The Physics B.S. with Teaching Emphasis is designed for students who wish to teach physics at the middle or high school level. It provides a broad but rigorous background in the physics and chemistry needed by successful teachers, and includes an advanced physics education course designed specifically for majors in this program.
The BS-MA accelerated degree program allows undergraduate students in the Physics with Teaching Emphasis to begin coursework towards the Master of Arts in Physics with Teaching Emphasis during their senior year at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Students can earn a B.S. and M.A. degree in five years upon completion of degree requirements for both degrees. For this accelerated program, 6 credits of graduate courses can be applied to the undergraduate degree. Students must apply to the accelerated program by the end of their junior year after having completed at least 90 hours of undergraduate courses with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a GPA of 3.0 or higher in physics courses. Additionally, students should have taken certain upper-level courses in their junior year to ensure they can be successful taking graduate courses while completing their student teaching experience in their senior year.
| Core Curriculum Courses | ||
| See the Core Curriculum Requirements | 42 | |
| Teacher Certification, 6-12 Physical Science | ||
| Required courses in the major | ||
| PHYS 101 | Physics and Astronomy Seminar | 1 |
| University Physics I * | ||
| University Physics II * | ||
| PHYS 317 | Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering | 3 |
| PHYS 321 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 333 | Wave Motion, Acoustics, and Optics | 4 |
| PHYS 345 | Teaching and Learning Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 371 | Science and Math Education Theory and Practice | 2 |
| or PHYS 401 | Current Topics in Physics and Astronomy | |
| Choose two of following: | 6 | |
| PHYS 411 | Classical Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 412 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHYS 420 | Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 335 | Advanced Physics Laboratory | 3 |
| or PHYS 319 | Computational Physics with Python | |
| PHYS Elective (ADV) | 4 | |
| CHEM 1111 | General and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| CHEM 1311 | General and Quantitative Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 1112 | General and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| CHEM 1312 | General and Quantitative Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 351 | Physical Chemistry | 4 |
| Teacher Education courses (LeoTeach Sequence) | ||
| PSY 300 | Learning Processes and Development | 3 |
| SED 330 | Foundations of Secondary Education | 3 |
| SED 331 | Instructional Design for Diverse Learners | 3 |
| SED 332 | Creating an Engaging Learning Environment | 3 |
| RDG 380 | Comprehension and Vocabulary in Middle and High Schools | 3 |
| SED 400 | Pedagogy and Classroom Management in Field-based Environments | 3 |
| SED 401 | Technology Infused Curriculum and Assessment in Field-based Environments | 3 |
| SED 404 | Secondary Teaching Practicum | 3 |
| SED 405 | Secondary Residency in Teaching | 6 |
| Support courses | ||
| Calculus I * | ||
| Calculus II * | ||
| MATH 2415 | Calculus III | 4 |
| Graduate Core Courses | ||
| PHYS 531A | Classical Mechanics: Analysis and Applications | 3 |
| PHYS 532A | Electromagnetism: Analysis and Applications | 3 |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
This course should be used to satisfy the core curriculum requirements.
A grade of “C” or higher must be earned in all courses in this Major.
The BS-MA accelerated degree program allows undergraduate students in the Physics program to begin coursework towards the non-thesis option of the Master of Arts in Physics w/emphasis in Physics Teaching program during their senior year at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Students can earn a BS and MA degree in five years upon completion of degree requirements for both degrees. For this accelerated program, 6 credits of graduate coursework can be applied to both the BS and MA degrees. Once admitted, the BS/MA candidate must maintain a 3.25 Undergraduate GPA. In the final semester of the student’s undergraduate program, a new online Apply Texas Application for the master’s Accelerated program must be submitted to gain admission and continue taking classes to complete the master’s program.
| Research (3 semester hours) | ||
| PHYS 595 | Research Literature and Techniques | 3 |
| Required Courses (21 Semester Hours) | ||
| PHYS 526 | Quantum Mechanics: Analysis and Applications | 3 |
| PHYS 530 | Mathematical Methods: Analysis and Applications | 3 |
| PHYS 531A | Classical Mechanics: Analysis and Applications * | 3 |
| PHYS 532A | Electromagnetism: Analysis and Applications * | 3 |
| PHYS 535 | Thermodynamics: Analysis and Applications | 3 |
| PHYS 536 | Computational Physics: Analysis and Applications | 3 |
| PHYS 561 | Astronomy & Astrophysics: Analysis and Applications | 3 |
| Teaching Field Courses (12 Semester hours) | ||
| Plus (12 semester hours) that support the major teaching field, on approval of the graduate advisor. | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Courses shared with BS
