Physics Education (B.A., B.S.)

Location(s): Main Campus

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Program Information

All courses must be passed with a “C” (2.0) or better to be counted in the major.
All prerequisite courses must be passed with “C” (2.0) or better.
Credits greater than 10 years old will not be accepted for this degree.
Courses in computer science are strongly recommended additional electives.
Some courses are taught every other year. Consult your Student Success Advisor for scheduling help.
This major by itself does not include the minimum requisite number of upper-division hours needed for a bachelor’s degree. Students completing this degree will fill the upper-division requirements while completing coursework for Secondary Education Licensure . Students who do not complete the licensure requirements will need to complete additional upper-division coursework to reach the minimum 40 credits.

General Education Requirement (30-35 Credits)

See General Education for course options.

Core Course Requirements (12-15 Credits)
Breadth Area Requirements (16-20 Credits)

Please note: All students must complete a minimum of 30 credits between the Core and Breadth Area requirements.

Bachelor’s Degree Type: Arts or Science Requirement (12* or 16** Credits)

Select one degree type from either Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science:

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree Requirement (12 Credits*)

Bachelor of Science Degree - Math or Science minimum requirement 12 Credits

* Note: A portion of the B.S. requirements may be met by fulfilling the General Education Core and Breadth Areas. Because of this, these credits are typically not counted in the degree total at the bottom of page. Some students majoring in non-science fields may need additional math/science courses to reach the minimum 12 credits. Consult your Student Success Advisor for details.

or

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree Requirement (16 Credits**)

Bachelor of Arts Degree - Foreign Language Requirement 16 Credits

** Note: One semester of a foreign language may also fulfill the General Education Humanities requirement. The 16 credits may be fulfilled by taking four semesters of a foreign language or by testing out of a language and purchasing the credits. These credits are typically counted in the degree total at the bottom of the page. Consult your Student Success Advisor for details.

Physics Education Curriculum (40 Credits)

Core Requirements (24 Credits)

CHEM 1210 - Principles of Chemistry I 4 Credit(s)
CHEM 1215 - Principles of Chemistry I Lab 1 Credit(s)
CHEM 2010 - Chemical Lab Safety 1 Credit(s)
MATH 1210 - Calculus I 4 Credit(s) * (can be used to fulfill General Education Quantitative Literacy)
MATH 1220 - Calculus II 4 Credit(s)
PHYS 2210 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers I 4 Credit(s) (can be used to fulfill General Education Physical Sciences Breadth Area)
PHYS 2215 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers I Lab 1 Credit(s) (can be used to fulfill General Education Physical Sciences Breadth Area)
PHYS 2220 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers II 4 Credit(s)
PHYS 2225 - Physics for Scientists and Engineers II Lab 1 Credit(s)

Note

* Students who are not prepared for this math course may need additional math credits/preparation. Please consult your Student Success Advisor for more information.

Physics Electives (9 Credits)

Complete three of the following:

PHYS 3160 - Planets and Stars 3 Credit(s)
PHYS 3170 - Galaxies 3 Credit(s)
PHYS 3310 - Quantum Physics I 3 Credit(s)
PHYS 3320 - Quantum Physics II 3 Credit(s)
PHYS 3510 - Electricity and Magnetism 3 Credit(s) (requires additional prerequisites not in major)

Teacher Education Courses (7 Credits)

PSCI 4870 - 3D Science Secondary Education 2 Credit(s)
PSCI 4900 - Teaching Science in Secondary Schools 2 Credit(s)
PSCI 4980 - Student Teaching in Physical Science 3 Credit(s)

Professional Education Requirements for Secondary Licensure (36-37 Credits)*

To qualify for a teaching license, students must also complete the sequence of professional education courses listed by the Department of Teacher Education . Please see the degree requirements for Secondary Education Licensure . Some classes required for the licensure cannot be taken until the teacher candidate has been admitted to the College of Education and Human Development. Please consult your advisor or the Department of Teacher Education for further instruction.

* Students who complete their teaching methods course(s) and student teaching as part of their major requirements will earn fewer than 36 credits. Those course credits are counted only once in the degree total.

Pre-Admission Courses (18-19 Credits)

EDUC 2100 - Principles of Curriculum and Instruction 3 Credit(s)
EDUC 2200 - Educational Psychology 3 Credit(s)
EDUC 2400 - Schools, Society, and Diversity 3 Credit(s)
SPED 2030 - Educating Exceptional Students 3 Credit(s)
SCED 3180 - Instructional Technology for Teaching and Learning 2-3 Credit(s)
SCED 3720 - Content Area Literacy and Utah Core 2 Credit(s)
Academic 3900/4900 Methods Course(s) 2-3 Credit(s)

Block Courses: Block Application Required (6 Credits)

SCED 3570 - Secondary Classroom Management 3 Credit(s)
SCED 3590 - Instructional Planning, Delivery, and Assessment 3 Credit(s)

Advanced Teacher Education Program Courses (12 Credits)

Registration for student teaching is contingent upon passing any required content area Praxis test(s). (Praxis requirements changed for students in content areas on January 1, 2020. See advisor for current rules.)

SCED 4520 - Practicum/Induction Seminar 3 Credit(s)
SCED 4980 - Secondary Student Teaching 6 Credit(s)
Academic 4980 - Student Teaching 3 Credit(s)

Free Electives (1-30 Credits)

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. For a bachelor’s degree, students must earn a minimum of 40 upper-division credits (courses numbered 3000-4999). Students may need to select additional upper-division courses not included in their major requirements in order to reach this minimum. Please consult your Student Success Advisor for details.

Total Credits, B.A./B.S. Degree: 120

Licensure Notification

This program typically leads to licensure/certification and was designed to meet such qualifications for the state of Utah. Students who are or may be planning to pursue licensure/certification in any other U.S. state or territory may need to meet additional education requirements. This is not a reflection of SUU’s accreditation or quality, as each state and territory regulates their own education requirements for occupational licensure.

Students enrolled in a teacher preparation program may potentially be able to use a Utah educator license to obtain licensure through reciprocity. Additional information may be found through the Department of Teacher Education’s reciprocity table.

An overview of all of SUU’s programs that lead to licensure/certification and the programs’ current determination statuses may be found at www.suu.edu/provost/licensure.html.

Program Learning Outcomes

Undergraduate students who complete the physics program will be able to demonstrate they:

Understand and can utilize the scientific method.
Have attained a firm foundation in the fundamentals and application of current scientific theories within physics.
Are able to carry out, record, and analyze the results of physics experiments.
Are able to use instrumentation, classical techniques, mathematical methods, and modeling to carry out experiments.
Are able to properly record experimental results and develop conclusions from these experiments.
Are able to identify and solve problems within physics.
Are able to use information searching and retrieval methods to obtain relevant information to a topic, technique, or issue related to physics.
Are able to effectively communicate information and scientific data to scientists and non-scientists.
Are ready to pursue and excel in further education or employment opportunities.