The Science Education program includes five teaching certification options that give students who wish to teach secondary school science a solid foundation in the natural sciences and proven pedagogy. After students complete a rigorous study of science content related to their certification field of study (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physical Science, or Physics), they thoroughly investigate sound, successful, theory-based pedagogical coursework in the John W. Renner Science Education Center. At the completion of their degree program, students are highly qualified for science teaching positions at the secondary level.
The Science Education degree program includes a minimum of 124 credit hours, which include 41 credit hours of General Education requirements, 31 credit hours of Professional Education requirements, and 52 credit hours of Specialized Education requirements. Within the Professional Education sequence, students will accumulate over 80 hours of field experiences, which will prepare them for the 16-week student teaching (internship) experience that takes place during the student's final semester. Students are carefully matched with cooperating teachers for their student teaching experience.
Degree checksheets for this program
A Science Education student graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in one of five certification areas: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physical Science or Physics. With this degree, students may pursue graduate degrees in many areas, including a master’s and a doctorate in science education. Students are recommended for certification in one of five areas to become secondary school science teachers after graduation and after passing required state certification exams which include the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT) and the Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT) in the area of certification.
Science Education students typically have interests in the natural sciences (biological sciences, chemistry, earth science, physical science, or physics) and also enjoy working with middle and high school-aged students.
