Bachelor of Secondary Education in Physics
The Bachelor of Secondary Education degree in Physics prepares students for a career in secondary education. Upon successful completion of the program the student is certified to teach Physics at the high school level in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The BSEd program is run by the Physics Department of Shippensburg University which means that your academic advisor is a physics department faculty member and many of the required courses are offered by the physics department.
The secondary education major is required to complete 38 credit hours of physics, 19 semester hours in mathematics, and 15 semester hours of chemistry, biology and earth science. In addition there are 30 credit hours of Professional courses, including a semester of student teaching.
How should you prepare for a Secondary Education Physics major?
Physics is a highly mathematical discipline. Typically, students who plan on a career in Physics take four years of mathematics in high school: One year each of Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus. If possible, courses in Physics and Calculus are beneficial. Communications skills, both oral and written, are essential for any successful career.
Why enroll in the BSEd Program at Shippensburg University?
This program provides students with a solid core of knowledge in Physics as well as a broader background in the liberal arts, thus preparing them for a successful career. Science classes are small at Shippensburg University, usually having twelve to sixteen students per laboratory section. Lectures and labs are taught by seasoned professors; not by graduate students.
Degree Requirements
| Courses | Credits per course | Combined credits |
|---|---|---|
|
I. Physics courses: |
||
| PHY 105 Freshman Seminar Physics | 2 | 2 |
| PHY 221 Fundamentals of Physics I | 5 | 5 |
| PHY 222 Fundamentals of Physics II | 5 | 5 |
| PHY 301 Math. and Numerical Techniques | 4 | 4 |
| PHY 311 Quantum I | 4 | 4 |
| PHY 321 Electricity and Magnetism I | 4 | 4 |
| PHY 331 Mechanics I | 4 | 4 |
| PHY 341 Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics | 4 | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| PHY4XX One Course at the 400 level | 3 | 3 |
| Physics Credits | 35 | |
|
II. Allied-Field courses: |
||
| MAT 211 Calculus I | 4 | 4 |
| MAT 212 Calculus II | 4 | 4 |
| MAT 213 Calculus III | 4 | 4 |
| MAT 322 Differential Equations | 3 | 3 |
| CSC 110 Computer Science I | 4 | 4 |
| CHM 121 Chemical Bonding I | 3 | |
| CHM 125 Lab IB | 1 | 4 |
| BIO 115 Principles of Biology | 4 | 4 |
| ESC 110 Introductory Geology OR | 3 | |
| ESC 210 Physical Geology | 3 | 3 |
| Allied Credits | 30 | |
|
III. Education courses: |
||
| TCH207 Org. and Psy. Foundations for 2nd Educ. | 3 | 3 |
| EDU340 Teach. Sc. in 2nd School. | 3 | 3 |
| EDU341 Curriculum Eval. 2nd Sc. Classroom | 3 | 3 |
| EDU495 Student Teaching/Professional Practicum | 12 | 12 |
| EEC411 Introduction to Exceptionality | 3 | 3 |
| EEC423 Effective Instructional Strategies | 3 | 3 |
| EEC480 Assessing Students for Curricular Decision Making | 3 | 3 |
| Education Credits | 30 | |
| Additional General-Education Credits | 33 |