Major in Computer and Mathematical Sciences - Secondary Education Concentration

Computer and Mathematical Sciences majors in the Secondary Education concentration are eligible, upon graduation, to apply to receive certification to teach both computer science and mathematics for grades 7-12 in the state of Maryland. 

The Computer and Mathematics Secondary Education concentration requires 127 units for completion. Students must complete 62 required units in content courses, 25 required units in Towson UTeach courses, 28 required units in Core Curriculum courses not satisfied by the major, and 12 required units in their final internship, earning a grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher in each course. 

The Teacher Education Executive Board, representing all initial teacher education programs at Towson University, utilizes the following minimum requirements as conditions for admission into teacher education programs, maintaining candidate status and formal entry into the capstone internship. Programs may include additional requirements for admission into the program and/or the capstone internship.

The College of Education admits students either as freshmen or as undergraduate transfer students from accredited, post-secondary institutions. During the freshman and sophomore years, students are generally engaged in pre-professional courses or courses that fulfill Core Curriculum requirements, as well as all identified prerequisites (e.g., specific and sequential courses in Core Curriculum) for admission to COE screened majors and programs.

All College of Education undergraduate programs are screened majors. As an integral part of the teaching/learning experience, students work with advisers in a strategic planning process across all years at TU. Accordingly, to support student success, all COE students are required to confer prior to registration each term with their assigned advisers.

I. PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO ALL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

  1. Complete a self-disclosure criminal background form to be submitted to the major department with the application. 
  2. Submit an application for formal admission to the program. Students seeking admission to teacher education programs must contact their department chairperson or program coordinator by 45 credit hours for program-specific procedures and requirements for admission to professional education programs.
  3. A cumulative/overall GPA of 3.00 or higher is required for admission to an initial licensure teacher education program.

    1. Applicants with a GPA between 2.50 - 2.99 may be admitted conditionally if they provide evidence of passing scores on a Basic Skills Assessment* as identified by the Maryland State Department of Education (i.e. SAT, ACT, GRE, Praxis Core) and receive approval from the department chairperson/program coordinator.

      *Candidates may apply for a test waiver directly to the department. Such waivers should only be granted if it is predicted, based on the individual candidate’s transcript data, that the candidate’s final cumulative/overall GPA will be above a 3.00.

II. REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTAINING CANDIDATE STATUS

  1. Maintain a semester GPA of 3.00 in required education courses for all programs.  
    1. At the department’s discretion, candidates who do not meet the above GPA requirement may continue for one additional semester under probationary status, but must meet the 3.00 GPA requirement at the end of the probationary period. If the GPA requirement is not met at the end of the probationary period, the candidate would be dismissed from the program.
  2. Obtain a grade of C or better in academic major course work applicable only in programs requiring an academic major. (Middle School; Secondary; Art, Dance, Health, Music, World Languages, Physical Education).
  3. Exhibit behavior that is consistent with the University’s Code of Student Conduct, the Educator Preparation Program’s Professional Behavior Policy, and established professional practice in educational and clinical settings. (see COE Behavior Policy)

III. PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY INTO CAPSTONE INTERNSHIP FOR ALL PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

  1. Complete a criminal background check as required by the school system in which the internship is located.
  2. Complete all required course work.

The Standards were revised and approved in February 1996, May 1998, February 2000, May 2007, May 2008, April 2009, December 2011, November 2012, February 2014, October 2014, February 2015, November 2015, May 2019, February 2020, and March 2021.

All Computer and Mathematical Sciences majors are required to complete 37 units of shared major course work in addition to the requirements for the concentration, for a total of 93-100 units. 

Computer and Mathematical Sciences Major Requirements

Required Major Courses
CIS 377INTRODUCTION TO CYBERSECURITY3
COSC 236INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I4
COSC 237INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE II4
COSC 336DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHM ANALYSIS4
COSC 412SOFTWARE ENGINEERING3
COSC 418ETHICAL AND SOCIETAL CONCERNS OF COMPUTER SCIENTISTS3
MATH 265ELEMENTARY LINEAR ALGEBRA4
MATH 273CALCULUS I4
MATH 274CALCULUS II4
MATH 275CALCULUS III4
Total Units37

Secondary Education Concentration 

Required Computer Science & Mathematics Courses
COSC 109COMPUTERS AND CREATIVITY3
COSC 482TEACHING COMPUTER SCIENCE IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS3
ITEC 250FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER NETWORKS3
MATH 263DISCRETE MATHEMATICS3
or MATH 267 INTRODUCTION TO ABSTRACT MATHEMATICS
MATH 310FUNCTIONS AND MODELING FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS3
MATH 330INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS4
MATH 353EUCLIDEAN AND NON-EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRIES3
MATH 423TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS3
Total Units25

Towson UTeach Course Requirements

SEMS 110
SEMS 120
INTRODUCTION TO STEM TEACHING I: INQUIRY APPROACHES TO TEACHING
and INTRODUCTION TO STEM TEACHING II: INQUIRY-BASED LESSON DESIGN 1
2
or SEMS 130 INTRODUCTION TO STEM TEACHING I & II COMBINED
SEMS 230KNOWING AND LEARNING3
Foundation Courses
SEMS 240CLASSROOMS INTERACTIONS3
SEMS 250PERSPECTIVES IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS3
Requirements Open to Formally Admitted Students
SCED 460USING LITERACY IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS3
SCED 461TEACHING LITERACY IN THE SECONDARY CONTENT AREAS3
SEMS 370PROJECT-BASED INSTRUCTION3
SEMS 430SEMINAR IN APPRENTICE TEACHING1
SEMS 498INTERNSHIP IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE SECONDARY EDUCATION3
COSC 492INTERNSHIP IN SECONDARY EDUCATION - COMPUTER SCIENCE6
MATH 426INTERNSHIP IN SECONDARY EDUCATION - MATHEMATICS6-12
Total Units36-42
1

Permission of Towson UTeach Department required to take SEMS 130.

Secondary Education Concentration Sample Four-Year Plan

The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.

Freshman
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
COSC 109 (Core 4)3COSC 2364
MATH 2734MATH 274 (Core 3)4
SEMS 1101SEMS 1201
Core 1 (or Core 2)3Core 2 (or Core 1)3
Core 63Core 74
 14 16
Sophomore
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
COSC 2374COSC 3364
MATH 2654MATH 263 or 2673
SEMS 2303SEMS 2403
Core 84Core 113
Core 103Core 123
 18 16
Junior
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
CIS 3773SEMS 3703
ITEC 2503SCED 4603
MATH 2754MATH 310 (Core 9)3
MATH 3533COSC 4123
SEMS 250 (Core 5)3Core 133
 16 15
Senior
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
COSC 418 (Core 14)3COSC 4926
COSC 4823MATH 4266-12
MATH 3304SEMS 4301
MATH 4233 
SCED 4613 
SEMS 4983 
 19 13-19
Total Units 127-133

Computer Science Learning Objectives 

Student Learning Outcomes by Course Level:

  1. An ability to analyze a problem, and to identify and define the computing requirements appropriate for its solution.
  2. An ability to design, implement, and evaluate a computer-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the discipline.
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences about technical information.
  4. An ability to make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
  5. An ability to function effectively on teams to establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, manage risk, and produce deliverables.
  6. An ability to apply theory in the design and implementation of computer-based solutions.
  7. An ability to reason about and explain computer-based solutions at multiple levels of abstraction.

Mathematics Learning Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes by Course Level:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the properties of numbers and sets.
  2. Demonstrate skills and knowledge of appropriate technology used in solving mathematical problems.
  3. Demonstrate skills and knowledge of the basic concepts of calculus.
  4. Demonstrate skills and knowledge of linear and abstract algebra.
  5. Demonstrate skills and knowledge of basic probability and/or statistics.