Related to the last post, the MMT is a Masters of Mathematics for Teachers, offered online to math teachers by the University of Waterloo.
Having taken 3 full courses now (81.25% cumulative GPA) and most recently dropped the ball on one course (doesn't affect my GPA) here are my findings on the program.
First of all, the program is going to take lots of time! Working and doing a masters at the same time is quite brutal, and the total workload should not be underestimated. In this context, taking a summer semester off each year really does make sense, as I'm glad I came to my senses at the last minute and decided to drop a summer masters course.
I would seriously expect 4 to 5 years to do this. Of course there is the option to take time off work and do the program, which is worth considering. But the overall economics work better if you work and do the masters, even over a longer time period.
Secondly, I've been impressed with some courses and disappointed with others.
The software program (Math 600) was by far the most useful. It is an excellent place to begin the program with a professor who can't be beat. She explains in very clear details what you need to do, and if you follow her assignments to the letter you get high marks and learn foundational software programs that will be of great use for the entire program. I got a 95% in that course and was very satisifed with it. The fundamental program is Latex which is used for typeset mathematics.
Mathematical proofs was a huge disappointment. Theory has never been my strong point, but the course itself was taught by the number one professor to avoid, who is the same guy in charge of the History course (see last post). Even so I plan to take some time this summer to review the proofs material and understand it at a more deeper level. I scraped by with 75% in that course.
Calculus foundations was interesting but a bit misleading because it was really a course in mathematical analysis, not calculus. And so this analysis involved another type of theory and proofs. I got a decent mark in that, 85%, although I still need to review the material in summer as well.
In looking at the course offerings for the upcoming semesters, there is a whole lot more theory on the buffet table, but not as much practical stuff as I would hope to see. There is finance and modeling, which I want to get my hands on. I wish there would be a course in cryptography, but I have yet to find it.
Having taken 3 full courses now (81.25% cumulative GPA) and most recently dropped the ball on one course (doesn't affect my GPA) here are my findings on the program.
First of all, the program is going to take lots of time! Working and doing a masters at the same time is quite brutal, and the total workload should not be underestimated. In this context, taking a summer semester off each year really does make sense, as I'm glad I came to my senses at the last minute and decided to drop a summer masters course.
I would seriously expect 4 to 5 years to do this. Of course there is the option to take time off work and do the program, which is worth considering. But the overall economics work better if you work and do the masters, even over a longer time period.
Secondly, I've been impressed with some courses and disappointed with others.
The software program (Math 600) was by far the most useful. It is an excellent place to begin the program with a professor who can't be beat. She explains in very clear details what you need to do, and if you follow her assignments to the letter you get high marks and learn foundational software programs that will be of great use for the entire program. I got a 95% in that course and was very satisifed with it. The fundamental program is Latex which is used for typeset mathematics.
Mathematical proofs was a huge disappointment. Theory has never been my strong point, but the course itself was taught by the number one professor to avoid, who is the same guy in charge of the History course (see last post). Even so I plan to take some time this summer to review the proofs material and understand it at a more deeper level. I scraped by with 75% in that course.
Calculus foundations was interesting but a bit misleading because it was really a course in mathematical analysis, not calculus. And so this analysis involved another type of theory and proofs. I got a decent mark in that, 85%, although I still need to review the material in summer as well.
In looking at the course offerings for the upcoming semesters, there is a whole lot more theory on the buffet table, but not as much practical stuff as I would hope to see. There is finance and modeling, which I want to get my hands on. I wish there would be a course in cryptography, but I have yet to find it.
Hi 'Mr. Steve'. Thank you for writing about this program, as your's is the only review I can find online. I'm considering doing this Masters, because I really enjoy doing math (and actually miss the higher level learning since becoming a teacher six years ago). I have a degree in Applied Mathematics, but I wouldn't consider myself a 'math genius', so to speak. And I have no experience in pure math/proofs/logic. I worry when I read your review that there is more of an emphasis on theory, and not as much on the applied math.
ReplyDeleteSo my question is, from your experience thus far, do you believe this is a worthwhile program? I don't want to spend the money, only to struggle with the difficulty and not enjoy the course selections. Any advice would be appreciated.