http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/CRMSE/msed/
All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.
UC San Diego and San Diego State University (SDSU) 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 UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Group in Mathematics and Science Education (MSED) currently consists of faculty from the Division of Biological Sciences and the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Cognitive Science, Communication, Education Studies, Mathematics, Philosophy, Psychology, and Sociology. The SDSU Program faculty is drawn from the Departments of Biology, Mathematical Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physics, Psychology, and the School of Education.
The program includes research, practical applications, and formal course work. Students must commit at least 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.
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.
Residency Requirements. After formal admission to the doctoral program, the student must complete a thirty-six-unit residency at the UC San Diego, of which a maximum of twelve units can be upper-division undergraduate courses (100 level). Lower-division undergraduate courses do not count toward residency. Students must also complete an eighteen-unit residency at San Diego State University. The residency requirements cannot be replaced by course work taken elsewhere.
Language Requirement. There is no formal language requirement for the program.
Course Requirements. All students admitted into the doctoral program will fulfill the following requirements. Any alternative method of fulfilling these requirements must be approved by the graduate advisers. Course descriptions can be found in the UC San Diego General Catalog (UC San Diego courses) and the SDSU Graduate Bulletin (SDSU courses).
Beyond these requirements, no specified number of courses is required for the doctoral degree. It is expected, however, that all the doctoral students will supplement the requirements with electives that contribute to individual career objectives.
Additional Requirements for Students Entering with a Master’s Degree in Mathematics Education. Students who are admitted into the doctoral program with a master’s degree in mathematics education will increase the breadth and depth of their mathematical knowledge by fulfilling the requirements specified for Option A or Option B:
Whether the student selects Option A or Option B, the yearlong sequence in algebra or analysis must be taken in Year 1 of the doctoral program. All of the requirements for Option A or Option B must be completed prior to the second year examination; however, students are strongly encouraged to fulfill all of the requirements in Year 1. A grade of B or better must be earned in each course.
Examinations. Students in the doctoral program will be evaluated at the following levels:
Faculty Advisers. Upon admission to the doctoral program, the program directors will assign each student a faculty adviser at both universities. The faculty advisers will serve as advisers until the student’s dissertation committee is appointed.
Dissertation Committee. The dissertation committee will be composed of five members with at least two faculty members from each campus and at least one from a specialty other than that of the committee chair. The fifth faculty member must be tenured at either campus, must be from a specialty other than that of the committee chair, and may be from within or outside the MSED faculty. The student will select members of the dissertation committee in consultation with program faculty and the graduate advisers.
Dissertation. Following the successful completion of all prescribed course work and qualifying examinations, the major remaining requirement for the PhD will be the satisfactory completion of a dissertation consisting of original research carried out under the guidance of the major professor. Approval of the completed dissertation attests that an organized investigation that expands the frontiers of knowledge and understanding in mathematics and science education has been carried out.
Award of the Degree. The doctor of philosophy degree in mathematics and science education will be awarded jointly by the Regents of the University of California and the Trustees of the California State University in the names of both cooperating institutions.
San Diego State University and UC San Diego have a number of research and teaching associateships available to support students admitted to the joint doctoral program. All students applying to the program will be considered for financial support.