Chemistry Major: Science Education (Grades 4-12) Concentration - Bachelor of Science (BS)
The Chemistry Education Program at UW-La Crosse is part of the Secondary Teacher Education Preparation (STEP) program and approved by the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI). This program includes the course work and classroom experiences necessary to satisfy the requirements for a Science, grades 4-12 (2600) teaching license in the state of Wisconsin.
Completion of the Chemistry: Science Education Concentration Program and associated benchmark assessments will lead to endorsement for the following Wisconsin teaching license:
- Middle and High School Science, grades 4-12 (2600).
Students in all teacher education programs must satisfy the School of Education (SOE) core requirements.
Students in all teacher education programs must be admitted to the School of Education to complete their program requirements and be eligible for endorsement for the appropriate teaching license(s). Students majoring in chemistry: science education (grades 4-12) must meet specific program admission criteria.
Retention and advancement
Curriculum
The Chemistry: Science Education Concentration Program is aligned with Wisconsin Teacher Standards and the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Standards.
Required general education courses (18 credits)
Besides the courses specified below, chemistry: science education concentration majors must satisfy additional general education requirements. The General Education Program requires a minimum of 41 credits.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDS 203 | Foundations of Education 1, 2 | 3 |
| EDS 206 | Society and Schools 1, 3 | 3 |
| MTH 207 | Calculus I 4 | 4 |
| GEO 200 | Conservation of Global Environments 5 | 3 |
| CHM 103 | General Chemistry I 6 | 5 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
Satisfies an SOE core requirement.
- 2
Counts toward General Education Program requirement: Social and Behavioral Studies (GEN ED 1009).
- 3
Counts toward General Education Program requirement: Ethnic Diversity (GED ED 1005).
- 4
Counts toward General Education Program requirement: Quantitative Reasoning (GEN ED 1004). Also counts toward chemistry major content requirements.
- 5
Counts toward General Education Program requirement: The Planet That Sustains Us (GEN ED 1012). Also satisfies both a science education core requirement and a WI statutory requirement for a teaching license in Science (2600).
- 6
Counts toward General Education Program requirement: Experiential Science (GEN ED 1008). Also satisfies a science education core requirement.
Science education core requirements (54 credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Allied courses not requiring admission to the School of Education | ||
| EDS 309 | Global Perspectives in Education 7 | 3 |
| PSY 212 | Lifespan Development 1 | 3 |
| SPE 200 | Foundations of Special Education 1 | 3 |
| Content courses not requiring admission to the School of Education | ||
| BIO 105 | General Biology | 4 |
| BIO 203 | Organismal Biology | 4 |
| CHM 104 | General Chemistry II 8 | 5 |
| GEO 101 | Earth Environments | 4 |
| Select one of the following: 8 | 4 | |
| Fundamental Physics I | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| Select one of the following: 8 | 4 | |
| Fundamental Physics II | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Courses requiring admission to the School of Education 1 | ||
| CHM 451 | Curriculum and Content in Science and Mathematics | 2 |
| CHM 452 | The Learner and Learning in Science | 2 |
| CHM 454 | Field Experience I in Science Education | 2 |
| CHM 455 | Field Experience II in Science Education | 2 |
| Student teaching semester | ||
| Demonstrate content knowledge through benchmark assessment prior to student teaching 9 | ||
| EDS 492 | Student Teaching Seminar 1 | 1 |
| One of the following: 1 | 11 | |
| Student Teaching: Middle/High School Education (4-12) | ||
| Teaching Internship | ||
| Total Credits | 54 | |
Chemistry major content requirements (22-25 credits)
Besides the below, additional courses count toward this requirement. However, they also satisfy other requirements in the program. The relevant courses are marked in those sections.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHM 271 | The Chemical Community | 1 |
| CHM 301 | Analytical Chemistry | 5 |
| CHM 309 | Physical Chemistry Theory I | 3 |
| Organic chemistry | 5-8 | |
| Select one of the following options: | ||
| Option A (8 credits) | ||
| Organic Chemistry Theory I and Organic Chemistry Theory II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Option B (7 credits) | ||
| Organic Chemistry Theory I and Organic Chemistry Theory II and Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Option C (5 credits) | ||
| Fundamental Organic Chemistry and Fundamental Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Math requirements | ||
| MTH 208 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MTH 310 | Calculus III: Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| Total Credits | 22-25 | |
- 7
Counts toward General Education Program requirement: The Cultures of Our World (GEN ED 1013).
- 8
Satisfies a chemistry major content requirement.
- 9
Must complete all course requirements and other benchmarks prior to student teaching. See SOE's benchmark assessments website for information about these assessments. For more information on student teaching, please see the Student Teaching and Internship Policy.
Survey requirement
Each student must complete a programmatic assessment survey. Each student will be contacted prior to graduation by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry with information on how to complete the requirement.
Additional teacher education requirements are listed on the School of Education catalog page.
All teacher education students must complete the general education, School of Education, major/minor, and university degree requirements in order to qualify for a degree. The easiest way to track all of these requirements is to refer to the Advisement Report (AR) found in the Student Information System (WINGS) Student Center. All enrolled students have access to the AR.
Baccalaureate degree requirements
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degrees must accomplish the following:
- Fulfill the general education requirements.
- Complete at least one ethnic studies (diversity) course.
- Complete the courses prescribed by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for the degree desired in the respective school or college.
- Earn a minimum of 120 semester credits with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA.1, 2
- At least 40 credits must be earned in 300/400 level courses. Transfer courses earned or transferred at the 300/400 level apply to this requirement.
- Complete major and minor requirements with at least a 2.00 GPA1, 2 in each major and minor (and concentration or emphasis, if selected).
- A minimum of 30 semester credits in residence at UWL is required for graduation. (See undergraduate resident requirement.)
- Submit an application for graduation via the "Submit Intent to Graduate" link in the WINGS Student Center as soon as the student has registered for his or her final semester or summer term in residence. December and winter intersession graduates should apply by May 1. May and summer graduates should apply by December 1.
- 1
Grade point average requirements for some programs will be considerably higher than 2.00. Re-entering students may be required to earn credits in excess of the 120 needed for graduation in any curriculum in order to replace credits earned in courses in which the content has changed substantially in recent years. Each case will be judged on its own merit.
- 2
The grade point average recorded at the time the degree is awarded will not be affected by future enrollment.
No degree will be awarded unless all requirements are fulfilled and recorded within 30 days after the official ending date of each term.
Below is a sample degree plan that can be used as a guide to identify courses required to fulfill the major and other requirements needed for degree completion. A student's actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Also, this sample plan assumes readiness for each course and/or major plan, and some courses may not be offered every term. Review the course descriptions or the class timetable for course offering information.
The sample degree plans represented in this catalog are intended for first-year students entering UWL in the fall term. Students should use the Advisement Report (AR) in WINGS and work closely with their faculty advisor(s) and college dean’s office to ensure declaration and completion of all requirements in a timely manner.
General Education Program
The general education curriculum (Gen Ed) is the common educational experience for all undergraduates at UWL. Sample degree plans include Gen Ed placeholders to ensure completion of the general education requirements. Courses may be rearranged to fit the needs or recommendations of the student’s program of study. Gen Ed courses may be taken during winter term (January between the semesters) and summer to reduce the course load during regular terms (fall and spring). Students should consult with their advisor and/or the college academic services director in their college/school for assistance with course and schedule planning. Refer to the general education requirements for more specific details.
At least 40 credits of the 120 credits required must be earned at the 300/400-level.
Note: New students and transfer students with less than 12 credits earned are required to take FYS 100 First-Year Seminar (3 cr.) during one of their first two semesters at UWL.
This sample degree plan does not establish a contractual agreement. It identifies the minimum requirements a student must successfully complete, to qualify for a degree, in a format intended to assist the student in planning their academic career. Actual degree plans may differ.
| Year 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| EDS 203 (Gen Ed 1009 Social and Behavioral Studies) | 3 | CHM 104 | 5 |
| CHM 103 (Gen Ed 1008 Experiential Science) | 5 | EDS 206 (Gen Ed 1005 Ethnic Diversity) | 3 |
| MTH 207 (Gen Ed 1004 Quantitative Reasoning) | 4 | MTH 208 | 4 |
| FYS 100 (Gen Ed 1001 First-Year Seminar) | 3 | ENG 110 (Gen Ed 1002 Written Literacy) | 3 |
| Gen Ed 1007 Arts and Aesthetics | 2 | ||
| 15 | 17 | ||
| Year 2 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHM 302 | 1 | PSY 212 | 3 |
| CHM 300 | 4 | PHY 104 or 204 | 4 |
| CST 110 (Gen Ed 1003 Spoken Literacy) | 3 | CHM 301 | 5 |
| GEO 200 (Gen Ed 1012 Planet That Sustains Us) | 3 | BIO 105 | 4 |
| PHY 103 or 203 | 4 | ||
| University Elective | 1 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Year 3 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SPE 200 | 3 | CHM 454 | 2 |
| BIO 203 | 4 | CHM 451 | 2 |
| GEO 101 | 4 | EDS 309 (Gen Ed 1013 Cultures of Our World) | 3 |
| MTH 310 | 4 | Gen Ed 1011 Pasts That Define Us | 3 |
| CHM 271 | 1 | Gen Ed 1007 Arts and Aesthetics | 2 |
| Apply for admission to SOE1 | University Elective | 3 | |
| Apply for Field Experience I2 | Apply for Field Experience II2 | ||
| Apply for Student Teaching3 | |||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Year 4 | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHM 455 | 2 | All course requirements and other benchmarks must be completed prior to student teaching.4 | |
| CHM 452 | 2 | EDS 492 | 1 |
| CHM 309 | 3 | EDS 496 | 11 |
| Gen Ed 1006 Mind and Body | 3 | Exam and Survey Requirement5 | |
| Gen Ed 1010 Stories We Tell | 3 | ||
| 13 | 12 | ||
| Total Credits: 120 | |||
- 1
See the SOE admissions website for complete admission and application details. Students will be required to complete a criminal background check at the time of application for admission.
- 2
Students applying for field and student teaching placements will be asked to disclose any criminal charges.
- 3
Students must apply for student teaching through the Office of Field Experience one year prior to the student teaching semester.
- 4
For more information, please see the Student Teaching and Internship Policy.
- 5
Survey Requirement - Each student must complete a Programmatic Assessment Survey. Each student will be contacted prior to graduation by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry with information on how to complete the requirement.