University of Wyoming (UW) was actually the second math education doctoral program I enrolled in. I was briefly enrolled in another program in 2012. I attended a few weeks of classes before I realized the program – and my life situation – wasn’t right for me.
I enrolled in that particular program because it was geographically close to me. I’d wanted to get a PhD in Math Education and it seemed like a smart choice to pick a program that was near. This is before the time when remote programs were widely available. Skype was still the video meeting service of choice.
In other words, I didn’t really research the program itself.
I had started that program while I was employed full time – a relatively new employment at that. My job at that time required significant travel, requiring me to miss classes occasionally. My evenings were filled with young child duties as my partner was a full-time working night nurse.
Within just a few weeks it became clear to me: family, work, and school – pick 2. Obviously family was a given. It became a choice between work and the program.
Now, had the program been a bit more suited to my educational aspirations I may have opted for the program. But it wasn’t, so work came out on top. So let’s talk about the program.
My program wasn’t so much a Math Education PhD as an Education Degree with a bunch of math courses. My education courses were filled with future administrators, English teachers, and other very nice people. But no other math educators. My math classes were geared towards those getting their PhD in Mathematics, not math educators. I didn’t feel edified or that I was learning much about mathematics education in either setting.
I had an excellent and knowledgeable advisor but informed her I had to leave the program. She asked me to reconsider, but I’d already made my choice and withdrew from the program and all my classes before the withdrawal date.
I put my PhD aspirations on hold for nearly a decade; partially due to my life situation, partially due to the program not meeting my needs. Spend time exploring both of these aspects before enrolling in a program.
Evaluate the program
Do some research into the program you’re interested in. What will your course load look like? What other faculty are there? What kind of research are they doing? Are they bringing a diverse array of perspectives from which you can learn?
You can do a lot of that research online, but I recommend reaching out to a department chair and setting up a meeting. Ask them some of these questions.
- What will your course load look like? Are classes tailored to mathematics education and not just general education?
- What other faculty are there and what kind of research are they doing?
- What opportunities are there for assistantships?
- What opportunities are there to teach and/or do research?
- How much of my graduate coursework can I apply to my graduation requirements?
- Is the course load prescriptive or is there freedom in what classes you can take and when?
- How often do they run mandatory classes? Every semester, every year, or every other year?
- What time are synchronous classes generally? Are there asynchronous classes?
- How many students are in the cohort?
- What makes your program the right fit for me?
Even beyond the answers themselves, you’ll get a sense of your potential fit or unfit within the program. Your emotional intelligence will inform you whether or not this program is right for you.
Evaluate your life
Is this something you can commit to? I wasn’t able to commit my first go around. Between work and family I wasn’t able to be successful. This isn’t to suggest that it’s impossible to have a full-time job and a full-time family while also going to school; just that I was not able to do it.
Almost ten years later, with more self-sufficient children and Not Having A Job, I was much more able to commit to the program. I was also able to complete it in an exemplary manner, meaning I was able to graduate with teaching experiences and published papers with more in the pipeline. My successful completion of the program no doubt helped launch me into my semi-successful post-completion life. I’m not sure – even if I’d stuck it out – if I could’ve said that on my first attempt.
Oh yeah, college costs money
If you don’t obtain an assistantship, you will be paying for the pleasure of earning your degree. My time at UW was about 50/50 in terms of having it paid for and paying out of pocket. Also (fun fact!) despite UW being about an hour a way I had to pay the out-of-state tuition, which can be double or triple in-state. Another fun fact is that tuition waivers count as income on the ol’ income taxes.
Even when your tuition is waived under an assistantship or scholarship, you may have to pay various student fees. And the cost of graduate level books are no joke either. Some of my courses required books that cost nearly $100 a pop (others required no purchased text). At my age (and maybe yours) tuition costs is something I thought about 25 years ago. You might want to actually dig in and see how much college costs now. UW was ~$500 a credit hour for out-of-state tuition. University of Michigan, a top-tier Mathematics Education program, charges around $3000 per credit hour.
Your Master’s graduate coursework may count for elective or other credit hours
A few weeks into my program, the chair sent me an email that I didn’t realize would be so welcome. It’s something I hadn’t even thought to ask about (hence, this entire dang blog series!). He informed me that they evaluated my Master’s degree coursework and couple apply a to a bunch of credits. I hadn’t even considered that would be a possibility! In the end, I was able to take care of 24 credit hours (21 elective and 3 math) with my already-completed master’s work!
In your interview with the department chair, be sure to ask them if any of your prior coursework can count towards your doctoral program. Try to determine how generous they are with transfer credit hours. I’m not sure how UW compares but they are pretty generous, transferring up to 30 credit hours.
If you’re looking for an example of the coursework you’re prepping for, you can check out UW’s required coursework for a doctoral candidate.
Now that you’ve evaluated the programs, it might be time to explore actually what the heck is a Mathematics Education PhD (and what isn’t it?). That will be the next post. Of all my posts in this series, it’s the biggest “I wish I’d known…” of them all. So stay tuned.
Takeaways:
- Do some research into various programs and schedule a meeting with a dean or other person in-the-know
- Specifically, identify various focus areas for your research interests and see if they line up with the faculty. Also, seek information on assistantships and other possible opportunities
- Make sure there is a good influx (and outflux) of students
- Consider the workload you’re taking on and whether it can fit into your life
- Maybe keep an eye on those withdrawal dates in your first semester and don’t be ashamed if you make the decision it isn’t right for you!
- Seek assistantships if possible. Otherwise check your financials
- Ask about your master’s coursework and if it will transfer
All posts in this series:
Part 1: Why (not) to get your PhD in Mathematics Education
Part 2: Finding the right program
Part 3: What a Math Education Doctoral Degree is (and what it isn’t)
Part 4: Do you like to write? You better.
Part 5: Classes, Coursework, and You
Part 7: Let’s Talk About Your Dissertation: the thing that people just don’t want to do
Part 8: Your defense committee: Prelims, Quals, and the moving of mountains
Part 9: What comes next (for me and for you)?
Appendix A: Slow cooker meals
emergent math 