Chemistry B.S. – Secondary Teaching Emphasis - Licensure: Science (Grades 7-12)
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Hua Zhao, Ph.D., Chair
Location: Ross Hall 3480
Telephone: 970.351.2559
Website: http://www.unco.edu/nhs/chemistry
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
Assigned advisor is available through the Ursa login; ursa.unco.edu; under Student tab Academic Profile channel and is term specific. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Core (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) Credits
Program Description:
This program is designed to prepare students as secondary school chemistry teachers licensed in science by the Colorado Department of Education. In addition to a strong background in chemistry, students will receive training in biological sciences, physics, earth sciences and mathematics. Students receiving this degree can be certified by the American Chemical Society. See advisor for details.
Students graduating with this degree emphasis will be well prepared to teach chemistry and other sciences in junior and senior high school. Students completing this program will be prepared to pursue graduate study in chemical education or science education.
The program will take four-five years to complete depending on high school background and the point in the educational career at which the program is entered.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- All students in the program must take an assessment examination before graduation.
- Students majoring in chemistry must earn a grade of “C” or better (C- is not acceptable) in all courses having a CHEM and SCED prefix which count toward the major.
- In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program.
Program Recommendations:
- Graduate level CHEM courses are recommended for juniors and seniors. Other recommended electives include MATH 132, MATH 221, MATH 335, STAT 150, PHYS 321 and PHYS 343.
- It is recommended that students have a fundamental background in computers.
- Qualifying students may be eligible for a five-year program resulting in a B.S./M.S. degree. Consult your advisor early in your program for details.
PTEP Program Requirements:
If you are seeking licensure in your program area, the following items are required to complete your program.
- Completion of Application for Initial Admission to PTEP
- Completion of Full Admission to PTEP
- Completion of Application for Student Teaching
- Completion of content specific PRAXIS test prior to Student Teaching
- Candidates may not take extra courses with Student Teaching without prior approval from the Program Coordinator and the STE Director.
- All PTEP Field Experiences and methods courses need to be successfully completed prior to Student Teaching.
- Student Teaching outside the supervision of UNC Faculty may or may not be approved.
- Teacher Candidates will not be placed in a school where they were once students or where they have a close relative attending and/or working.
- Teacher education and educator preparation licensure programs do not accept Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) or field based courses that are more than ten years old. PLEASE NOTE: Teacher Candidates have the right to petition this policy at the discretion of the program coordinator.
Please work with your content advisor to determine when these requirements will be completed throughout your program. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
Degree Requirements
1. Required Specified LAC — 25 credits
LAC area 1.b. — Communication (Composition)
LAC area 2 — Mathematics
LAC area 6 — Physical and Life Sciences
Choose one of the following courses:
Remaining LAC — 18 credits
See “Liberal Arts Core”.
NOTE: Students need to select courses from LAC areas 7 and 8 that also count for areas 3, 4, or 5.
2. Required Major — 42 credits
Take all of the following courses:
Science Licensure
3. Required PTEP — 35 credits
Phase I (5 credits taken concurrently).
| STEP 161 | Observation and Analysis of Secondary Teaching I | 2 |
| EDF 366 | Conceptions of Schooling: Context and Process | 3 |
Phase II (8 credits taken concurrently)
| STEP 262 | Observation and Analysis of Secondary Teaching II | 2 |
| EDSE 360 | Adaptation, Modification, and Integration of Curriculum for the Secondary Exceptional Learner | 3 |
| PSY 349 | Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers | 3 |
Phase III (8 credits taken concurrently)
| STEP 363 | Clinical Experience: Secondary | 2 |
| EDRD 340 | Academic Language/Literacy Development in the Content Areas at the Secondary Level | 3 |
| SCED 441 | Methods of Teaching Secondary School Science | 3 |
EDRD 340: may be taken outside of Phase III
Phase IV (14 credits).
ACS Certification obtained by completing the following:
NOTES: All Students in the program must take an assessment examination before graduation. Students wishing to participate in the Honors Program should consult their advisors about LAC selections and other requirements.
A minimum grade point average of 2.5 in chemistry courses and a successful interview with members of the chemistry faculty are required for admission to PTEP, for eligibility to student teach, and for graduation.
Transfer students must take chemistry courses from two different UNC faculty before applying for admission to PTEP.