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Admission to Science Education “Block” courses leading to certification

In order to register for the following courses in Science Education, a Permission of Department authorization is required.

“Block I,” Methods and initial practicum: ESCI 3450, 4450/6450 and 4460/6460;

“Block II,” Student Teaching and associated seminars: ESCI 5460/7460, 5470/7470, and 5480/7480

Here are the specific steps required to obtain permission to enroll in these courses:

Step 1 – Gaining admission to a UGA program including certification

Undergraduate — If you are an undergraduate student, contact the College of Education’s Office of Student Services in Rm. 122 Aderhold for initial advising before applying to become a Science Education major and being assigned an advisor in our department.

Graduate — In order to take coursework toward certification and/or a graduate degree, you must first be admitted to the UGA Graduate School. Application to the Graduate School is an online process. Initial certification in a Secondary Science field is usually pursued as part of a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree in Science Education but may be pursued on a non-degree basis (please click on the MAT tab above for more information).

Step 2 – Advisement

Call the Science Education office (706-542-1763) or e-mail to schedule an initial meeting with the Program Coordinator (for undergraduates, Dr. David Jackson e-mail), MAT coordinator (for graduate students, Dr. Georgia Hodges e-mail), or your advisor (if you have received notification that another member of the faculty has been assigned) to plan a program of study that includes courses leading to certification in science.

Step 3 – Coursework and Testing Prerequisites for Block I

Before beginning the Block I coursework, students are expected to have completed all or nearly all of the required courses in the following areas:

• Core Curriculum requirements (undergraduate only; includes the EDUC and SPED courses listed below under Area VI)
• Science content (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth Science)
  • undergraduate: as specified in the undergraduate program requirements for majors in each subject matter emphasis field
  • graduate: Please see Science Course Prerequisites for Secondary Science Certification at the Graduate Level for details.
• Educational Psychology
  • undergraduate: EDUC/EPSY 2130
  • graduate: EPSY 6010 or 6800
• Social Foundations of Education (undergraduate only)
  • EDUC/EFND 2110
  • EDUC 2120
• Special Education: SPED 4030/6030
• Educational Technology: ESCI 4480/6480

It is normal and expected that students take a maximum of two or three other courses, usually including ESCI 4480/6480 and often including one upper-level science content course, in the same semester as Block I.

All students must also pass or exempt the GACE Basic Skills examination before beginning Block I. Students may exempt the GACE Basic Skills test by meeting any of the following criteria, and most of our students are readily able to do so:

• Critical Reading and Quantitative (“Verbal” and “Math”) composite score of 1000 on the SAT
• English and Mathematics composite score of 43 on the ACT
• Verbal and Quantitative composite score of 1030 (previous scale) or 297 (scale used since August 1, 2011) on the GRE

Step 4 – Completion and Documentation of Pre-Professional Experience

Before registering for Science Education coursework, we require that prospective teachers gain some initial experiences in working with children in any of a broad range of educational settings. Students should submit the Statement of Completion of Pre-professional Experience with Children as soon as possible during the semester preceding the one in which their enrollment in ESCI courses is to begin. Please see the form for the extent of these experiences required and a list of common examples. This form and its required essay should be turned in to Ms. Etta Roberts or to Dr. Norman Thomson, Chair of the Secondary Science Program Committee, in Room 212 Aderhold.

Step 5 – List for Block I

Upon completing or enrolling in all or nearly all coursework required for the program aside from the Block I and Block II courses, the student and her/his advisor should request, by notifying Ms. Roberts or Dr. Thomson in 212 Aderhold, that the student be added to the list of those wishing to register for Block I (Science Methods and initial practicum) courses in the following semester. The Secondary Program Committee meets periodically during each semester to consider the qualifications of these students and to issue Permission of Department authorizations for registration for those approved.

Step 6 – Registration for courses in Block I

By the date of the beginning of pre-registration, the student will be notified of her/his current status as to authorization to enroll in the Block I courses (ESCI 3450, 4450/6450 and 4460/6460). If permission to enroll has not yet been granted at that time, but all other conditions have been satisfied, the student’s name will be placed on a waiting list. Students who are entered onto the waiting list may register for other courses at their scheduled time, being mindful of the schedule of the Block I courses (usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:00-11:00am during Fall or Spring Semester). In this way, later registration for Block I courses can be conducted with a minimum of disruption to the schedule of classes already planned.

When permission to register for Block I has been granted, the student will be informed about other legal requirements necessary before beginning initial field experiences with students in schools, including a criminal background check and obtaining tort liability insurance.

Step 7 – Registration for courses in Block II

Students successfully completing Block I will be authorized to register for Block II (Student Teaching and associated seminars; ESCI 5460/7460, 5470/7470, and 5480/7480) in the next academic year semester.

All students must complete the required Educational Psychology course (see above or below for specific undergraduate and graduate requirements) before beginning Block II courses.

It is strongly recommended that all students:

• complete all other coursework required for certification before beginning Block II. Otherwise certification will be delayed until after such coursework is taken in a future semester, even if Block II is successfully completed.
• take and pass the science-specific GACE tests required for their field of emphasis (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science) before or during the Block II semester. Otherwise certification will be delayed until after that test is passed, even if Block II is successfully completed.
• not take any additional courses, or hold even a part-time job, during the Block II semester, with the possible exception of ESCI 4480/6480 (if not yet taken), which is scheduled in an evening time slot on a different day of the week than ESCI 5470/7470.

Courses required for Secondary (Grades 6-12) Science Teacher Certification for both undergraduate and graduate students