Physics, Teacher Education Program (Grades 9-12), B.A.

Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Credit Hours: 42+

Courses within this major may also satisfy general education requirements. Please consult the Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Requirements for more information.

Physics Teacher Education Program (Grades 9-12)

Students interested in teacher licensure in physics must complete both the physics major and the Secondary Education Cognate major requirements. See the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance section of this catalog for a listing of the required secondary education cognate major courses. Students should apply for acceptance to this program no later than the second semester of their sophomore year. Requirements for this include admission to and successful completion of the approved teacher education program. Students must successfully complete all requirements for licensure in secondary education.

When declaring teacher licensure in Physics through the Program of Study Management System (POSM), students must first select “Declare or Add a Major” and then “Secondary Education Cognate” from the major list. Once this selection is made, a second menu box will appear with a list of the associated majors. Select the physics major and follow the on-screen instructions.

You should apply for admission (this is NOT declaring your major) to the Teacher Education Program the semester you are enrolled in EDFS 201 Foundations of Education. Requirements for admission:
- Minimum overall GPA of 2.750 and 60 earned credit hours.
- Passing score on the 3 components of the PRAXIS 1: Pre-Professional Skills Test (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) as designated by the South Carolina Department of Education OR qualifying SAT or ACT scores.
- Disposition forms from (a) a general education faculty member, (b) your EDFS 201 professor, and (c) someone who has observed you working with children.
- If a student has transfer credit for a course that is equivalent to EDFS 201, they must meet with the Teacher Education department chair and complete 1 hour of work.
- A grade of C or better in EDFS 201 Foundations of Education (3).
Your admission process must be completed before beginning the professional program.
You must complete a major in the content area and the cognate major to be forwarded to the State Department of Education for certification.
Minimum education GPA of 3.000.

Required Courses

Select 11 credit hours from the following electives with department approval:

Please note a maximum of 3 credit hours from each of the following groups are allowed (PHYS 381 , PHYS 390 , PHYS 399 ) and (PHYS 260 , PHYS 260L , PHYS 460L ).

Mathematics Requirement

Notes:

With department approval, completion with grades of at least “B” in PHYS 101 /PHYS 101L and PHYS 102 /PHYS 102L , together with MATH 120 and MATH 220 may be substituted for PHYS 111 /PHYS 111L and PHYS 112 /PHYS 112L .
Suggested programs of study leading to graduate school in physics, astronomy, astrophysics, meteorology and engineering are available from the department.

Secondary Education Cognate Major

Required Courses

Notes:

*EDFS 201 is a prerequisite to all other education courses with a grade of C or better.

**Students must enroll in the Secondary sections for each of the courses marked with a double asterisk. This requires meeting with your education advisor and completing the registration form. Each course requires a school-based field experience. Students will need a 3-hour block of time per week between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, to complete each school-based experience.

Clinical Practice Internship Requirement

Students seeking recommendation for South Carolina certification in Secondary Education must complete the program of study above and meet the admission, retention, and exit requirements of the program and the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance. Recommendation to the South Carolina Department of Education for certification in South Carolina is contingent upon successful completion of Clinical Practice, and achievement of passing scores on the necessary Praxis II test(s) for recommendation. Students who do not take Clinical Practice may not earn a degree in Secondary Education and will not be recommended for certification. See your faculty advisor for additional information.

EDFS 460 Clinical Practice in the Content Areas (12)

Physics, Teacher Education Program (Grades 9-12), B.A.