Option V: Teaching

The BS Geological Sciences, Option V:  UTeach is designed to fulfill the course requirements for composite science certification as a middle grades or secondary school teacher in Texas with geological sciences as the primary teaching field.

Additional Requirements Specific to the BS Geological Sciences, Option V:  UTeach

Students must meet the following requirements to graduate and be recommended for certification.

• University grade point average of at least 2.50
• Successful completion of secondary teacher certification and identified discipline specific content courses.
• Successful passing of final teaching portfolio review, conducted by the UTeach Program in Natural Sciences. Information about the portfolio review and additional certification requirements is available from the UTeach-Natural Sciences academic adviser.

Composite certification requires 24 semester hours of coursework in the primary field, 12 hours in a second field, and six hours each in two additional fields.

Degree requirements are divided into three categories: University-wide undergraduate degree requirements (the University core curriculum) and flag requirements, prescribed work for the degree, and major requirements. In addition, the student must fulfill the University’s general requirements and the requirements of the Jackson School of Geosciences.

Prescribed Work

1. Biology 337 (Topic 2:  Research Methods:  UTeach), Chemistry 368 (Topic 1:  Research Methods:  UTeach), or Physics 341 (Topic 7:  Research Methods:  UTeach)
2. History 329U or Philosophy 329U
3. 18 semester hours of professional development coursework, consisting of:
   1. Curriculum and Instruction 651S;
   2. UTeach-Natural Sciences 101, 110, 350, 355, 360, and 170
4. For students seeking middle grades certification, the following coursework is required:
   1. Educational Psychology 363M (Topic 3:  Adolescent Development), or Psychology 301 or 304
   2. Curriculum and Instruction 339E

Major Requirements

1. Mathematics 408C. This course also meets the mathematics requirement of the core curriculum. Algebra courses at the level of Mathematics 301 or the equivalent may not be counted toward the total number of semester hours required for the degree.
    
2. To meet the requirements of composite certification, the student must complete the following courses. In meeting this requirement, the student also fulfills parts I and II of the science and technology requirement of the core curriculum. 
   1. Biology 311C and 311D
   2. Chemistry 301 and 302
   3. Physics 302K, 102M, 302L, and 102N; or 301, 101L, 316, and 116L; or an equivalent sequence
   4. Enough additional approved coursework in biology, chemistry, or physics to provide the required 12 semester hours in a second field
3. Astronomy 303, 307, or 367M; and Marine Science 307.
    
4. Geological Sciences 401 or 303, 405, 416K, 416M, 420K or 320L, and 335.
5. Enough additional upper-division coursework to total at least 28 semester hours in geological sciences.
6. Enough additional coursework to total 128 semester hours including core, prescribed and major work.

Suggested Arrangement of Courses

BS Geological Sciences, Option V:  UTeach, Middle & Senior Grades

First Year
First Term	Hours	Second Term	Hours
GEO 401 or 303	3	GEO 405	4
M 408C	4	CH 302	3
CH 301	3	UTS 110	1
UTS 101	1	BIO 311C	3
UGS 302 or 303	3	RHE 306	3
	14		14
Total credit hours: 28

Second Year
First Term	Hours	Second Term	Hours
GEO 416K	4	GEO 420K or 320L	4
GEO 416M	4	HIS 329U or PHL 329U	3
BIO 311D	3	PHY 303K & PHY 103M	4
EDC 365C or UTS 350	3	Social science	3
EDP 363M (optional)	3	EDC 365D or UTS 355	3
	17		17
Total credit hours: 34

Second Year
Summer Term	Hours
GOV 310L	3
E 316L, 316M, 316N, or 316P	3
	6
Total credit hours: 6

Third Year
First Term	Hours	Second Term	Hours
Geological Sciences upper-division elective course	4	Geological Sciences upper-division elective course	3
GOV 312L	3	MNS 307	3
PHY 303L & PHY 103N	4	Upper-division elective (science)	3
Elective (science)	3	GEO 335	3
BIO 337	3	History	3
	17		15
Total credit hours: 32

Fourth Year
First Term	Hours	Second Term	Hours
Geological Sciences upper-division elective course	3	EDC 651S	6
EDC 365E	3	UTS 170	1
EDC 339E (or replace with second three-hour history course)	3
AST 303, 307, or 367M	3
Visual/performing art	3
	15		7
Total credit hours: 22

Total Credit Hours  128