Beginning this semester, only 25 students will be admitted to the University’s math education major each term, said a department head in the College of Education.

Students hoping to become high school math teachers will have to apply by Oct. 30 to be admitted to the program next spring, said Denise Mewborn, department head in math and science education.

“We have more and more students wanting in,” she said. “And we have limits on our computer labs and limits on the number of field placements we have for student teaching.”

To get into the major, students must have at least a 2.75 GPA, maintain a grade of C or better in math courses such as calculus and linear algebra, and provide 30 hours of structured tutoring in a middle school or high school environment, Mewborn said.

About 20 students have submitted applications for next spring so far, she said.

Though the major is not yet at capacity, the change could limit the number of students the college is able to accept in future semesters.

But the restriction might also have a positive result.

“Ironically, when you restrict a major it makes it more appealing to people,” Mewborn said. “So, it may increase the caliber of students that we have coming into the program.”

Producing higher quality math instructors is of great importance, Mewborn said, especially looking toward competition from major powers such as India and China.

“I don’t feel we are competitive with those other nations,” said Joanne McWilliams, a junior math education major from Roswell.

For McWilliams, introducing certain math concepts at a younger age would help improve math education programs in America.

In the University’s early childhood education program, students take a total of six math education programs – more than they would be required to take in most other university programs, Mewborn said. This stems from a Board of Regents decision made about 10 years ago requiring more math education courses in the elementary education curriculum.

In these math courses, students learn about mathematical concepts, but they also learn why the concepts work and how to teach them to different learners, Mewborn said.

“We need to make sure that our students are being taught by teachers who know how to think critically about math,” she said. “And how to develop those critical thinking skills in students.”

For students wanting to teach math at the high school level, the same concept applies.

Students learn advanced math concepts, but they also revisit the topics – such as trigonometry, pre-calculus and matrices – they will have to teach to their high school students, Mewborn said.

“We spend a lot of time talking about why things are the way they are, rather than just accepting that a formula works,” McWilliams said in a phone interview Thursday. “It’s important to know that for when students ask you a question.”

Learning about the technologies used in the high school classroom is another area of emphasis in the program.

Math education majors learn about graphing calculators and computer programs that can help students better engage with mathematical concepts.

Alesia Mickle, a junior from Johns Creek, said more of an emphasis on technology could help improve the quality of math education in high schools.

“It even helps me in my courses too,” Mickle said in a phone interview Thursday. “I’m able to interact with the ideas.”

For Mickle, math education is a way for her to excite students about an important subject.

“It’s the subject that everyone hates,” she said. “So I’m trying to get more people to enjoy it.”

McWilliams offered a similar sentiment.

“Math is everywhere,” she said. “And people need to not be ignorant of that.”