Environmental Science, BS - Grades 4-8 Science Education Concentration

Program Description

Introduction

The College of Science is committed to the support of students seeking to become science, mathematics and technology educators at all levels. The Science, Mathematics and Technology Education (SMTE) program offers content courses for students seeking K-12 science, mathematics and technology education. SMTE classes are also an integral part of the course work for degrees preparing students for Teacher Certifications. The SMTE program does not offer a degree; rather, degrees leading to Teacher Certification are offered by other Science programs and by the College of Education and Human Development. Students seeking to teach in the elementary and secondary schools of Texas must meet degree requirements as well as certification requirements. The requirements and procedure to become a science, mathematics or technology teacher in Texas are outlined below. 

How to Become a Science, Mathematics or Technology Teacher in Texas

In order to be recommended for teacher certification at this university, a candidate must fulfill three basic requirements:

1. have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university that includes an academic major and teacher training courses,
2. complete teacher training through an approved program, and
3. successfully complete the appropriate teacher certification tests for the subject and grade level that the candidate wishes to teach.

Additional information on the requirements to become a teacher in Texas can be obtained at the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) website: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/certinfo/becometeacher.asp. This website also provides information on the resources available to help students pay for a teacher training program.

SBEC has approved three levels of teacher certification for regular educators:

1. Early childhood to grade 6 which includes foundation subjects and enrichment areas such as art, PE, and music,
2. Grade 4-8 which includes the foundation areas only, and
3. Grade 7-12 certification.

Students can find information on the different certifications at the official Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) Web site: http://www.texes.ets.org. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi offers several degrees leading to a number of these teacher certifications. The College of Education and Human Development offers several degrees leading to teacher certification. The College of Science offers bachelor’s degrees leading to teacher certification in the sciences, mathematics and technology at the 4-8 and the 7-12 levels. These bachelor’s degrees are the following:

• Biology, BS - Grades 7-12 Life Science Education Concentration (120-122 sem. hrs.)
• Chemistry, BS - Grades 7-12 Physical Science Education Concentration (126-128 sem. hrs.)
• Environmental Science, BS - Grades 4-8 Science Education Concentration (125-130 sem. hrs.) Details immediately follow below.
• Elementary Education, BS - Grades 4-8 with Mathematics Certification (College of Education and Human Development)
• Mathematics, BS - Grades 7-12 Mathematics Education Concentration (120 sem. hrs.)

Mathematics 7-12 teacher certification is also possible with an undergraduate major other than mathematics. Details can be found in the Mathematics, Grades 7-12 Teacher Certification Without a Mathematics Major section.

The individual programs, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Mathematics offer these degrees and courses.

Students seeking Teacher Certification are also strongly urged to contact the Certification Officer in the College of Education and Human Development about current requirements and procedures that must be met to obtain the certificate. In particular, students following a degree plan leading to teacher certification must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi prior to enrolling in any 4000 level EDCI or EDUC courses. Application forms for admission to the teacher education program may be obtained from the Undergraduate or Certification Office, room FC 201. The students are referred to the College of Education and Human Development section of this catalog for more information on the Teacher Education Program.

Grade Point Average for Admission to Teacher Education

A minimum grade point average of 2.75 (4.0 = A) in all work attempted, a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in all science, math, or specialization areas, and no grade below “C” in any science or mathematics course on a student’s degree plan and/or education courses within the teacher education core block of courses are required. (See College of Education and Human Development, “Admission to Teacher Education” and “Admission to Student Teaching” for other requirements.)

Alteration of a Certification Plan

Any amendment to a degree plan originally filed must be approved by the student’s academic advisor, the Department Chair, the Dean of the College of Science, and the Certification Officer of the College of Education and Human Development for the degree to be granted.

General Requirements

The minimum requirement for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science with a science education concentration is a total of 120 hours. The concentration is designed for those students who plan on obtaining a 4-8 Science certificate. The degree requirements are divided among the following areas:

¹

Full-time, first time in college students are required to take university seminar.

• USSE 1201 University Seminar (2 sch)

²

Science Content Courses have a range between 38-41 hours.

Program Requirements

¹

Only BIOL 1406 Biology I (4 sch) (4 hours),  CHEM 1411 General Chemistry I (4 sch) (4 hours) and ESCI 1401 Environmental Science I: Intro to Environmental Science (4 sch) (3 hours) are counted in the University Core. The 1-hour laboratory component of ESCI 1401 Environmental Science I: Intro to Environmental Science (4 sch) will be counted in the major requirements rather than the University Core.

*

Online offering

^

Blended offering

Teacher Education Core Requirements

Students who seek a 4-8 level Science teaching certificate should contact a Certification Officer in the College of Education and Human Development about requirements and procedures that must be met to obtain the certificate. The teacher education core must be taken in a specific order and it is recommended that students contact the College of Education and Human Development early in their academic careers for specific details on these courses. 

Course Sequencing

Courses