Science Education (BS): Physics Concentration
The Science Education: Physics concentration (BS) degree is one of five undergraduate degree options in the Science Education program in the Department of STEM Education.听
This degree program prepares teacher-leaders to have a deep understanding of the pedagogical strategies to teach high school Physics. Students complete courses focused on Physics and Science education, obtain relevant pedagogical experiences while immersed in rich field experiences in science classrooms, and emphasize teaching science with technology. Upon successful completion of the program, students are recommended for an initial North Carolina teaching license in grades 9-12. They will be able to seek employment opportunities in education and make a positive difference in their communities.
The goals and objectives of the BS degree in Science Education are:
- To enable and ensure that each prospective teacher enriches his/her life through a comprehensive university education
- To develop the professional qualities and academic background needed to teach science to all student levels in the grade for which the teacher is certified
- To develop a general knowledge foundation upon which specialized professional knowledge is built, and upon which a well-rounded university education is the base
Coursework for the degree is divided into four types of knowledge:
- General pedagogical knowledge 鈥� the nature of learners and general principles of instruction
- Content-area knowledge 鈥� knowledge of the natural sciences
- Pedagogical content knowledge 鈥� principles of curriculum, instruction and assessment directly related to the natural sciences
- Context knowledge 鈥� understanding the culture of the school, community and society in which educational institutions exist and function
Students in this program also have the opportunity to participate in:听
- Undergraduate research听
- The student chapter of the NC Science Teachers Association (NCSTA), and other high impact experiences such as Passport to Success, SAY Village, and study abroad听
- Outreach and tutoring in local schools
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For more information about this program, visit our .听
Contact
Department of STEM Education
North Carolina State 福利逼站
208 Poe Hall, 2310 Stinson Drive
Raleigh, NC 27695
Matt Reynolds, Ph.D.
Assistant Teaching Professor
Undergraduate and MAT Program Coordinator for Science Education
NC State 福利逼站 Campus Box 7801
Poe Hall 326P Raleigh, NC 27695
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | ||
| ED听100 | Intro to Education 1 | 2 |
| or听ED 150/151 | Students Advocating for Youth I | |
| Communication/Advanced Writing | 3 | |
Choose from: | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Argumentation and Advocacy | ||
| Science Communication and Public Engagement | ||
| Literature and Medicine | ||
| Communication for Engineering and Technology | ||
| Communication for Science and Research | ||
| Analysis of Scientific and Technical Writing | ||
| (Physics BA double major choose ENG听331 or ENG听333) | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| MA听141 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MA听241 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MA听242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MA听341 | Applied Differential Equations I | 3 |
| Sciences | ||
| BIO听181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity 2 | 4 |
| BIO听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 2 | 4 |
| CH听101 &听CH听102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory 2 | 4 |
| Earth and Environmental Science Electives 2 | 6 | |
| PY听205 &听PY听206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 2 | 4 |
| or听PY听201 | 福利逼站 Physics I | |
(Physics BA double major choose PY听201) | ||
| PY听208 &听PY听209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory 2 | 4 |
| or听PY听202 | 福利逼站 Physics II | |
(Physics BA double major choose PY听202) | ||
| Physics Electives 100/200 Level 2 | 3 | |
(Physics BA double major choose PY听203) | ||
| Physics Electives 300/400 Level 2 | 9 | |
| Advised Science Electives 2 | 6 | |
| Science Education | ||
| EMS听205 | Introduction to Teaching Science 3 | 2 |
| EMS听373 | Instructional Materials in Science 1 | 3 |
| EMS听375 | Methods of Teaching Science I 3 | 3 |
| EMS听475 | Methods of Teaching Science II 3 | 3 |
| EMS听476 | Student Teaching in Science 3, 4 | 10 |
| EMS听495 | Senior Seminar in Mathematics and Science Education 1, 4 | 2 |
| General Education and Psychology | ||
| ED听204 | Introduction to Teaching in Today's Schools 1 | 2 |
| EDP听304 | Educational Psychology 1 | 3 |
| ED听311 &听ED听312 | Classroom Assessment Principles and Practices and Classroom Assessment Principles and Practices Professional Learning Lab 1 | 3 |
| ELP听344 | School and Society 1 | 3 |
| ECI听416 | Teaching Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms 1 | 3 |
| History and Philosophy of Science Education Elective | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 0-4 | |
| GEP Courses | ||
| ENG听101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| GEP Humanities (verify requirement) | 0-6 | |
| GEP Social Sciences (verify requirement) | 0-6 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | ||
| GEP Foundations of American Democracy (verify requirement) | ||
| World Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- 1
A grade of C or higher is required.
- 2
A grade of C or higher is required for science content courses, up to two courses with a grade below a C is permitted
- 3
A grade of B- or higher is required.
- 4
Admission to the Professional Semester is required.
Earth and Environmental Science Electives
Physics Electives 100/200 Level
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Choose from: | ||
| PY听123 | Stellar and Galactic Astronomy | 3 |
| PY听124 | Solar System Astronomy | 3 |
| PY听125 | Astronomy Laboratory | 1 |
| PY听203 | 福利逼站 Physics III | 4 |
| PY听251 | Introduction to Scientific Computing | 3 |
| PY听252 | Instrumental and Data Analysis for Physics | 2 |
| PY听299 | Special Problems in Physics | 1-3 |
| Physics Electives 300/400 Level | ||
Physics Electives 300/400 Level
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Choose from: | ||
| PY听301 | Introduction to Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| PY听328 | Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics | 3 |
| PY听341 | Relativity, Gravitation and Cosmology | 3 |
| PY听401 | Quantum Physics I | 3 |
| PY听402 | Quantum Physics II | 3 |
| PY听407 | Introduction to Modern Physics | 3 |
| PY听411 | Mechanics I | 3 |
| PY听412 | Mechanics II | 3 |
| PY听413 | Thermal Physics | 3 |
| PY听414 | Electromagnetism I | 3 |
| PY听415 | Electromagnetism II | 3 |
| PY听452 | Advanced Physics Laboratory | 3 |
| PY听456 | Senior Design Project in Physics | 3 |
| PY听489 | Solid State Solar and Thermal Energy Harvesting | 3 |
| PY听495 | Special Topics in Physics | 1-4 |
| PY听499 | Independent Research in Physics | 1-6 |
听Advised Science Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANY 200+ Level AEC, BIO, BCH, BSC, CH, ENT, ES, MB, MEA, PB, PY, ZO | ||
| ANY GEP Natural Sciences course (except BIO听105/106, CH听111) | ||
| ANS听150 | Introduction to Animal Science | 3 |
| ANS听205 | Physiology of Domestic Animals | 3 |
| ANS听206 | Anatomy of Domestic Animals Lab | 1 |
| ANS听220 | Reproductive Physiology | 3 |
| ANS听221 | Reproductive Physiology Lab | 1 |
| BIO听165 | ||
| CS听211 | Plant Genetics | 3 |
| ES听100 | Introduction to Environmental Sciences | 3 |
| ES听111 | Applications of Environmental Sciences | 1 |
| ES听150 | Water and the Environment | 3 |
| FOR听252 | Introduction to Forest Science | 3 |
| FOR听260 | Forest Ecology | 4 |
| FOR听261 | Forest Communities | 2 |
| FOR听264 | Forest Wildlife | 1 |
| FOR听339 | ||
| FW听353 | Wildlife Management | 3 |
| FW听404 | Wildlife Habitat Management | 3 |
| FW听405 | Tropical Wildlife Ecology | 3 |
| FW听444 | Mammalogy | 3 |
| FW听453 | Principles of Wildlife Science | 4 |
| FW听460 | International Wildlife Management and Conservation | 3 |
| NR听303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 |
| NR听406 | Conservation of Biological Diversity | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| ED听100 | Intro to Education 1 | 2 |
| PY听205 &听PY听206 or PY听201 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 2 or 福利逼站 Physics I | 4 |
| MA听141 | Calculus I | 4 |
| ENG听101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PY听208 &听PY听209 or PY听202 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II 2 or 福利逼站 Physics II | 4 |
| MA听241 | Calculus II | 4 |
| CH听101 &听CH听102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Communication/Advanced Writing Req. | 3 | |
Choose from: | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Argumentation and Advocacy | ||
| Science Communication and Public Engagement | ||
| Literature and Medicine | ||
| Communication for Engineering and Technology | ||
| Communication for Science and Research | ||
| Analysis of Scientific and Technical Writing | ||
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Physics Elective 100/200 Level 2 | 3 | |
| MA听242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| BIO听181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity 2 | 4 |
| Earth and Environmental Science Elective 2 | 3 | |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 17 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EMS听205 | Introduction to Teaching Science 3 | 2 |
| ED听204 | Introduction to Teaching in Today's Schools 1 | 2 |
| EDP听304 | Educational Psychology 1 | 3 |
| MA听341 | Applied Differential Equations I | 3 |
| BIO听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 2 | 4 |
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| EMS听373 | Instructional Materials in Science 1 | 3 |
| ELP听344 | School and Society 1 | 3 |
| History and Philosophy of Science Education Elective | 3 | |
| Physics Elective 300/400 Level | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 4 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EMS听375 | Methods of Teaching Science I 3 | 3 |
| ED听311 &听ED听312 | Classroom Assessment Principles and Practices and Classroom Assessment Principles and Practices Professional Learning Lab 1 | 3 |
| Physics Elective 300/400 Level 2 | 3 | |
| Earth and Environmental Science Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Advised Science Elective 2 | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| EMS听475 | Methods of Teaching Science II 3 | 3 |
| ECI听416 | Teaching Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms 1 | 3 |
| Physics Elective 300/400 Level 2 | 3 | |
| Advised Science Elective 2 | 3 | |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| EMS听476 | Student Teaching in Science 1 | 10 |
| EMS听495 | Senior Seminar in Mathematics and Science Education 1 | 2 |
| 听 | Hours | 12 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 120 |
- 1
A grade of C or better is required.
- 2
A grade of C or better is required, up to two courses with a grade below a C is permitted.
- 3
A grade of B- or better is required.
Career Opportunities
Career Titles
- Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
- Biology Professor
- Chemistry Professor
- Elementary School Teacher
- Environmental Science Professor
- High School Teacher
- Middle School Teacher
- Physics Professor
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