Academic Programs - Science Education
TEACH TO LEARN TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Graduate students in science education have the opportunity to apply to be teacher residents in a new program announced by the Clarke County School district-University of Georgia Professional School District Partnership. Twelve graduate assistantships will be offered to candidates who are qualified and will commit to the two-year residency. Click here for details.
Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Science Education: For students with a background in the sciences or closely related fields but not yet holding T-4 teacher certification, coursework leading to certification in a Secondary Science field (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth/Space Science, grades 6-12) can be pursued at the graduate level as part of this master’s degree option. This degree program consists of 36 semester hours of graduate coursework, plus field experiences (including Student Teaching) totalling another 14 hours, and therefore requires a total of 50 hours of credit.
This program presumes an undergraduate major in a core science area (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology) or a nearly equivalent coursework background. Those with degrees in other science-related fields (e.g., Agricultural Sciences, Exercise Science, Allied Health Sciences) may need to do additional core science coursework at the advanced undergraduate level before beginning Science Education courses. Please see the specific guidelines for science coursework background.
The initial certification portion of the program requires enrollment for two full-time, academic-year semesters (either Fall-Spring or Spring-Fall). Upon completing certification, students most often gain full-time employment as teachers in the North Georgia area and complete remaining master’s degree requirements on a part-time basis, although it is permissible to remain as a full-time student until completion of the degree or to earn certification as a non-degree graduate student. Non-degree students require a total of 35 hours of credit
Admission requirements:
- Admission to the Graduate School
- Completion of a bachelors degree from an accredited institution
- Minimum undergraduate (or combined undergraduate and graduate) GPA of 2.6
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) combined score (verbal + quantitative) of 850 or above, including verbal score of 400 or above (Board of Regents policy)ora minimum raw score of 44 or scaled score of 400 on the Miller Analogies Test
- Appropriate preparation in one of the initial Secondary Science teacher certification fields: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Earth/Space Science
- Apply to the UGA Graduate School
- Incoming Graduate Student Questionnaire
Course work:
Note: All courses contributing to degree requirements must be taken at the graduate level (at UGA, course numbers 6000 or above).
| Type of Course | Number of Courses,Semester Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Certification Requirements in Science Education | 4 courses, 12 s.h. | ESCI 6450, 6460, 7470 and 7480 |
| Courses in Other Areas Required for Certification | 3 courses, 9 s.h.* | Instructional Technology: ESCI 6480 or EDIT 6150 or 2020**Educational Psychology: EPSY 6100, 6800, or 2130**Special Education: ESCI 6030 or SPED 6030 or 2000** |
| Field Experience Component | An additional 14 hours of field experience courses are also required for certification but do not formally count towards master’s degree requirements.ESCI 3450; 11 hours of ESCI 7460 (Student Teaching) | |
| Educational Research | 1 course, 3 s.h. | ESCI 6990 is highly recommended.A more general course in educational research design, statistics, or educational measurement (ERSH or STAT) or qualitative methods (QUAL) is also acceptable. |
| Curriculum and Instruction in Science Education | 2 courses, 6 s.h. | Most highly recommended, and customarily offered in Summer Semester, are ESCI 6200, 6220, 6230, 7040, and 7080 |
| Elective | 2 courses, 6 s.h.,or as necessary to reach 36 total hours** | Any science and/or education courses mutually determined to be appropriate by the student and advisor.Highly recommended are: additional Science Education courses; science content courses; courses in Social Foundations of Education (EFND); additional courses in Educational Psychology (EPSY) |
| Special Requirements | Certification Portfolio | Guidance in building and gathering artifacts/evidence for inclusion the portfolio is included as part of the courses ESCI 6450, 6460, 7460, 7470, and 7480.Students must be registered for a minimum of 3 semester hours of credit in the semester (expected most often to be Summer) in which the portfolio is submitted for completion of degree requirements. |
| Total | 36 s.h. applied to degree; 50 s.h. grand total | |
*Online versions sometimes available for these courses (e.g., EDIT 6150E, EPSY 6100E, SPED 2000E) are fully acceptable.
**If undergraduate-level courses are taken for certification requirements, the number of electives needed for degree requirements increases accordingly.
