed five years. Total registered time in this program cannot exceed six years. The normative time in this program is five years.

Courses

MSED 295. Orientation Practicum (2-6)
This course should be taken the first year. Each practicum lasts five weeks and is designed to inform students about a faculty member's research program.

MSED 296A-B-C. Mathematics and Science Education/Seminar (4)
Issues concerning the learning of mathematics and science, with particular emphasis on lower-division coursework, will be addressed from the perspectives of how students learn, what students learn, and how students are taught.

MSED 298. Research Project (2–12)
Students will work on an independent research project under the supervision of MSED faculty.