Students who wish to pursue P-12 teacher certification in Physical 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. Students majoring in physics have two teacher certification options to choose from – Physical Science or Physics – and should consult with an advisor to determine which certification program they wish to complete. Courses specific to the Physical Science teacher certification program are listed below.
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
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 14 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3 | |
| Major Requirements | 66-67 | |
| Teacher Education Program Requirements | 37 | |
| Total Credits | 120-121 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Physics Core | ||
| PHYS 191 | University Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS 192 | University Physics II | 4 |
| PHYS 198 | Introductory Physics Seminar | 1 |
| PHYS 210 | Intermediate Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 220 | Oscillations, Waves, and Optics | 3 |
| PHYS 230 | Intermediate Physics Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 300 | Junior/Senior Physics Seminar | 1 |
| PHYS 320 | Statistical and Thermal Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 330 | Advanced Physics Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 340 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHYS 360 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| Physics Electives | ||
| Complete 3-4 credits from the list below. | 3-4 | |
| Collateral Requirements | ||
| CSIT 104 | Python Programming I | 3 |
| CHEM 120 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 121 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 230 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 232 | Experimental Organic Chemistry I | 2 |
| Complete an additional 2 credits of CHEM courses. | 2 | |
| AMAT 120 | Applied Calculus A | 4 |
| or MATH 122 | Calculus I | |
| AMAT 220 | Applied Calculus B | 4 |
| or MATH 221 | Calculus II | |
| MATH 222 | Calculus III | 4 |
| Teacher Education Sequence | ||
| See requirements below. | ||
| Total Credits | 66-67 | |
Major Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 180 | Astronomy for Everyone | 4 |
| PHYS 245 | Fundamentals of Electronics | 4 |
| PHYS 280 | Astronomy for Physicists | 4 |
| PHYS 310 | Advanced Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 325 | Computational Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 341 | Electronics and Digital Circuits | 4 |
| PHYS 350 | Modern Optics | 4 |
| PHYS 368 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 377 | Mathematical Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 380 | Observational Astronomy | 4 |
| PHYS 399 | Special Topics in Physics | 1-4 |
| PHYS 451 | Radiation and Medical Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 461 | General Relativity | 3 |
| PHYS 462 | Nuclear Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 464 | Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 470 | Solid State Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 480 | Astrophysics | 3 |
| PHYS 495 | Research or Independent Study in Physics | 1-4 |
Second Major in Secondary Education
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course. | 1 | |
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | 3 | |
| 2. Literature | 3 | |
| D. Fine and Performing Arts or F. Humanities | ||
| Complete one course from D. Fine and Performing Arts, F1. Great Works and Their Influences or F2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives. | 3 | |
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Python Programming I (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| H. Mathematics | ||
| Fulfilled in the major. | ||
| Applied Calculus A | ||
or MATH 122 | Calculus I | |
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| University Physics I (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| J. Physical Education | ||
| Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course. | 1 | |
| K. Social Science | ||
| Complete one course from K1. American and European History or K2. Global and Cultural Perspectives or IIB. World Cultures. | 3 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | 0 | |
| Psychological Foundations of Education (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Public Purposes of Education: Democracy and Schooling (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.) | ||
| Total Credits | 14 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | 3 | |
| World Cultures | 0 | |
| Fulfilled by either the K1 or K2 General Education category. | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar | 1 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing | 3 | AMAT 220 or MATH 221 | 4 |
| AMAT 120 or MATH 122 | 4 | CHEM 121 | 4 |
| CHEM 120 | 4 | EDFD 200 | 3 |
| PHYS 191 | 4 | PHYS 192 | 4 |
| PHYS 198 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 19 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 230 | 3 | Complete one course from one of the following categories: | 3 |
| MATH 222 | 4 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (D) Fine and Performing Arts | |
| PHYS 210 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (F1) Humanities – Great Works and Their Influences | |
| SASE 210 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | |
| CHEM 232 | 2 | ||
| CSIT 104 | 3 | ||
| PHYS 320 | 3 | ||
| PHYS 340 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYS 220 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (J) Physical Education | 1 |
| PHYS 230 | 4 | Complete one course from one of the following categories: | 3 |
| PHYS 300 | 1 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (K1) Social Science – American and European History | |
| Chemistry Elective Course | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives | |
| SASE 320 | 3 | World Cultures | 3 |
| SASE 321 | 3 | PHYS 360 | 3 |
| Physics Elective Course | 3 | ||
| SASE 322 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYS 330 | 4 | SASE 452 | 3 |
| SASE 402 | 4 | SASE 453 | 9 |
| SASE 450 | 3 | Students may not take any additional courses during the Clinical II semester. | |
| SASE 451 | 3 | ||
| 14 | 12 | ||
| Total Credits 121 | |||