Physics Major for the High School Teaching License (9-12) / Bachelor of Arts
Total Credit Hours: 128
Major Credit Hours: 66
The Department of Physics features a fully approved Physics program that prepares candidates to teach grades 9-12 in Illinois public and private schools. The program is approved by the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education and includes all the requirements for a major in Physics. Physics majors must declare majors in both Physics and Secondary Education. See advisors in the Department of Physics and College of Education for specific approval and a list of required courses.
Teacher Candidates seeking a Professional Educator License with a Physics Endorsement must complete all requirements of the College of Education (College of Education) and the following coursework in the content area as well as professional education courses. For a detailed description of the courses, please click on the appropriate link. Only grades of “C” and above are acceptable in professional education courses and in any courses counted toward any endorsement or certificate. A “C-” or lower grade will require that the course be repeated.
Degree Requirements
Department of Physics Policies:
At least 85% of content course grades must be at the level of “C+” or better. A grade of "C-" or better must be earned in a prerequisite course in order to advance to the next course in the sequence; however, students may have to retake courses in order to meet the grade requirements of the Secondary Education Program. Physics majors and minors may take a Physics class only two times. If a student has not achieved a minimum of a "C-" after the second attempt, the student may not repeat the class. Physics majors may not double major in Chemical Physics.
I. Courses in Physics Major for Teacher Licensure (66)
A. Core Courses
B. Select one of the following courses:
| 17-310 | Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| 17-311 | Analog and Digital Electronics | 4 |
C. Select one of the following Mathematics courses:
D. Select one Computation course:
| 13-425 | Mathematical Modeling | 3 |
| 70-200 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 |
| 70-315 | Scientific Computing | 3 |
13-425 cannot be used to satisfy this requirement and the Mathematics minor requirements.
E. Select at least two additional credit hours from the following courses:
| 13-305 | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| 13-315 | Probability and Statistics I | 3 |
| 13-320 | Theories of Geometry | 3 |
| 13-330 | History of Mathematics I | 3 |
| 13-331 | History of Mathematics II | 3 |
| 13-425 | Mathematical Modeling | 3 |
| 17-306 | Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences | 2 |
| 17-311 | Analog and Digital Electronics | 4 |
| 17-318 | Optics | 4 |
| 17-342 | Applied Modern Physics: Atoms, Molecules, and Condensed Matter | 2 |
| 17-343 | Applied Modern Physics: Nuclear and Particle Physics | 2 |
| 17-371 | Workshop in Physics | 1-2 |
| 17-401 | Computational Mechanics | 2 |
| 17-411 | Computational Electrodynamics | 2 |
| 17-470 | Undergraduate Research | 1-6 |
| 17-498 | Special Topics in Physics | 1-4 |
Mathematics minors cannot use any 300- or 400-level Mathematics course to satisfy both this requirement and a Mathematics minor requirement.
F. The advanced writing requirement is satisfied for Physics majors by successful completion of 17-296 Research Methods Seminar, 17-365 Intermediate Physics Lab, and 17-465 Capstone Project.
II. Please see Secondary Education / Bachelor of Arts for required Education courses.