Physics Education Major
Major Requirements
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S. Minimum Credits Required: 120
University Degree Requirements
For complete details on these and other university degree requirements, refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section in the University Catalog.
- Minimum of 120 semester credits (some programs may exceed this minimum).
- Complete the University General Education requirements.
- Minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
- Minimum of 30 credits in resident at NDSU.
- Minimum of 36 upper level credits (courses numbered 300 or higher).
- Students with transfer credit must meet the NDSU 30 credits in residence (#4). Of these 30 credits in residence, a minimum of 15 credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 credits must be in the student's declared major curricula.
University General Education Requirements
A list of university approved general education courses along with the administrative policies governing the requirement and the categories is available here.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Category C: Communication | 12 | |
| Category R: Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | |
| Category S: Science and Technology | 10 | |
| Category A: Humanities and Fine Arts | 6 | |
| Category B: Social and Behavioral Sciences | 6 | |
| Category W: Wellness | 2 | |
| Category D: Cultural Diversity | ||
| Category G: Global Perspectives | ||
| Category L: Digital Literacy | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Specialty Requirements | ||
| BIOL 150 & 150L | General Biology I and General Biology I Laboratory | 4 |
| Pick an introductory chemistry sequence (A or B): | 8 | |
| Sequence A: | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | ||
| Sequence B: | ||
| Principles of Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Principles of Chemistry II and Principles of Chemistry Laboratory II | ||
| ENGL 324 | Writing in the Sciences | 3 |
| Select one of the following geology courses and lab: | 4 | |
| Physical Geology and Physical Geology Lab | ||
| The Earth Through Time and The Earth Through Time Lab | ||
| Select one of the following algebra courses: | 3 | |
| Basic Linear Algebra | ||
| Intermediate Linear Algebra | ||
| MATH 165 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 166 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 265 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MATH 266 | Introduction to Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYS 110 | Introductory Astronomy | 3 |
| PHYS 171 | Introductory Projects in Physics | 1 |
| PHYS 251 & 251L | University Physics I and University Physics I Laboratory | 5 |
| PHYS 252 & 252L | University Physics II and University Physics II Laboratory | 5 |
| PHYS 350 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 355 | Classical Mechanics (or PHYS 330: Intermediate Mechanics (MSUM)) | 3 |
| PHYS 361 | Electromagnetic Theory (or PHYS370: Electromagnetic Theory (MSUM)) | 3 |
| PHYS 411 & 411L | Optics for Scientists & Engineers and Optics for Scientists and Engineers Lab | 4 |
| PHYS 462 | Thermal and Statistical Physics | 3 |
| Professional Education Requirements | ||
| EDUC 321 | Introduction to Teaching | 3 |
| EDUC 322 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDUC 451 | Instructional Planning, Methods and Assessment | 3 |
| EDUC 481 | Classroom Practice Methods of Teaching I: (Science) | 3 |
| EDUC 482 | Classroom Practice/Methods of Teaching II: (Science) | 3 |
| EDUC 485 | Student Teaching Seminar | 1 |
| EDUC 486 | Classroom Management for Diverse Learners | 3 |
| EDUC 487 | Student Teaching | 9 |
| EDUC 488 | Applied Student Teaching | 3 |
| EDUC 489 | Teaching Students of Diverse Backgrounds | 3 |
| Total Credits | 101 | |
Degree Requirements and Notes
- See School of Education for admission requirements.
- Courses taken P/F may not be used to satisfy any requirements.
- A grade of ‘C’ or better is required in all professional education courses.
- To be placed in student teaching, a 2.75 cumulative GPA and a 2.75 GPA in professional education coursework is required.
- To exit the program, a 2.75 cumulative GPA and a 2.75 GPA in professional education coursework is required as well as completing the Praxis Subject test and the Principles of Learning and Teaching test.
- Adding Mathematics as an additional teacher licensure area can be accomplished with 6 additional credit hours. See your academic advisor for details.