Earth and Environmental Science with Teacher Certification in Earth Science (Preschool-Grade 12) (B.S.)

Students who wish to pursue P-12 teacher certification in Earth Science must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Once admitted, students will be matriculated into the B.A. in Secondary Education program as a second major.

Please visit the Teacher Education Program website for the required professional sequence of courses and other important Program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students are strongly advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook. The course PHED 401 The Teaching of Science in Secondary Schools is the departmental requirement.

120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA.  Major GPA requirements differ depending on field of study. Consult the Teacher Education Program Handbook for more information.

Program Requirements Overview

General Education Requirements19
World Languages and Cultures Requirements3-6
Major Requirements60-62
Teacher Education Program Requirements37
Free Electives1-0
Total Credits120-124

Major Requirements

Required Courses
EAES 105Physical Geology4
EAES 220Mineralogy4
EAES 240Earth System History4
EAES 302Structural Geology3
EAES 320Igneous Metamorphic Petrology4
EAES 441Stratigraphy4
Collateral Chemistry Courses
Complete one of the following sequences:7-8
Introductory Chemistry
and Environmental Geochemistry
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II
Collateral Math Courses
Select two of the following sequences:8
Applied Calculus A
Calculus I
Applied Calculus B
Calculus II
Applied Precalculus
Data Science and Statistics
Collateral Physics Courses
Select one of the following sequences:8
University Physics I
and University Physics II
College Physics I
and College Physics II
Collateral Biology Course
BIOL 112Principles of Biology: Introduction to the Cell4
or BIOL 113 Principles of Biology: Organisms and Diversity
Major Electives
Select one course each in Meteorology, Astronomy and Oceanography for a total of 10-11 credits from the list below.10-11
Total Credits60-62

Major Electives

Meteorology
EAES 201Understanding Weather and Climate4
EAES 301Climatology3
EAES 403Meteorology4
Astronomy
PHYS 180Astronomy for Everyone4
PHYS 280Astronomy for Physicists4
Oceanography
EAES 150General Oceanography3
EAES 250Introduction to Marine Sciences4
EAES 350Oceanography3

Second Major in Secondary Education

Secondary Education (B.A.)

General Education Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.

A. New Student Seminar
Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course.1
C. Communication
1. Writing 3
2. Literature3
Complete one course from D. Fine and Performing Arts or F1. Great Works and Their Influences or F2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives.3
G. Computer Science
Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course.3
H. Mathematics
Fulfilled by collateral mathematics courses in the major.0
I. Natural Science Laboratory
Physical Geology (Fulfilled in the major.)
K. Social Science
1. Complete one course from K1. American and European History or K3. Social Science.3
2. Global Cultural Perspectives3
L. Interdisciplinary Studies
Public Purposes of Education: Democracy and Schooling (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
Total Credits19

World Languages and Cultures Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.

World Languages
Based on placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in a single language.3-6
Total Credits3-6

Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion

This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years.  This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
EAES 1054EAES 2404
Collateral Math 14Collateral Math 24
EDFD 2003SASE 2103
WRIT 1053GENERAL EDUCATION (C2) Literature3
GENERAL EDUCATION (D) Fine and Performing Arts or GENERAL EDUCATION (F1) Humanities – Great Works and Their Influences orGENERAL EDUCATION (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives3Oceanography Elective3-4
GNED 1991 
 18 17-18
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
EAES 2204EAES 3204
CMST 1013CSIT 1003
Collateral Chemistry 13-4Collateral Chemistry 24
GENERAL EDUCATION (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives3GENERAL EDUCATION (K1) Social Science – American and European History orGENERAL EDUCATION (K3) Social Science – Social Science Perspectives3
SASE 3203SASE 3213
 16-17 17
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
EAES 3023EAES 4414
Meteorology Elective3-4Astronomy Elective3-4
PHYS 191 or 1934PHYS 192 or 1944
World Language 13World Language 20-3
SASE 3223SASE 4024
 16-17 15-19
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
BIOL 112 or 1134SASE 4523
SASE 4503SASE 4539
SASE 4513 
Free Elective0-3 
 10-13 12
Total Credits 121-131