UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Degree Requirements

Science Secondary Education, MSE

 Important Notice

The UW-River Falls College of Education and Professional Studies and the Graduate Council are no longer accepting applications for the MSE-Secondary Education, Science Program.

Current students must complete their program of study by December 2013. If you have questions, please contact your adviser.

Degree Requirements

Select biology, chemistry, geology/earth science or physics as an area of specialization. The program consists of 30 semester hours as follows:

12 credits in key concepts core courses
9 credits in science electives (1-2 credit hours courses)
3 credits independent paper/project/research
6 credits in education

Key Concept Core Courses, 12 credits:
BIOL 701 Neuroscience, 4 credits
BIOL 702 Emerging Infectious Diseases, 4 credits
BIOL 703 Field Botany for Teachers, 4 credits
CHEM 705 Chemical Instrumentation and Analysis, 4 credits
CHEM 706 Giant Molecules-The Chemistry of Polymers, 4 credits
CHEM 707 Bioorganic Chemistry Concepts and Activities for Lecture and Laboratory, 4 credits
GEOL 700 Earth Surface Processes, 4 credits
GEOL 703 Minerals Rock, 4 credits
GEOL 704 Atmospheres and Surface Phenomena on Earth and Other Planets, 4 credits
GEOL 705 Field Geology for Teachers, 4 credits
PHYS 700 Mechanics for Secondary School Teachers, 4 credits
PHYS 701 Electricity and Magnetism for Secondary School Teachers, 4 credits
PHYS 704 Modern Physics for Secondary School Teachers, 4 credits

Science Electives (from any discipline), 9 credits:
Students choose from the two-credit science electives in the various disciplines or take additional core courses. Examples of two-credit courses are:

Biology:
Environmental Assessment by Insect Inventory; Evolution for Teachers, Inquiry-based Labs Using C-Fern as a Model System, Biological Image Analysis for Teachers
Chemistry:
Life in Extreme Environments, Organic Chemistry of Compounds from Natural Sources, Chemical Demonstrations
Geology:
Dinosaurs for Teachers, Catastrophes in Earth History, Oceanography for Teachers, Plate Tectonics for Teachers
Physics:
Science in the Ice, Laser Physics for Secondary School Teachers, Astronomy for Secondary School Teachers, Optics for Secondary School Teachers, Acoustics for Secondary School Teachers

Paper/Project/Research, 3 credits:
This component is designed in cooperation with a faculty advisor. There will be opportunities to access research data from UW-Madison as well as UW-River Falls and utilize these data with selected students in special projects in the secondary school setting.

Education, 6 credits:
TED 760 Methods of Research, 3 credits
And one of the following courses:
TED 740 Historical/Philosophical/Multicultural Foundations of American Education, 4 credits
TED 750 Advanced Educational Psychology, 3 credits
TED 755 Social Issues in Education, 3 credits
Completion of a certification portfolio as specified by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.