Accelerated BS-MA Physics with Teaching Emphasis

Physics B.S. with Teaching Emphasis (Accelerated BS/MA)

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 Requirements42
Teacher Certification, 6-12 Physical Science
Required courses in the major
PHYS 101Physics and Astronomy Seminar1
University Physics I *
University Physics II *
PHYS 317Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering3
PHYS 321Modern Physics3
PHYS 333Wave Motion, Acoustics, and Optics4
PHYS 345Teaching and Learning Physics3
PHYS 371Science and Math Education Theory and Practice2
or PHYS 401 Current Topics in Physics and Astronomy
Choose two of following:6
PHYS 411Classical Mechanics3
PHYS 412Electricity and Magnetism3
PHYS 420Quantum Mechanics3
PHYS 335Advanced Physics Laboratory3
or PHYS 319 Computational Physics with Python
PHYS Elective (ADV)4
CHEM 1111General and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I1
CHEM 1311General and Quantitative Chemistry I3
CHEM 1112General and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory II1
CHEM 1312General and Quantitative Chemistry II3
CHEM 351Physical Chemistry4
Teacher Education courses (LeoTeach Sequence)
PSY 300Learning Processes and Development3
SED 330Foundations of Secondary Education3
SED 331Instructional Design for Diverse Learners3
SED 332Creating an Engaging Learning Environment3
RDG 380Comprehension and Vocabulary in Middle and High Schools3
SED 400Pedagogy and Classroom Management in Field-based Environments3
SED 401Technology Infused Curriculum and Assessment in Field-based Environments3
SED 404Secondary Teaching Practicum3
SED 405Secondary Residency in Teaching6
Support courses
Calculus I *
Calculus II *
MATH 2415Calculus III4
Graduate Core Courses
PHYS 531AClassical Mechanics: Analysis and Applications3
PHYS 532AElectromagnetism: Analysis and Applications3
Total Hours120
*

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.

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