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 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 license. A “C-” or lower grade will require that the course be repeated.

Degree Requirements

Program: BA-PHYS-A

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.

I. Courses in Physics Major for Teacher Licensure (66)

A. Core Courses

BIOL-14000Molecular and Cellular Sciences for Secondary Educators

1

BIOL-14200Environmental Science for Secondary Educators

1

BIOL-14400Fundamentals of Earth Science

1

CHEM-11000General Chemistry 1

4

CHEM-11100General Chemistry 1 Lab

1

CHEM-11500General Chemistry 2

4

CHEM-11600General Chemistry 2 Lab

1

MATH-20000Calculus 1

4

MATH-20100Calculus 2

4

MATH-25000Calculus 3

4

MATH-30000Differential Equations

3

PHYS-14000Fundamentals of Space Science

1

PHYS-21000General Physics 1

3

PHYS-21100General Physics 1 Lab

1

PHYS-21500General Physics 2

3

PHYS-21600General Physics 2 Lab

1

PHYS-21800General Physics 3

3

PHYS-21900General Physics 3 Lab

1

PHYS-29600Research Methods Seminar

1

PHYS-30000Mechanics

4

PHYS-34100Modern Physics

3

PHYS-36500Intermediate Physics Laboratory

3

PHYS-46500Capstone Project

1

PHYS-49600Physics Seminar

1

B. Select one of the following courses:

PHYS-31000Electricity and Magnetism

4

PHYS-31100Analog and Digital Electronics

4

C. Select one of the following Mathematics courses:

MATH-30500Linear Algebra

3

MATH-30700Applied Linear Algebra

3

MATH-31400Applied Probability and Statistics

3

MATH-31500Probability and Theory

3

D. Select one Computation course:

MATH-42500Mathematical Modeling

3

CPSC-20000Introduction to Computer Science

3

CPSC-31500Scientific Computing

3

MATH 42500 cannot be used to satisfy both this requirement and the Mathematics minor requirements.

E. Select at least two additional credit hours from the following courses:

MATH-30700Applied Linear Algebra

3

MATH-31400Applied Probability and Statistics

3

MATH-31500Probability and Theory

3

MATH-32000Theories of Geometry

3

MATH-33000History of Mathematics 1

3

MATH-33100History of Mathematics 2

3

MATH-42500Mathematical Modeling

3

PHYS-30600Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences

2

PHYS-31100Analog and Digital Electronics

4

PHYS-31800Optics

4

PHYS-34200Applied Modern Physics: Atoms, Molecules, and Condensed Matter

2

PHYS-34300Applied Modern Physics: Nuclear and Particle Physics

2

PHYS-37100Workshop in Physics

1-2

PHYS-40100Computational Mechanics

2

PHYS-41100Computational Electrodynamics

2

PHYS-47000Undergraduate Research

1-6

PHYS-49800Special Topics in Physics

1-4

Mathematics minors cannot use any 30000 or 40000 level Mathematics course to satisfy both this requirement and a Mathematics minor requirement.

F. Advanced Writing Requirement

The advanced writing requirement of the General Education curriculum is satisfied by successful completion of:
PHYS-29600Research Methods Seminar

1

PHYS-36500Intermediate Physics Laboratory

3

PHYS-46500Capstone Project

1

II. Please see Secondary Education / Bachelor of Arts for required Education courses.