College of Education Health and Human Services
School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies
www.kent.edu/ehhs/tlcs

About This Program

The Bachelor of Science in Education in Earth Science prepares you to become a highly effective K-12 teacher, equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to inspire the next generation of Earth scientists. With a focus on inquiry-based learning and field experiences, you'll be prepared to engage students in the wonders of the natural world. Read more...

Contact Information

• Kristine E. Pytash, Ph.D. | kpytash@kent.edu | 330-672-0641
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

Additional Careers

• Earth science teacher

Accreditation

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

Admission Requirements

Admission to this major is selective. Admission to the college does not guarantee admission to a major and/or admission to professional coursework for a selective admission program. To be admitted directly into a teacher education program, it is required that new freshmen have a 2.750 high school GPA. Students who do not meet the GPA requirement at the time of admission for this major will be admitted to the EHHS General non-degree program until which time they have established a Kent State GPA of 2.750. They may then submit a change of program to declare this major.

Current Kent State and Transfer Students: Active Kent State students who wish to change their major must have attempted a minimum 12 credit hours at Kent State and meet all admission criteria listed above to be admitted. Students who have not attempted 12 credit hours at Kent State will be evaluated for admission based on their high school GPA for new students or transfer GPA for transfer students. Transfer students who have not attempted 12 credit hours of college-level coursework at Kent State and/or other institutions will be evaluated based on both their high school GPA and college GPA.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning a minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score, minimum 47 PTE score or minimum 100 DET score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive English Program. For more information on international admission visit the admissions website for international students.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Teacher candidates are only permitted to repeat a field experience course once. Please see Repeating Field Experience Courses in Teacher Education Programs policy for details.

Progression Requirements

Students must meet all professional requirements for admission to advanced study. To be admitted, students must display evidence of the following

• Adequate communication skills
• Sound content area knowledge (language arts, mathematics, science or social studies)
• Basic understanding of the teaching profession
• Basic understanding of adolescents
• Dispositions aligned with the conceptual framework of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services, including being open-minded, flexible, caring and responsible.

Faculty will select the most qualified applicants based on an interview, letters of recommendation; GPA¹, and performance in English coursework.

Applicants to the program must have experience working with young adults in a supervisory capacity, such as tutoring, camp counseling, volunteer work or related experience. Students should contact the College of Education, Health, and Human Services’ Vacca Office of Student Services, 304 White Hall, during the first year of study to inquire about the procedures and criteria associated with admission to advanced study.

¹

Undergraduate students who have not completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours will be evaluated for advanced study and professional phase based on their high school GPA for new freshmen or transfer GPA for transfer students.

Graduation Requirements

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Plan multiple lessons using a variety of inquiry approaches that demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how to engage all students in learning science.
2. Plan a learning environment and learning experiences for all students that demonstrate chemical safety, safety procedures, and the ethical treatment of living organisms within their licensure area.
3. Plan fair and equitable assessment strategies to analyze student learning and to evaluate if the science learning goals are met.

Admission GPA for Undergraduate Students

For admissions, the College of Education, Health and Human Services considers a student to have established a Kent State University GPA after the student has successfully completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours. Undergraduate students who have not completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours will be evaluated for admission into programs, Advanced Study, and the Professional phase based on their high school GPA for new freshmen, or transfer GPA for transfer students. Once a student has successfully completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours, only the student’s Kent State cumulative GPA will be considered for admission into a program, Advanced Study, and Professional Phase.

Students who have completed 12 or more credit hours of previous college-level coursework, either at Kent State University or at another accredited institution, need an overal GPA of 2.00 or higher to declare a College of Education, Health and Human Services majors, minors or certificates unless a higher minimum GPA is specified by the program. See specific programs in this catalog for more information on required minimum GPA to declare. Non-degree EHHS General can be declared without a minimum 2.00 overall GPA.

Transfer applicants who have completed fewer than 12 semester hours of college-level coursework will be evaluated on both collegiate and high school records.

Background Checks for Teacher Licensure Candidates

Education Licensure Application

Students in the teacher education programs must apply for State of Ohio Licensure within 12 months of program completion (defined by completion of all licensure program requirements) . After 12 months, applicants must meet State approved program/licensure requirements that are in effect at the time of application. This means that students who apply after the 12 month deadline may have to take additional coursework if the content, methods courses, program requirements, or licensure requirements have changed from the catalog in force.

If a student does not apply for their license within 6 years, they are subject to any additional state licensure requirements and are also subject to additional coursework based on changes in areas such as content, age of coursework and changes in program requirements. A minimum of 9 credit hours will be required to apply for licensure after 6 years of program completion.

Professional Dispositions for Teacher Candidates

Professional Education Warning

Professional Education Warning for students in teacher licensure programs and the Community Health Education major must have a minimum 2.75 GPA to progress in their programs and ultimately graduate. Unless other factors are present, students who do not meet the prescribed conditions are required to transfer out of their declared major. An appeal of this decision is directed to the associate dean of undergraduate student services, College of Education, Health and Human Services, 304 White Hall.

Repeating Field Experience Courses in Teacher Education Programs

Teacher candidates are permitted to repeat a field experience course once (see major requirements for specific courses). If a teacher candidate is unsuccessful in completing OR fails to earn the required grade in a field experience course the first time, the teacher candidate will receive a warning and will be required to work with a faculty advisor in their academic unit to develop a plan for continuation. The required grade is a C or better in a course that awards a letter grade, or Satisfactory (S) in a course that awards an S/U grade. The plan will include all actions necessary to continue in current program, the opportunity to declare a different program, a timeline of when actions should occur, and next steps if actions are not followed. If the teacher candidate does not earn the required grade in the field experience course the second time, a hold will be placed on their account, preventing them from registering for classes until they change their major out of the education program.

Requirements for Admission to Advanced Study

Admission to advanced study is required of all teacher education initial licensure majors and minors prior to enrolling in courses designated as advanced study courses. Upon completion of coursework as determined by program area, students must apply during the term which all prerequisites for advanced study will be completed, and at least one semester prior to beginning any coursework for which "Admission to Advanced Study" is a prerequisite.

Application Dates

Fall Semester:

• Application window: August 1 to September 1
• Term to begin advanced study courses: Spring semester

Spring Semester:

• Application window: January 1 to February 1
• Term to begin advanced study courses: Summer term and/or fall semester

Summer Term:

• Application window: May 1 to June 1
• Term to begin advanced study courses: Fall semester

All students apply for Advanced Study through the College of Education, Health and Human Services Student Portal which can be accessed through the Vacca Office of Student Services web page.

Please note: Admission to advanced study is required for students pursuing an undergraduate major that leads to initial teacher licensure, with the exception of students in the Career Tech Teacher Education certificate who obtain initial licensure through the Alternative Resident Educator Licensure Program (teachers recruited from business and industry).

Requirements for Admission to Advanced Study

To deliver high-quality programs, faculty will select the most qualified applicants for admission based upon evaluation of academic success (overall GPA) at Kent State University, non-academic criteria and other specific program criteria.

Students may be required to reapply if they postpone advanced study coursework or withdraw from their courses for one year or more.

College Writing

• Students are required to attain minimum C grade in each writing course (ENG 11011 and ENG 21011 or equivalent) (Integrated Language Arts majors must attain minimum B grade).

Mathematics

• The following courses must be completed with minimum C grade for the majors Early Childhood Education, Middle Childhood Education and Special Education:
  • MATH 14001 (or equivalent)
  • MATH 14002
• The following courses must be completed with a minimum C grade for Integrated Mathematics majors:
  • MATH 12002
  • MATH 12003
  • In addition, a minimum 2.600 overall GPA in math content coursework is required.

Pre-Advanced Study Coursework

• To be eligible for advanced study, students must earn a minimum C grade in CULT 29535 and minimum C grade in one of the following courses (i.e., both courses must be completed with a minimum C grade for graduation):
  • EPSY 29525 (note: Middle Childhood Education majors must earn a minimum C grade in this course to be eligible for Advanced Study)
  • SPED 23000
• Early Childhood Education majors must earn a minimum C grade in ECED 10120 to be eligible for advanced study.
• Middle Childhood Education majors must earn a minimum C grade in MCED 20000 to be eligible for advanced study.
• Middle Childhood Education majors must complete at least 50 percent of content area coursework from each concentration (minimum C grade) to be eligible for advanced study. Students should meet with their advisor.
• Adolescence/Young Adult Programs: majors must earn a minimum C grade in ADED 20000 to be eligible for Advanced Study.

Grade Point Average

All students must have a minimum 2.750 overall GPA, with additional conditions for the following majors:

• Adolescence/Young Adult Programs: A minimum 2.600 GPA in the chosen adolescence/young adult content area is required for admission to advanced study, student teaching and graduation. A minimum C grade is required in each course within the content area. The following majors are affected: Earth Science, Integrated Language Arts, Integrated Mathematics, Integrated Science, Integrated Social Studies, Life Science, Life Science/Chemistry and Physical Science.
• For minimum GPA criteria for Art Education and Music Education, please see Requirements for Admission to Advanced Study for Art Education and Music Education in the College Policies section for the College of the Arts in the University Catalog.
• Education Minor: Students in a program eligible to declare the Education minor must achieve a minimum 2.500 overall and a content GPA to declare the Education minor, be admitted to advanced study, participate in student teaching and be recommended for licensure.

All GPA requirements must be met at the time of application.

Disposition Assessment/Professional Disposition Plans (PDPs)

Students are required to have completed all professional dispositions plan (PDPs) at the time of application to be eligible for advanced study.

Teacher Candidate Acknowledgments and Legal Questions for Licensure

Candidates are required to electronically sign five statements acknowledging that they have read and understand the following areas: pre-service teacher permit / background check requirements, professional dispositions, licensure application information, legal questions asked on the licensure application, and teacher education handbook information. Statements can be found on the student portal.

Student Teaching

The application for student teaching is completed online through the College of Education, Health and Human Services' student portal. Students will be required to complete the application during specified windows posted on the Vacca Office of Student Services' (VOSS) website. Application windows will typically be accessible during the months of October and November in the fall semester and March and April in the spring semester. Failure to complete the application and submit the prerequisite training documents within the designated time frame may delay the student teaching placement. Depending on the program area, students will apply either 2 or 3 semesters prior to their anticipated student teaching semester. Students should meet with their academic advisor for details on which semester to apply.

Once the application is submitted, VOSS staff (or appropriate regional campus staff) will determine eligibility by reviewing coursework, GPA, disposition assessments, and other program area requirements. Specifically, staff will review the following:

• Coursework – aside from student teaching and inquiry seminar, all coursework in the program of study must be completed with the minimum grade required in each course (i.e., a ‘C’ or higher in a course where the program requirements prescribe a minimum grade of C).
• GPA – confirmation that the applicant has a 2.75 cumulative GPA or higher and meets the minimum major GPA required for their program as listed in the university catalog.
• Disposition Assessments – no outstanding Professional Disposition Plans (PDPs) are permitted. An applicant with an outstanding PDP must have it cleared before beginning student teaching.
• Program Area Requirements – applicant must have completed all program requirements for their major that are outlined and specified in the university catalog.

Students should meet with their faculty and/or academic advisor in VOSS for any clarifications. Written notification of eligibility will be emailed to each applicant.

Those eligible for student teaching are required to attend a mandatory meeting where additional information about student teaching is provided. Failure to attend this meeting may result in a delay of student teaching. Placement forms, distributed at this meeting, need to be completed by the deadline.  

The Clinical Experience Office will make the final decision about the placement site for the Kent Campus. Placement decisions at the Regional Campuses are made by the designated placement officer at each campus. Candidates are not to contact schools or potential mentors directly to make their own arrangements. Placements are generally made within a 50 mile radius of Kent State University. Student teaching is a full-time commitment and candidates are expected to follow the schedule of the cooperating teacher.

Undergraduate Graduation Requirements

• Students declared in a teacher licensure major or minor must earn a minimum C grade in all major/minor and professional coursework.
• Students declared in the Education minor must earn minimum 2.500 content GPA.
• Students may apply a maximum 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses toward their degree.
• Students may apply a maximum of 4 credit hours of variable-titled workshop (xxx93) toward an undergraduate degree. Identical workshop topics that are repeated for credit will not count towards graduation requirements. All workshops are graded S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory). Some program areas may be more restrictive. Students are advised to consult their program regarding application of workshop credit toward degree requirements.

To see graduation requirements for a specific program, please select a major from the undergraduate program listing.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Earth Science prepares students for teacher licensure in earth science, grades 7-12. Students take a broad range of courses in biology, chemistry, geography and physics and specialize in geology content. Most content coursework is completed during students' first three years; methods coursework begins during the spring of their third year. In the final year of the program, students complete remaining content courses, science teaching methods courses and a year-long placement in a local school district, which concludes with 13 weeks of student teaching in the spring. Earth Science students are encouraged to meet with their advisor early in their program because many courses must be sequenced carefully.

Students are required to complete Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCII) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.