Academics

Prepare for the Future

There is currently a high demand for middle and high school science teachers, so the employment prospects for Science Education program graduates are excellent. In addition to becoming a public or private school teacher, graduates of the Science Education program will have the background to work in several related careers. Related job opportunities include informal science education at museums, nature centers, gardens, research facilities, or outdoor education programs, science writing or journalism, educational software design, and curriculum specialist.

Academics

The Science Education Center offers five-degree tracks in science education, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Space Science, and Middle School Science teaching. Students must fulfill the University requirement of a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit, including Foundational Studies coursework and the science education major requirements. The Center also offers the Middle School Science Minor for Elementary Education or Secondary Education majors. Please consult the current Indiana State University catalog for details.

Science Education Degree Programs

The Science Education Program consists of science content courses, professional education courses, and science teaching methodology courses. The program also requires one semester of full-time student teaching in a secondary science classroom. The program leads to Indiana teaching licensure for grades 5–12 in one of the following science disciplines (Grades 5–9 for Middle School Science concentration).

(89–90 credits) This program is designed for students who intend to teach biology to high school students. Students are also qualified to teach all science topics to middle school students.

(94 credits) This program is designed for students who are interested in teaching chemistry to high school students. Students are also qualified to teach all science topics to middle school students.

(87 credits) This program is designed for students who wish to teach physics to high school students. Students are also qualified to teach all science topics to middle school students.

(81-83 credits) This program is designed for students who are interested in teaching earth space science to high school students. Students are also qualified to teach all science topics to middle school students.

(78-79 credits) This program is designed for students who are interested in teaching all science topics to middle school students.

Middle School Science Minor

(26–27 credits) This minor is designed for Elementary Education or Secondary Education majors who want to add a middle school science licensure to their initial teaching licensure. Students who choose to add this second licensure will benefit from a broader range of career opportunities as well as additional content for their resumes.

This minor, in conjunction with an education major and the associated state licensure tests, will qualify students to teach middle school science. This minor cannot be used as an initial instructional license. Without a teaching license, this minor alone will not satisfy requirements for teaching science in middle schools. Students who complete the middle school science minor in conjunction with an Elementary Education or Secondary Education major will have satisfied the Foundational Studies requirements in Laboratory Sciences.