Post Graduate Opportunities

Careers You can find timely information on careers in the mathematical sciences by accessing the Web site of the American Mathematical Society at http://www.ams.org/employment , the Web site of the Mathematical Association of America at http://www.maa.org/students/career.htm, and the Web site of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics at http://www.siam.org/students. Periodically, you should peruse our job board, located in the west wing of the third floor of Southern Hall. We recommend that you register with the Office of Career Planning and Placement, located on the first floor of McLemore Hall. You can register electronically at www.usm.edu/placement. This office provides several valuable services, including the production of a placement dossier and the scheduling of interviews with prospective employers. We suggest that you interview with as many different companies as possible. This experience will prove to be extremely valuable, and may well result in your achieving your ultimate goal: finding a stimulating, mathematics-related, well-paying job.

Teaching There is a critical shortage of qualified high school mathematics teachers throughout the country, though there are some urban areas in which there is an oversupply. The shortage is most acute in rural areas in the South, especially in Mississippi. Much is being done to encourage talented students to enter the teaching profession. The state-funded William Winter Teacher Scholarships will be available again this year. In order to qualify for this scholarship, you must have and maintain a GPA of 2.5 on all college-level work. Information on the William Winter Teacher Scholarship can be obtained by writing to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, Student Financial Aid Office, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211-6453, or by calling 1-800-327-2980 .

There are two ways for an undergraduate student to obtain a bachelor's degree and licensure to teach mathematics in grades 7-12. Briefly, these are

(1) Complete the major in mathematics and successfully complete the education curriculum courses for secondary licensure. In order to be admitted to the Teacher Education Program, go to OMB 116, the Dean's Office, College of Education and Psychology, and fill out a short application form. In a nutshell, you are required to take the Entry Level Technology Standards for Professional Education: Basic Technology Literacy Examination, you must earn a GPA of at least 2.65 on 44 specified hours of general education core of the College of Education and Psychology, and either have upon entrance into college an ACT composite score of 21 or higher, with no scale score below 18, or earn a passing score on the Praxis I subscales: Reading (170), Writing (172), and Mathematics (169), or Praxis I Computer Based Test: Reading (316), Writing (318), and Mathematics (314). Prior to obtaining certification, and usually just before or during student teaching, you must take and pass Praxis II: Principles of Learning and Teaching, and Praxis II: Subject Assessment and Specialty Area Tests. Your certification has the NCATE seal of approval, which is recognized in over 30 states.

(2) You will have to check with the State Department of Education at 1-601-359-3483 for the alternate route certification requirements. These requirements are in a state of flux and subject to frequent changes.

Either while applying for certification in secondary mathematics or at some later time, you can apply to the State Department of Education for supplemental certification in another discipline. The usual requirement for this supplemental certification in another discipline is 18 hours of course work in that discipline. However, this will change to 21 hours in the year 2004. Supplemental endorsement is not available in all disciplines, and some supplemental endorsements require the completion of a prescribed list of courses. Check with Robin Ryder, Administrative Assistant for Educator Licensure (OMB 127, 266-6897), for complete supplemental endorsement information. Of course you can elect to come back to USM and earn a second B.S. with NCATE certification in the other discipline.

Peace Corps There are sometimes opportunities to teach mathematics at various levels through the Peace Corps. Teaching certification is often not required. Information can be obtained by writing to the Peace Corps at P-301, Washington, D.C. 20526.

Sources of Information about Graduate Programs in Mathematics

Assistantships and Fellowships in the Mathematical Sciences. This book is published each fall by the American Mathematical Society, and lists the assistantships and fellowships available for the following academic year. Copies of this book are available for inspection in SH 319 and in the R.C. Cook Library. A copy may be purchased for $18 from the American Mathematical Society, P.O. Box 6248, Providence, RI 02940.

Peterson's Guides. Many universities pay to have their programs listed in this publication. This guide lists programs by discipline and includes research facilities, financial aid, cost of study, cost of living, student group, the community, the university, application procedures, and the faculty. Recent copies of this publication are usually available in the R.C. Cook Library.

Announcements about graduate programs in universities throughout the United States and Canada are to be found on bulletin boards in the east wing of the third floor of Southern Hall.