Total credit hours: 36
Education Requirements (6 Credits)
EDHD 609 Research Methods and Applications (3)
Examines research methodology, tools, and resources available to the educational practitioner with specific emphasis on the use of quantitative and qualitative research in problem identification and resolution. Enables students to identify and apply relevant research to persistent or emerging problems and to develop appropriate assessment tools and techniques for ongoing educational activities.
EDCI 686 Methods of Science Teaching (3)
A workshop-approach modeling recommended practices for teaching science as outlined by the National Science Education Standards. Curriculum topics are consistent with the endorsement levels of the students enrolled.
3-15 Credits From the Following:
EDCI 600 Classroom Management and Instructional Methodology (3)*
Focuses on research-based, scientifically-validated strategies for teaching, managing, and motivating students in classrooms and the schools. The course assists with the conceptuaization, measurement, and improvement of classroom performance and management for grades K-12, in order to effectively impact, assess, and improve instruction and student academic performance and behavior.
EDCI 606 Effective Instructional Strategies (3)*
Focuses on research-based, scientifically-validated strategies for teaching students in the schools. The course assists with the conceptualization, measurement, and improvement of classroom performance and management for grades K-12 and features a variety of organizational patterns and practices, approaches to instruction and their impact on students’ learning, and instruments for evaluating teacher behavior in specific contexts.
EDCI 617 Foundations and Curriculum (3)*
Provides opportunities for future teachers to expand their ability to inquire, explore, engage, conclude and persuade in the foundations and curriculum of American education. The course explores historical, philosophical, sociological, and legal foundations and curriculum of public education. This course is designed to assist teachers in the decision-making processes necessary to implement a standards-based curriculum and both a formative and summative assessment process of curricular initiatives. There is also a focus on contemporary curricular issues and innovations as well as school culture.
EDHD 602 Human Development (3)*
Focuses on the development of the individual from conception through intricate changes of growth and aging over the life span, including information about scientific discoveries and personal insights throughout life.
RDNG 672 Reading and Study Skills in the Content Area (3)*
Methods, materials, and organizational patterns for reading and writing as a means to access text in content area texts and coursework. Reading strategies and study skills are improved to maximize learning for all students through effective use of course materials.
SPED 600 Survey of Special Education (3)
Provides an overview of the special education field. Particular attention is given to federal and state rules and regulations that govern implementation of special services, basic knowledge relating to disability characteristics and causes, and current trends in special education (e.g., the issue of inclusion and accommodation of special learners in general education settings). Note: This course (or its equivalent) is prerequisite to all other courses in special education.
* Course is required for those seeking teaching licensure from the state
of Virginia
Science Courses From the Following (15-27 Credits)
To be selected in consultation with an advisor and may include 18-hour concentrations in biology (selected from ecourses listed below), earth science, or mathematics (see below) with additional approved electives.
ENVS 650 Water Quality also meets the requirements for three credits within the 18-credit biology sequence.
BIOL 605 Topics in Botany (4)
Focuses on aspects of plant biology emphasized in K-12 curricula. Plant life cycles, functional anatomy, photosynthesis, ecology, and other topics as appropriate will be examined in detail. Laboratory experiences and projects provide students with opportunities to design and present educational activities adaptable to the classroom.
BIOL 620 Human Anatomy (3)
A cadaver-based study of human anatomy focusing on learning human anatomical terminology, and interrelationships of bones, joints, muscles, nerves, and blood supply to all regions of the human body, using dissected human cadavers, digital human dissection simulations, digital and text images, and structural models.
BIOL 623 Applied Genetics (3)
Basic concepts and principles of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genetics are discussed, including Mendelian inheritance, polygenic inheritance, linkage and mapping, chromosome aberrations, population genetics, DNA structure and replication, gene expression, mutation, gene regulation, recombinant DNA technology, and the molecular basis of disease. Special emphasis is placed on improving laboratory skills of biology teachers at middle and high school levels.
BIOL 630 Physiology: Cells to Function (3)
Exploration of the cellular basis of physiological function in vertebrates, primarily humans. Case studies and past/present clinical examples are frequently used.
BIOL 641 Applied Ecology (3)
Survey of general ecological principles from an evolutionary perspective, incorporating the three major levels of ecological study: ecosystem, community, and population. Special emphasis is placed on improving the laboratory and field skills of middle and high school-level biology and earth science teachers.
BIOL 669 Special Topics in Biology (3)
Intensive study of a problem or topic in biology. Topic varies according to professor and term offered.
BIOL 670 Independent Study in Biology
Provides for the pursuit of individual interest and projects not covered in existing courses. May be repeated if subjects of study vary. Requires approval of the dean of the School of Sciences.
ENVS 600 Concepts in Earth and Environmental Science (3)
Focuses on a variety of specific earth and environmental science content, concepts, and laboratory and field skills that teachers are required to address when teaching earth science at the middle and high school levels. Topics include plate tectonics, the rock cycle, Earth’s history, oceans, atmosphere, weather and climate, the solar system and universe, and land and water resource issues.
ENVS 610 Astronomy (3)
Addresses topics in modern astronomy from the solar system to the wider universe and to ultimate cosmological questions. The emphasis is on easily observed celestial phenomena and understanding their significance, current discoveries coming from interplanetary missions and what they tell us about our own planet, and the latest discoveries and speculations in astrophysics and cosmology. Relevant course content will be adapted by students into lessons and activities suitable for public schools and other educational settings.
ENVS 631 Environmental Hydrology (3)
This course covers the fundamentals of surface and subsurface water flow and transport, emphasizing the role of groundwater in the hydrologic cycle, the relation of surface and groundwater flow to geologic structure, and the characterization of contaminants in surface and subsurface water. Special emphasis will be placed on improving the laboratory and field skills of middle and high school level biology and earth science teachers.
ENVS 645 Practical Meteorology (3)
This course covers all key aspects of meteorology ranging from basic atmospheric processes to human induced climate change. Various weather events, tropical weather, air pollution, and forecasting are all addressed, with an emphasis on practical applications and impacts on our daily lives. Special emphasis will be placed on improving the laboratory and field skills of middle and high school level biology and earth science teachers.
ENVS 650 Water Quality (3)
Focuses on integrated content in environmental science, chemistry, and biology that applies to water quality assessment. Appropriate laboratory and field skills for teachers, in any of the scientific disciplines listed above, are addressed. Topics include water quality issues, bacterial monitoring, chemical assessment, and biological assessment. Emphasis is on pedagogical approaches to applying these concepts in the classroom. This course is included within the graduate course sequence in biology.
ENVS 660 Applied Geology (3)
Covers all key aspects of the earth sciences including basic geologic principles such as mineral and rock identification; geomorphic processes such as faulting, volcanism, mass wasting, weathering, and sedimentation; plate tectonics; and the interactions between geologic and hydrologic processes. Special emphasis will be placed on improving laboratory and field skills of earth science teachers at middle and high school levels.
ENVS 665 Functional Oceanography (3)
This course explores the oceans, their functions, and their processes and addresses ocean currents, water chemistry, heat and energy transfer, sea floor geology, and coastal interactions across our planet. Special emphasis is placed on improving the laboratory and field skills of middle and high school level biology and earth science teachers.
ENVS 680 Applied Geography (3)
Comprehensive overview of geographic principles with examples from the physical and social sciences. Technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) will be used to understand and demonstrate topics, with an emphasis on pedagogical approaches to applying these concepts in the classroom.
SCIE 670 Independent Study in Science (3)
Provides for the pursuit of individual interest and projects not covered in existing courses and may be repeated if subjects of study vary; requires approval of the dean of the School of Sciences.
SCIE 680 Special Topics in Science (3)
Offered to allow for subjects that are topical and within the special expertise of the instructor; requires approval of the dean of the School of Sciences.
The following courses can substitute for science content classes, as offerings are available. An undergraduate major or minor in Mathematics or permission of the instructor is required as prerequisite:
MATH 601 Rational and Irrational Numbers (3)
This course explores the basic structure of the Real Number system, with a focus on the properties of rational and irrational numbers. Topics will include basic properties of numbers, rational and irrational approximation, and transcendental number theory.
MATH 602 Polynomials: Exploration of Algebraic Structures (3)
This course explores the basic structure of abstract algebra using polynomials as the primary examples. Topics will include basic properties of groups, rings, fields, and properties of polynomials.
MATH 603 Point Set Topology (3)
This course covers the beginning elements of general topology including: set theory, topological spaces, separation axioms, compact spaces, locally compact spaces, connected spaces, continuity and homeomorphism, and metric spaces.
MATH 604 Theory of Numbers (3)
This course explores the properties of the integers and related structures through the use of various algebraic techniques, beginning with a study of the Euclidean algorithm, divisibility, primes, and congruence. Additional topics will be selected from the Chinese Remainder Theorem, Diophantine equations, residues, quadratic reciprocity, primitive roots, number-theoretic functions, continued fractions, unique factorization, algebraic integers, number fields, equations over finite fields, and other topics in Number Theory.
MATH 605 Mathematics of Coding Theory (3)
This course will explore the mathematics necessary for communicating information in the presence of noise. Topics will be selected from decoding algorithms, linear codes and basic vector space theory, Hamming codes, Reed Solomon codes, BCH codes, minimum weight and distance, and error detection and correction schemes.
MATH 606 Mathematical Explorations: The Art of Problem Solving (3)
This course will allow students to explore the world of mathematical problem solving, focusing on the use of computers, models, and examples to investigate problems rather than formal rigid processes to uncover a solution. Selected topics will include, but will not be limited to, number theory, probability, mathematical modeling, graph theory, fractals, real analysis, and open math problems.
MATH 610 Mathematics Education (3)
This course will focus on the principles and practices of mathematics education (K-12) and will address appropriate research on effective strategies for enhancing mathematics learning among all students. The course will include attention to the development of curriculum, instructional methodologies, and assessment strategies.
MATH 669 Special Topics in Math (3)
This course provides intensive study of a problem or topic in mathematics. The focus varies according to professor or term.
