Earth Space Science Secondary Education Masters Pennsylvania

Impart vital knowledge of Earth's systems to the next generation.

Launch a successful Earth science teaching career with this top-quality graduate program that prepares you to teach grades 7-12 in Pennsylvania. Complete your Level I secondary education certification and master's degree within five semesters - four semesters of courses and one semester of student teaching.

The Earth science education master's program is designed for students with a background in Earth science, but open to bachelor's degree holders in any field.

Gain experience and expertise on a flexible schedule.

Rigorous courses in pedagogy combine with lab-based Earth science classes to give you mastery of discipline-specific teaching skills.

Extensive fieldwork in assigned Pennsylvania classrooms and student teaching make you job-ready.

Online classes, on-site fieldwork and a two-day summer residency enable you to earn your degree while working full time.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: EARTH SCIENCE CERTIFICATION

Top Accreditation: This degree program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In addition, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accredits PennWest California. CAEP promotes excellence in educator preparation through quality assurance and continuous improvement. See CAEP reporting measures of program impact and outcomes.

Over 160 Years of Experience: PennWest California was founded as a teachers college and has a long-standing reputation of producing top-quality educators in Pennsylvania.

Students that need additional coursework to fulfill the Pennsylvania Department of Education Requirements may need to take on-campus courses.

$64K

Average annual salary for secondary education teachers in Pennsylvania. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

15

weeks of full-time student teaching in a real classroom.

Degree Benefits

Before beginning the full-time student teaching component of this program, PennWest California students gain hours of fieldwork in local school districts. This helps them excel in student teaching and stand out in the Earth science education job market.

Study Earth science curriculum development techniques and how to use the Standards Aligned System (SAS).

Learn top strategies in classroom management.
Master classroom technology for the teaching of Earth science.
Deepen your knowledge of astronomy, geology, oceanography, meteorology and other related topics.
Gain real-world teaching experience.

Graduate Outcomes

Graduates of this program are prepared to teach Earth science in middle and high schools. They also thrive as science program coordinators, evaluators, and curriculum specialists. PennWest California secondary education alumni have teaching careers in dozens of schools across the country.

Curriculum, Admission Requirements and Related Programs

This professional graduate degree program is delivered online, on-site through fieldwork and on campus during a two-day summer residency. Our ever-evolving curriculum will deepen your scientific knowledge base while equipping you with the latest theories and practices in Earth science education. All students are required to have current school clearances to participate in field experience and sign up for courses.

Curriculum

Course	Credits
Required Courses
MSE 641 Orientation to 7-12 Education	3
MSE 642 Standards-Based Instruction in 7-12 Education	3
MSE 643 Content Area Literacy	3
MSE 644 Instructional Strategies in 7-12	3
MSE 645 Technology Integration in 7-12 Education	3
MSE 646 Assessments and Interventions	3
MSE 647 Classroom Management in 7-12 Education	3
MSE 653 Methods of Science Teaching 7-12	3
MSE 661 Student Teaching	9

Total Credits	33

Undergraduate Content Course Requirements

Certification requirements for the Pennsylvania Department of Education include appropriate certification testing. A minimum of 30 credits of content area coursework is required. These courses may be taken at the undergraduate level. Students must demonstrate college coursework with a grade of C or higher in:

Astronomy
Geology
Oceanography
Hydrology
Meteorology
Climatology
Historical geography
Geomorphography or tectonics
Earth science elective
Chemistry
Physics
Evidence of lab experiences

Note: Pennsylvania Department of Education requirements are subject to change.

Chapter 49-2

Chapter 49-2 requirements (12 credits) mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education must be met in order to receive certification. Courses may be satisfied with previously taken undergraduate or graduate courses, subject to approval of the program coordinator. Undergraduate 49-2 courses cannot be accepted for the graduate special education add-on certification program for students who later complete that program. If not already completed, the following courses are needed in addition to the requirements above:

ESP 610 Special Education Foundations and Collaboration
ESP 701 Introduction to Behavior Analysis
ESP 613 Evidence-based Practices in Secondary Inclusion
EDU 650 Supporting the English Language Learner

Student Teaching

Applications for spring student teaching are due October 1. Applications for fall student teaching are due April 1.

Student teaching requirements include:

A GPA of 3.0 or higher for all courses, including undergraduate content course requirements
A grade of C or higher for all required courses
Completion of all required courses prior to student teaching
Required clearances
No incomplete (I) grades
Passing of required Praxis tests
TB tests
Liability insurance
Education requirements, such as seminars and portfolios

Program Notes

The summer courses require a two-day residency in July.
Clearances are required at all times throughout the program and must be updated every July.
LiveText Watermark software is required for this program.

VIEW COHORT SEQUENCES

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission Requirements

Bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.80 or higher (Students with a GPA below 2.80 may apply for conditional admission)
Official transcripts from an accredited undergraduate institution

Conditional Admission Requirements

Conditional Admission may be granted with the following modifications of the Regular Admissions Requirements:

Bachelor's degree with a GPA under 2.80 will be reviewed for a decision

Provisional Admission:
Applicants who have provided unofficial documentation of test scores, prerequisite courses, transcripts or lack of letter(s) of recommendation may be admitted provisionally.

This policy also applies to undergraduate students who apply for graduate admission pending bachelor degree completion. Upon receipt of all official documents, a student will be changed from Provisional Admission to either Regular Admission or Conditional Admission. Provisional Admission students may take classes for one term but will not be eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

Program Requirements

Depending on the area of certification chosen, the department will provide guidance if any foundation undergraduate courses need to be completed before applying for student teaching
Clearances: Students are responsible for updating clearances annually through the Office of Field Experience. In addition, clearances must be on file before applying for student teaching - Acts 24, 34, 114, and 151

How to Apply:

Complete the Graduate School Application
Submit the nonrefundable $35 Application Fee
Mail official transcript to:

School of Graduate Studies and Research
PennWest California
Box 91
250 University Ave.
California, PA 15419

For additional information:
Email: GradAdmissions@pennwest.edu
Phone: 724-938-4187

Out of State Students:
All students who will be seeking certification outside of Pennsylvania are responsible for securing and following the certification requirements in the state in which they intend to apply for certification.

Related Programs

Land a Job Before Graduation

If offered a teaching job while enrolled in the Earth science secondary education master's degree program, you can apply for the Teacher Intern Certification program. This allows you to work full-time as a teacher before certification, and use your job to fulfill field placement requirements.

Course Spotlight: Methods of Science Education

Help middle and high school students comprehend key principles while igniting their wonder for the natural world. In this course you'll learn proven methods for the teaching of science.

Faculty Know-How

Learn best practices in teaching from faculty members who have worked in secondary education classrooms. You'll benefit from the know-how of professors like Dr. Marcia Hoover who, in addition to teaching in P-12 classrooms, has served as a consultant to faculty in developing instructional uses of technology in education.