Option V: Teaching
The BS Geological Sciences, Option V: Teaching is designed to fulfill the course requirements for composite science teacher certification for middle school or secondary with geological sciences as the primary teaching field.
Additional Requirements Specific to the BS Geological Sciences, Option V: Teaching
Students must meet the following requirements to graduate and be recommended for certification.
- University grade point average of at least 2.50
- Earned a grade of at least C- in each of the professional development courses and supporting courses listed below as well as all coursework required for the geological sciences degree.
- Successful passing of final teaching portfolio review, conducted by the UTeach-Natural Sciences program. Information about the portfolio review and additional certification requirements is available from the UTeach-Natural Sciences academic advisor.
- 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.
- In addition, students must fulfill the University’s general requirements and the requirements of the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Students must adhere to the current certification requirements, even if they differ from those listed in the University catalog.
Prescribed Work
- Professional Development Sequence:
- Supporting Courses:
- Biology 337 (Topic 2: Research Methods: UTeach), Chemistry 368 (Topic 1: Research Methods: UTeach), or Physics 341 (Topic 7: Research Methods: UTeach)
- History 329U or Philosophy 329U
- Middle grades certification: Students seeking middle grades certification, must also complete the following coursework:
Major Requirements
- 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.
- 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.
- Biology 311C and 311D
- Chemistry 301 and 302
- Physics 303K and 103M or Physics 303L and 103N; or an equivalent sequence
- Enough additional approved coursework in biology, chemistry, or physics to provide the required 12 semester hours in a second field
- Astronomy 303, 307, or 367M
- Marine Science 307
- Geological Sciences 401 or 303, 405, 416K, 416M, and 420K or 320L
- Enough upper-division coursework to total at least 28 semester hours in geological sciences.
- Enough additional coursework to total 126 semester hours including core, prescribed and major work.
Suggested Arrangement of Courses
BS Geological Sciences, Option V: Teaching, Senior Grades
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| GEO 401 or 303 (plus 1 additional hour of upper-division science elective) | 4 | GEO 405 | 4 |
| M 408C | 4 | BIO 311C | 3 |
| CH 301 | 3 | CH 302 | 3 |
| UTS 101 | 1 | UTS 110 | 1 |
| UGS 302 or 303 | 3 | Humanities | 3 |
| RHE 306 | 3 | Government | 3 |
| 18 | 17 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| GEO 416K | 4 | GEO 420K | 4 |
| GEO 416M | 4 | HIS 329U or PHL 329U | 3 |
| BIO 311D | 3 | EDC 365C or UTS 350 | 3 |
| Science Elective | 3 | GEO Elective, upper-division | 4 |
| History | 3 | History | 3 |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| PHY 303L | 3 | EDC 365E or UTS 360 | 3 |
| PHY 103N | 1 | PHY 303K | 3 |
| EDC 365D or UTS 355 | 3 | PHY 103M | 1 |
| BIO 337 (Topic 2), CH 368 (Topic 1), or PHY 341 (Topic 7) | 3 | Government | 3 |
| GEO Elective, Upper-division | 4 | GEO Elective, Upper-division | 4 |
| Social/Behavioral Science | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| MNS 307 | 3 | EDC 651S | 6 |
| AST 303, 307, or 367M | 3 | UTS 170 | 1 |
| Visual/Performing Art | 3 | ||
| Science Elective, Upper-division | 4 | ||
| Science Elective, Upper-division | 3 | ||
| 16 | 7 | ||
| Total credit hours: 126 | |||
Suggested Arrangement of Courses
BS Geological Sciences, Option V: Teaching, Middle Grades
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| GEO 401 or 303 (plus 1 additional hour of upper-division science elective) | 4 | GEO 405 | 4 |
| M 408C | 4 | BIO 311C | 3 |
| CH 301 | 3 | CH 302 | 3 |
| UTS 101 | 1 | UTS 110 | 1 |
| UGS 302 or 303 | 3 | Humanities | 3 |
| RHE 306 | 3 | Government | 3 |
| 18 | 17 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| GEO 416K | 4 | GEO 420K | 4 |
| GEO 416M | 4 | EDC 365C or UTS 350 | 3 |
| BIO 311D | 3 | HIS 329U or PHL 329U | 3 |
| EDP 350G or PSY 301 and PSY 304 | 3 | GEO Elective, Upper-division | 4 |
| History | 3 | History | 3 |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| EDC 365D or UTS 355 | 3 | EDC 365E or UTS 360 | 3 |
| PHY 303L | 3 | EDC 339E | 3 |
| PHY 103N | 1 | PHY 303K | 3 |
| BIO 377 (Topic 2), CH 368 (Topic 1), or PHY 341 (Topic 7) | 3 | PHY 103M | 1 |
| GEO Elective, Upper-division | 4 | GEO Elective, Upper-division | 4 |
| Social/Behavioral Science | 3 | Government | 3 |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Term | Hours | Second Term | Hours |
| MNS 307 | 3 | EDC 651S | 6 |
| AST 303, 307, or 367M | 3 | UTS 170 | 1 |
| Science Elective, Upper-division | 4 | ||
| Science Elective, Upper-division | 3 | ||
| Visual/Performing Art | 3 | ||
| 16 | 7 | ||
| Total credit hours: 126 | |||