Certificate in Mathematics for Professionals and Educators

This 18‐hour graduate‐level certificate program is designed for professionals working in a field aligned with mathematics, especially professional educators seeking to:

• Deepen and broaden their knowledge and skills in mathematics
• Remain competitive in their current position
• Expand their career horizons
• Work towards College Credit Plus Credentialing in Ohio
  

Why might teachers choose the Certificate in Mathematics for Professionals and Educators?

Under the 2014 state law known as the “College Credit Plus Program,” minimum credentials have been established for instruction in College Credit Plus (CCP) courses. High school teachers who wish to be the instructors of record for survey-level college courses need one of the following:

• A Master’s degree in the content area, or
  
• A Master’s degree in a different area plus 18 graduate credits in the content area

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has developed an 18-credit certificate to meet the needs of high school teachers who already possess a Master’s degree and who want to be credentialed to teach College Credit Plus courses. This certificate provides evidence that a teacher possesses the minimum academic qualifications to teach CCP courses.

Requirements and course offerings

Certificate recipients will take 18 credits in graduate level math courses to meet state requirements for teaching College Credit Plus courses. 

Click here to view a checklist of course requirements

The department typically offers one or two online mathematics courses in the fall and spring semesters, on-campus courses that start late in the day, and on-campus courses in the second summer session (early July to mid August).

Prerequisites

Students should have an undergraduate degree in mathematics or mathematics education or a comparable level of mathematics background.

Application requirements

The Graduate College requires the following:

• Students must submit the BGSU Graduate College online application for admission
• Official copies of college and university transcripts must be submitted for each degree awarded

In addition to the application required by the Graduate College, applicants to the certificate program must submit the following via the electronic admissions system:

• Two letters of recommendation from a recent instructor, current employer, or other individual qualified to evaluate the potential for success in the program
• A statement of purpose delineating the purpose for enrolling in the program and outlining career goals

Apply online to the Graduate College here.

Cost of attendance

Estimate your cost of attendance using the graduate cost calculator (make note of the year listed on the page to make sure it's correct).  The cost of attendance depends on whether you are enrolled as an online / distance learning student for the certificate program, or whether you are enrolled as a main campus student.  For Fall 2024 Ohio resident with all optional fees declined, the cost of a 3-hour class for main campus students is approximately $1900, while the cost of a 3-hour distance learning class for online / distance learning students is approximately $1509.  Note that the lowest cost is achieved by students who apply to the certificate program with the distance learning option.  To do that, choose "Mathematics for Professionals and Educators - Certificate (Online)" when you apply.  Online / distance learning students can still take classes in person; if you take more hours of in person classes in a particular semester, you will pay fees at the main campus rate for that semester, but otherwise an online / distance learning student will pay the lower fees.

CCP credentialing without the certificate

It is not necessary to get a certificate in mathematics for CCP credentialing, the key requirement is to have a master's degree plus 18 graduate credit hours of mathematics, which you can do as a guest student.  Even so, the checklist for the certificate program provides a helpful roadmap and a list of courses that are offered online, and the cost of the courses will be the same.  Also, if you are planning to take most courses online, you can reduce the fees if you enroll as a Certificate (Online) student.  If you are interested in taking graduate mathematics courses toward CCP credentialing as a guest student, contact Dr. Benjamin Ward, benward@bgsu.edu, with information about your goals and timeframe, plus scans of college transcripts showing all mathematics courses taken.  You can apply as a graduate non-degree seeking student here.  There is no application fee.

For more information

More questions? Contact the Graduate Secretary, mathgradsecy@bgsu.edu, or the Graduate Coordinator Dr. Benjamin Ward, benward@bgsu.edu, for more information.