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Courses
Courses
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.
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About NUI Galway
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Guiding Breakthrough Research at NUI Galway
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Community Engagement
Community Engagement
At NUI Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics and Education)
Course Overview
The BA in Mathematics and Education is a four-year, fulltime honours degree programme which incorporates a teacher training qualification and opportunities for practical teaching experience throughout the four years of its duration. Graduates of the programme will be qualified mathematicians and will be recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland as qualified postprimary teachers of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. The programme is jointly run by the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics and the School of Education of NUI Galway. It has been created as a response to the growing need for excellent Mathematics teachers in Irish post-primary schools as well as a general need for qualified mathematicians.
Applications and Selections
Who Teaches this Course
Requirements and Assessment
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 Grades in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, another language, and three other subjects recognised for entry purposes. A H5 or O1 Grade in Mathematics is also a requirement.
Additional Requirements
Students must satisfy Garda/Police vetting requirements
Duration
4 years
Next start date
September 2021
A Level Grades (2020)
www.nuigalway.ie/alevels
Average intake
25
Closing Date
NFQ level
Mode of study
ECTS weighting
Award
CAO
GY109
Course code
Course Outline
Year 1
- History and Structure of Irish Education
- Principles of Second-Level Mathematics
- Introduction to Educational Sciences
- Practical Teaching Programme 1 (work placement component)
- Algebra and Analysis I and II
- Skills of Mathematics
- Introduction to Applied Mathematics I and II
- Skills of Applied Mathematics
Year 2
- Philosophical Foundations of Education
- Mathematics Methodology and Skills of Teaching
- Practical Teaching Programme II (work placement component)
- Mechanics I
- Differential Forms
- Probability and Statistics
- Linear Algebra
- Geometry
Year 3
- Curriculum and Assessment
- Practical Teaching Programme III (work placement component)
- Professional Studies: Integrated Project
- Psychology, Sociology and Catering for Diversity
- Research Literacies for Professional
- Development and Lifelong Learning
- Mathematical Modelling I
- Groups
- Discrete Mathematics
- Mechanics II
- Complex Analysis
- One Mathematics elective
Year 4
- Block Teaching Practice (work placement component)
- Practical Teaching Programme: Integrated Project
- Final-Year Symposium
- Final Year Project in Mathematics plus four
- Mathematics electives OR six Mathematics electives
- Mathematics electives may include: Metric Spaces; Measure Theory; Applied Statistics; Topology; Advanced Statistical Methods for Business; Functional Analysis; Ring Theory; Fields and Applications; Cryptography; Advanced Group Theory; Mathematical Molecular Biology; Networks; Numerical Analysis; Mathematical
Curriculum Information
Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Glossary of Terms
- Credits
- You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
- Module
- An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
- Subject
- Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
- Optional
- A module you may choose to study.
- Required
- A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
- Required Core Subject
- A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
- Semester
- Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.
Year 1 (60 Credits)
Optional MA185: Analysis and Algebra 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1Optional MA132: Scileanna Matamaiticiúla - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MA134: Anailís agus Algéabar 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required ED109: Principles of Second-Level Mathematics - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required ED116: History and Structure of Irish Education - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required MP171: Introduction to Applied Mathematics - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required MP173: Skills of Applied Mathematics - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional MA186: Analysis and Algebra 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MA187: Mathematical Skills - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional MA136: Anailís agus Algéabar 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Required ED117: Introduction to Educational Sciences - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Required MP172: Introduction to Mathematical Modelling - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Required ED199: Practical Teaching Programme I - 10 Credits - Semester 2
Year 2 (60 Credits)
Required ST2001: Statistics for Data Science 1 - 5 Credits - Semester 3Required MA2286: Differential Forms - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required MP236: Mechanics I - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required ED294: Philosophical Foundations of Education - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Optional ST237: Introduction to Statistical Data and Probability - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required ST2002: Statistics for Data Science 2 - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required ED292: Practical Teaching Programme 2 - 15 Credits - Semester 4
Required ED295: Mathematics Methodology & Skills of Teaching - 10 Credits - Semester 4
Required MA334: Geometry - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required MA283: Linear Algebra - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Optional ST238: Introduction to Statistical Inference - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Year 3 (60 Credits)
Optional MA2103: Straitéisí agus Cluichí: Bunús - 5 Credits - Semester 6Required MA3343: Groups - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Required MP305: Modelling I - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Required ED302: Curriculum & Assessment - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Required ED303: Practical Teaching Programme 3a - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Required MA284: Discrete Mathematics - 5 Credits - Semester 5
Optional MP307: Modelling II - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional CS402: Cryptography - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional MA378: Numerical Analysis II - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional MA218: Advanced Statistical Methods for Business - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional MA342: Topology - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Optional CS4423: Networks - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Required MA2287: Complex Analysis - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Required MP237: Mechanics II - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Required ED304: Professional Studies: Integrated Project - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Required ED305: Psychology, Sociology & Catering for Diversity - 10 Credits - Semester 6
Required ED329: Research Literacies for Professional Development & Lifelong Learning - 5 Credits - Semester 6
Year 4 (60 Credits)
Optional MA341: Metric Spaces - 5 Credits - Semester 7Optional MA490: Measure Theory - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional MA416: Rings - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional ST311: Applied Statistics I - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Required ED413: Block Teaching Practice - 20 Credits - Semester 7
Required ED412: Practical Teaching Programme: Integrated Project - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional MA378: Numerical Analysis II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MP307: Modelling II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional CS402: Cryptography - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MP491: Non Linear Systems - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MA342: Topology - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MA482: Functional Analysis - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MA430: Mathematics Project - 10 Credits - Semester 8
Optional ST312: Applied Statistics II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional ST2218: Advanced Statistical Methods for Business - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MA4344: Advanced Group Theory - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MA3491: Fields and Applications - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional CS4423: Networks - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional MA216: Mathematical Molecular Biology II - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Required ED411: Final-Year Symposium - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Further Education
Higher degrees at either the masters or doctorate level in maths or education.
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
Graduates will have excellent opportunities to become Mathematics and Applied Mathematics teachers. But prospects are not limited to teaching. Mathematics graduates are in short supply and are regarded as being integral to Ireland’s economic recovery and development in future years. They have a wide range of career options, including IT, finance, actuarial work and academia. In addition, graduates will also have a wide range of educational careers open to them in the further and higher education sectors.
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Work Placement
Study Abroad
The BA (Mathematics and Education) has links with teacher training institutions throughout Europe, and there may be opportunities for students of the programme to spend time studying abroad. For example, as part of their studies, students have in the past participated in a two-week Erasmus Intensive Programme at the University College of Teacher Education/Viktor Frankl Hochschule, in Klagenfurt, Austria.
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Tuition
Fees: Student Contribution
Fees: Student levy
Fees: Non EU
EU Fees 2020/21:
- Tuition: may be paid by the Irish Government on your behalf if you qualify for free tuition fees see - free fee initiative.
- Student Contribution: €3,000 - payable by all students but may by paid by SUSI if you apply and are deemed eligible for a means tested SUSI grant.
- Student Levy: €224 - payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI.
Find out More
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
T 353 (0)91 493 958
F 353 (0)91 495 508
E collegearts@nuigalway.ie
www.nuigalway.ie/arts/
What Our Students Say

Nichola Leonard | Year Two, BA (Mathematics and Education)
At first I was a little apprehensive about taking this course especially when I learned that we would have to study applied maths, but surprisingly I actually enjoyed this element of the course along with the maths and education. The lecturers are very approachable and I would encourage anyone who is doing this course to ask questions if they are having difficulties. They will help you also to avail of the new support sums centre.