Secondary Education Earth Science [BS]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid

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Earth System Scientists integrate multiple fields of study to address the grand challenges our growing global population faces, such as sea-level rise, climate change, life near geologic hazards, and sustainable sources of energy. As an earth system scientist, you can explore why the earth’s climate is warming, how we know, and how this will affect the earth’s systems. How do ocean currents influence temperature? How can we teach future generations to ask and answer interdisciplinary problems within Earth System Science?

Learn

As a student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Earth Science and secondary Teacher Certification, you’ll learn the application of the scientific method to enhance our understanding of the four principal components of the Earth System – Geosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, and Biosphere – and the connections that exist among these components to produce complex planetary-scale phenomena, such as climate change. At EMU, the Geology Program focuses on the Geosphere component of the Earth System, whereas the Earth Science Program broadly addresses all four components.

Opportunities

Pursue a career as a high school Earth Science teacher. A degree in Earth Science could also have you working with Coal/Mining Companies, Construction Companies, Consulting Firms, Drilling Companies, Environmental Agencies, Government Agencies, K-12 School System, Museums, Petroleum Industry, Railroad Companies, Research Firms, or University/College.

Department Information

Geography & Geology 140D Strong Hall, 734.487.0218

Christine Clark, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information

Christine Clark, PhD, Professor, 140M Strong Hall, 734.487.8590

Teacher Certification

Successful completion of this course of study, coupled with the Teaching and Learning (with Secondary Certification) [BS] , in the context of other program requirements, qualifies the student for the Michigan Department of Education Secondary Standard Certificate endorsed in Earth Science/geology/certification code DH. The Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) covering this field is #20, “Geology/Earth Science.”

Initial Teacher Preparation Program

Initial teacher certification requires a student to complete two majors: a major in a secondary education subject and a Teaching and Learning (with Secondary Certification) Major .

To pursue the sequence of courses necessary to complete eligibility for a recommendation for certification, one must apply for and be recommended for teacher preparation program continuation. Continuance requirements are standard for all teacher preparation programs, except that specific special education programs have additional requirements.

Teacher preparation program continuation is not automatic. Only those persons who have formally applied are considered for continuation. Not all persons who apply become eligible for continuation.

Teaching majors and minors are unofficial until that student is recommended for continuation. Students pursuing teacher certification should follow the catalog requirements in place when they reach teacher preparation program candidacy. Students must apply to the teacher preparation program as soon as they have earned 56 credit hours. Please see the Teaching and Learning (with Secondary Certification) [BS] for specific criteria.

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education or view the General Education Worksheet [PDF] .

Major Requirements: 55-56 hours

Students are required to complete a Writing Intensive course in the Teaching and Learning (with Secondary Certification) Major. Upon successful completion of the course, students will satisfy the Writing Intensive general education requirement, and are not required to complete one as part of this major’s required courses.

Foundational Requirements: 16-17 hours

BIO 110 Introductory Biology: Cells & Molecules [GEKN] 3 hrs
BIO 111 Introductory Biology Laboratory: Cells & Molecules [GEKN] 2 hrs
CHEM 121 General Chemistry I [GEKN] 3 hrs
CHEM 122 General Chemistry I Laboratory [GEKN] 1 hr
PHY 221 Mechanics, Sound and Heat [GEKN] 4 hrs
Choose one course from the following:
MATH 120 Calculus I [GEQR] 4 hrs
STAT 170 Elementary Statistics [GEQR] 3 hrs

Core Requirements: 39 hours

ASTR 205 Principles of Astronomy [GEKN] 4 hrs
ESSC 110 The Dynamic Earth System [GEKN] 4 hrs
ESSC 111 The Earth System through Time 4 hrs
ESSC 212 Weather, Climate and the Earth System 3 hrs
ESSC 229 Rocks and Minerals 3 hrs
ESSC 300 Introduction to Hydrology 3 hrs
ESSC 320 Oceanography 3 hrs
ESSC 324 Weather 3 hrs
ESSC 331 Paleontology 4 hrs
ESSC 347 Methods for Teaching Secondary Earth Science 3 hrs
ESSC 406 The Nature of Science 1 hr See note
Choose one course from the following:
ESSC 325 Geomorphology 4 hrs
ESSC 370 Glacial and Quaternary Geology 4 hrs
Note - ESSC 406 may be substituted with PHY 406 , CHEM 406 , or BIO 406 .

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor. Students are required to pair this major with the Teaching and Learning (with Secondary Certification) Major .

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 120 credits at the 100-level or above.

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

Minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University

Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
- Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
- At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details).
Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
- Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
- Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
- Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements - EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.