If you do opt for a campus program, you will have access to all the college facilities and onsite resources. Think libraries, laboratories, career counseling. You can also look ahead; if you aspire to teach at the postsecondary level, it is common for “teachers to gain teaching experience by working as graduate teaching assistants—students who are enrolled in a graduate program and teach classes in the institution in which they are enrolled”.[ii]
FUN FACT: The job outlook for Postsecondary Chemistry teachers is positive: a 15% growth in employment is projected from 2014-2024[iii]
Inspired to search for a Graduate School with a Teaching Science program?
GradSchools.com has some helpful tools to make your search process easy. If you have a specific area in mind, use the location settings. This will yield results for Science Education Masters programs by city, state or country. Let’s take a look at a few potential listings to get you going: Stem Education for Certified Teachers, M.S. , MS in Physical Science, MA Science, Science teaching Specialist Concentration, M.Ed in Science Education.
Which Masters in Teaching Science Degree Fits?
Master of Education, Master of Arts or Master of Science programs are available in science education and they are all a little different. How? Here’s a mini breakdown of what you might expect from your degree.
Master of Arts in Teaching in Science Education
Interested in the path that might qualify you as a certified educator but you haven’t taken teacher preparation classes?
he Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree, sometimes known as the Masters in Teaching (MIT), prepares college graduates, career-changers and other learners with liberal arts backgrounds to become licensed classroom teachers. Sometimes this degree is offered in a graduate school as a fifth year program. This means, after completing your undergraduate work, you spend an additional year earning a master’s degree while satisfying requirements for a state teaching license
Masters in Education (M.Ed.) in Science Education
Do you have a background in education? Are you hoping to boost a current career, update your pedagogical skills, broaden the scope of your teaching repertoire?
The Masters in Education (M.Ed.) was designed for students such as yourself. Masters of Education degrees are considered professional degrees, rather than academic degrees, and often in the same subject or discipline as your bachelor’s degree. These programs may vary in length of time to complete, though usually between one and two years.
Masters of Science in Education Degree (MS.Ed.)
Do you want to add on to your theoretical background or explore more science subject matter coursework than the M.E.? Do you intend to teach at a community college?
The M.S. degree may be a good choice for science educators who want a professional degree with intensive preparation in science subject matter, but aren’t planning to pursue a PhD right away. (You do need a PhD to teach science at a university[iv])
What do you Want From Your Science Education Masters Curriculum?
Some programs offer students the opportunity to work with an advisor and fine-tune their curriculum to align with their interests. You might choose to focus on:
- Stem sciences – these include science, technology, engineering and mathematics
- Physical Sciences - Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics, and Physical Science
- Natural Sciences – Biology, Microbiology, geology
- Teaching a specific grade level or age group
- Building up your instructional and inspirational qualities
- Teacher leadership
- Issues in Science Education
- Curriculum design
- Research methods
Take the Next Step
If you want the chance to develop as a professional science educator, assess your own teaching skills and maybe learn some contemporary methods and concepts to apply to your research, classroom or curriculum, why not review Masters in Science Education graduate programs and graduate schools today. Take the next step! Find a campus near you or abroad!
Sources: [i] onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1052.00 | [ii] bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm | [iii] bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm | [iv] bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm
