We are pausing recruiting and admissions to the mathematics education doctoral program for one year, so there will not be admissions for a Fall 2026 entering class. Applications will reopen on August 1, 2026 for admissions for a Fall 2027 entering class. Please reach out to Lisa Keller at kellerl@msu.edu with questions or for further information about the doctoral program.
The student must complete the requirements listed below. The student’s program of study must be approved by the student’s guidance committee and must include:
| # | Subject | Course | Title / Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Core sequence (12 credits) | |||
| MTHE | 926 | Proseminar in Mathematics Education I | 3 | |
| MTHE | 927 | Proseminar in Mathematics Education II | 3 | |
| TE | 950 | Mathematical Ways of Knowing | 3 | |
| MTHE | 954 | Design and Methods in Mathematics Education Research | 3 | |
| 2. | Research Methods (9 credits) | |||
| a. | One course in quantitative research methods | 3 | ||
| b. | One course in qualitative research methods | 3 | ||
| c. | One additional research methods course | 3 | ||
| Research methods courses must be approved by the student’s guidance committee. | ||||
| 3. | Research Practicum (1–3 credits) | |||
| MTHE 995 | Research Practicum | 1–3 | ||
| 4. | Mathematics and Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (12 credits) | |||
| Complete 12 credits of course work, approved by the student’s guidance committee, focusing on both traditional mathematics content and specialized knowledge for teaching and learning mathematics. | ||||
| 5. | Area of Concentration (12 credits) | |||
| Complete 12 credits of course work in an area approved by the student’s guidance committee. | ||||
| 6. | Successful completion of comprehensive examinations administered by program faculty | |||
| 7. | Doctoral Dissertation | |||
| Complete 24–36 credits of MTHE 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research and successfully defend the oral dissertation. | ||||
All students in PRIME are expected to have a notebook computer/laptop for use at MSU.