Skip to content
myBama
Become a Math Teacher

Which Path
Should You Take?

Overview of our Initial Teacher Certification Pathways

All our pathways are aligned to the national recommendations of best practice and curricular experiences for graduating well-prepared beginning teachers of mathematics in the secondary grades. We do not fast-track graduates that compromise first-year teaching readiness. All our pathways are designed to provide first-year teachers the confidence and readiness to enter teaching well-prepared and beyond that of nearly all preparation programs in the state, region, and nation.

Traditional Bachelor’s Degree for Initial Certification

Are you a High School Student or College student in their first two years?

The TRADITIONAL BACHELOR’S DEGREE PATHWAY is the typical pathway for most students with some exceptional and advanced students the potential option near the end of the junior year to the Accelerated Master’s Pathway! Transfer students might consider the accelerated master’s pathway if qualified.

What does this mean? 
  • You will earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education with a Mathematics and Mathematics Education double major.
  • You will acquire a Mathematics Teaching License for Grades 6-12 in Alabama that can be moved to another state.
  • You will form a close knit bond with peer-students and high-quality faculty
  • You will gain connections with local math teachers whom will mentor you, many of which are our graduates and master teachers whom are partners with our program.
  • You will work closely with math and math education faculty members
  • You will have diverse in-classroom experience in local high schools and middle schools mentored by master teachers
  • You will learn research based practices to apply in the classroom
  • Our program has a unique triad relationship between students, faculty, and local teachers
What should I do now? 

*Note: Transfer students should try to contact Dr. Z at least 6 months in advance to devise a strong plan for a smooth transfer.

Just Graduated: 
  • Leaving high school with little to no AP credits 
  • Have an interest in teaching mathematics at the secondary level
Transferring: 
  • Have previously attended a 2- or 4- year year institution
  • Have in interest in teaching mathematics at the secondary level

Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) Initial Certification

Are you graduating High School with many college credits with a high GPA and very good ACT/SAT score?

Then the ACCELERATED MASTER’S PATHWAY is likely the path for you to consider!

What does this mean? 
  • You will earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and a Master’s in Secondary Education with a concentration in Mathematics Education (students with 15+ college credits from high school usually earn both degrees in four years).
  • You will acquire a Mathematics Teaching License grades 6-12 and will start teaching on the Master’s degree pay scale (15% higher in Alabama!)
  • Students make this decision formally when they are approaching the earned credit hour count of 90 credit hours.
  • 12 hours of coursework will be double-counted for both the undergraduate and graduate degrees
  • You will form a close knit bond with peer-students and high-quality faculty
  • You will gain connections with local math teachers whom will mentor you, many of which are our graduates and master teachers whom are partners with our program.
  • You will work closely with math and math education faculty members
  • You will have diverse in-classroom experience in local high schools and middle schools mentored by master teachers
  • You will learn research based practices to apply in the classroom
  • Our program has a unique triad relationship between students, faculty, and local teachers
Will I be a good fit for this program? 
  • This program is designed for well-above average students who have accumulated college credit in high school and who have a diligent work ethic and will be able to reach high benchmarks on licensing tests and keep a high college GPA
  • Strong ACT/SAT score (Recommended 28 or greater, but is not a cut point)
  • Have AP/IB and/or dual enrollment college credits when entering college
  • At least a 3.7 UA GPA (after 90 credit hours have been earned)
  • If few college credits were earned in high school, you can still pursue this pathway, but in this case, 5 years is expected to earn both the bachelors degree and master’s degree. 
Extra Perks!!
  • Opportunities to work closely with the faculty
  • Additional graduate level study of mathematics education and classroom teaching practices and student learning
  • Rewarded for excellence in high school (AP/IB and dual enrollment college credits) and dedication at the college level to pursue two degrees in 4-5 years depending on needs.
What are the requirements for AMP admission and program completion?
  • 90 credit hours completed at time of admission to graduate level courses
  • An acceptable GRE score (300 or greater)
  • 3.7 in all undergraduate coursework
  • 3.5 in mathematics major coursework
  • 3.25 in graduate level coursework when finishing the program


At completion, students must also have:

  • At least a 161 on the Praxis II
  • At least a 41 on edTPA
What should I do now?

*Note: UA Scholarships almost always can be applied to both undergrad and graduate course work semesters!!

Alternative Master’s Degree for Initial Certification

Do you already have an Undergraduate Degree in mathematics or a closely related field?

Then the ALTERNATIVE MASTER’S DEGREE CERTIFICATION PATHWAY is the path for you!

What does this mean?
  • This pathway is for individuals who possess a mathematics degree or another related field bachelors degree, also a major or close to a major in Mathematics
  • You will form a close knit bond with peer-students and high-quality faculty
  • You will gain connections with local math teachers whom will mentor you
  • You will work closely with math and math education faculty members
  • You will have diverse in-classroom experience in local high schools and middle schools mentored by master teachers, many of which are our graduates and master teachers whom are partners with our program.
  • You will learn research based practices to apply in the classroom
  • Our program has a unique triad relationship between students, faculty, and local teachers
  • This pathway is 2 years (four semesters, fall-spring-fall-spring) of instruction designed to set you up for high level, early career success as a math teacher! Fast pathway programs that attempt to cram many courses together without extensive field experience time in mathematics classrooms mentored by master teachers have a very poor record of graduates remaining in the teaching profession!
What are the requirements? 
  • Undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher
  • A mathematics degree or major OR 32 credits in mathematics courses (18 of which should be upper level (300+)); students with less than a math major/degree or the hours above, will need to complete some additional mathematics coursework or have already passed the Praxis II mathematics test at program entry.
  • Professional studies education coursework
  • A complete application and transcript evaluation
What should I do now?
  • ​Contact Dr. Jeremy Zelkowski (Note: Students call him Dr. Z): jzelkowski@ua.edu