Physical Sciences - Chemistry and Teacher Certification Concentration, BS

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Program Title update pending THECB approval.

Major in Physical Sciences

The Bachelor of Science in Physical Sciences provides both a broad-based curriculum in the liberal arts and a specific set of courses in the natural sciences designed to meet the personal and career goals and interests of the student. This degree is especially appropriate for students interested in multidisciplinary areas such as environmental science, earth/geological science, forensic science, life science, medical technology, public health, science education, and any health-related program that requires a bachelor’s degree for entry into a particular graduate program. Students interested in careers in teaching can pursue a B.S. in Physical Sciences with a Concentration in either Chemistry and Teacher Certification or Geoscience and Teacher Certification. Students in the BS in Physical Sciences with Concentration in Chemistry and Teacher Certification will be advised to take 16 hours of upper-level science in one area (24 hours total in one area) so they can meet course requirements for teaching specialization in that area.

Degree Requirements

Texas Common Core Requirements

See listing under Common Core Requirements in this catalog.

Preparatory Requirements

MATH 1301 - College Algebra (reusable from the core)
- Complete 2 Courses in Written Communication from the Integrated Requirement List (reusable from any area of the degree requirements)
- Complete one course in Ethics from the Integrated Requirement List (reusable from any area of the degree requirements)

Major Requirements

(Note that students must complete the Upper-Level Geoscience Requirements applied to the Major Area with a 2.0 GPA or better. 18 of these Upper-Level Geoscience SCHs must be completed at UHD).

- Complete at least 4 SCHs from the following list (reusable from any area of the degree requirements)
MATH 2401 - Calculus I
MATH 2411 - Calculus I for the Natural Sciences
CS 1411 - Introduction to Computer Science with Python
CHEM 1307 - General Chemistry I
CHEM 1107 - General Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 1308 - General Chemistry II
CHEM 1108 - General Chemistry Laboratory II
GEOL 1305 - Physical Geology
GEOL 1105 - Physical Geology Laboratory
GEOL 1306 - Historical Geology
GEOL 1106 - Historical Geology Laboratory
PHYS 1307 - General Physics I
PHYS 1107 - General Physics Laboratory I
or
PHYS 2401 - Physics I
PHYS 2101 - Physics Laboratory I
PHYS 1308 - General Physics II
PHYS 1108 - General Physics Laboratory II
or
PHYS 2402 - Physics II
PHYS 2102 - Physics Laboratory II

Required Lower-Level Chemistry Courses:

Upper-Level Requirements

Forty-four hours, of which at least 30 hours must be in the upper-level natural sciences, (biology, chemistry, geology, microbiology, and physics) with a minimum of 15 hours in a single discipline. A minimum grade point average in natural sciences courses of 2.0 or better. At least 18 of these hours must be taken at UHD. At least 7-8 hours must be in 4000-level natural sciences lecture courses with at least one laboratory course. Field experience or thesis credit cannot be used to satisfy this 4000-level requirement.

Required Upper-Level Chemistry Courses:

The student may select any 10 hours of the following courses to satisfy the writing and ethics learning outcomes. The selection must include a laboratory course or undergraduate research.

CHEM 3300 - Undergraduate Research
CHEM 3320 - Environmental Chemistry ²
CHEM 4101 - Forensics Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 4140 - General Biochemistry Lab I ¹
CHEM 4164 - Polymer Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 4301 - Forensic Chemistry ²
CHEM 4340 - General Biochemistry I
CHEM 4342 - General Biochemistry II
CHEM 4344 - Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology ²
CHEM 4360 - Industrial Organic Chemistry
CHEM 4364 - Polymer Chemistry 1
- 12 Additional SCHs in Upper-Level Natural Sciences

Secondary Education:

PED 3301 - Introduction to Special Populations
READ 3309 - Teaching Reading in the Content Areas 4-12 (prerequisite of READ 3305 does not apply to 8-12 certification).

Professional Development Courses:

PED 3305 - Understanding the Early Childhood through Twelfth Grade Learner (Note: at least one semester prior to taking PED 3305 , students should take all three sections of the THEA and submit the “Form to request admission to the 8-12 teacher certification program” to the Department of Urban Education).
PED 4380 - Field Experience in Urban Public School Classrooms
PED 4381 - Field Experience in Urban Public School Classrooms II
SED 3307 - Secondary Teacher roles in Assessment and Profession
SED 3312 - Organizing and Managing the Classroom Environment in the Secondary School
SED 3316 - Secondary Social Studies Methods

Student Teaching:

Free Electives:

Complete the necessary academic courses so that the total number of SCHs, including the above, totals 120 SCHs.

Teacher Certification Checklist:

Undergraduate degree plan completed
TexES Content test passed
TexES PPR test passed
A cumulative GPA of 2.5 (undergraduate degree)