The secondary physics education major is designed for students who are preparing to be high school physics teachers. This curriculum provides a solid foundation in both contemporary physics and in education pedagogy.
Physics with a Major in Secondary Physics Education (6-12)
Due to changing University requirements, national accreditation standards, and the Virginia Board of Education licensure regulations, the teacher preparation programs in the College of Sciences are under constant revision. Any changes resulting from these factors supersede the program requirements described in this Catalog. Students are encouraged to obtain current program information from their advisors and the Office of Clinical Experiences website at https://www.odu.edu/oce.
Admission
Students must first declare secondary physics education as their major with the physics departmental advisor. All students must apply for and be admitted into the approved secondary physics education program. Students must meet the required criteria for admission by earning the minimum required grade point averages (GPA).
Virginia Board of Education Prescribed Assessments for Admission to an Approved Teacher Education Program
Old Dominion University students seeking admission to an approved teacher education program must satisfy the Virginia Board of Education required assessment for admission into an approved teacher education program. The requirement can be satisfied by meeting a passing score in the following:
For the most current information on the prescribed Virginia Board of Education admission assessment, visit the Virginia Department of Education at https://www.doe.virginia.gov/.
Required Grade Point Averages (GPA)
- A cumulative GPA of 2.75 is required.
- A major/content GPA of 2.75 is required - all physics courses and all other science content courses must be passed with a grade of C- or higher.
- A professional education GPA of 2.75 is required – all professional education courses must be passed with a grade of C- or higher.
Although students may enroll in a limited number of education courses, students must be admitted into the approved physics teacher preparation program prior to enrolling in any instructional strategies practicum education course. Students must also meet with an education advisor in the Office of Clinical Experiences.
Continuance
Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75, a major/content GPA of 2.75 and a professional education GPA of 2.75. Physics courses must be passed with a grade of C- or higher. The remaining courses required for the major and in the professional education core must be completed with a grade of C- or higher for continuance. A professional education GPA of 2.75 is required for continuance. Students must take and pass the Praxis Subject Assessment, Physics content knowledge (formerly Praxis II) prior to or while enrolled in the instructional strategies course. All assessments must be passed prior to the start of the Teacher Candidate Internship Orientation session.
Background Clearance Requirement
Old Dominion University requires a background clearance check of candidates interested in many of the professional education programs. Professional education programs have several field experiences that are required for continuance and graduation from the program. The background clearance must be successfully completed prior to a field experience placement. Candidates will be provided a field experience placement when the background check process is completed with resolution of any issues. The process to complete the ODU clearance background check is located at: http://www.odu.edu/success/academic/teacher-education/placement/background-checks. The ODU clearance process includes: an FBI fingerprint, a child protective service/social service review, and a Virginia State Police sex offender registry review. Candidates interested in the professional education programs are advised to complete this clearance process immediately upon entry into the program since the clearance process takes a minimum of eight weeks to complete.
Virginia Board of Education Prescribed Assessments for Licensure
Praxis Subject Assessment, Physics content knowledge (test code: 5265) – passing score of 147 is required.
To review more information on the Virginia Board of Education prescribed assessments visit the Office of Clinical Experiences website, www.odu.edu/oce.
Requirements
Lower-Division General Education
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| 6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 0-6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 8 |
| 3 |
Mathematics: satisfied by the major
Information Literacy and Research: CS 120G, CS 121G or OEAS 130G
Nature of Science: satisfied by the major
Upper-Division General Education
The professional education core satisfies the Upper-Division General Education requirement.
Requirements for Graduation
Requirements for graduation include completion of ENGL 110C, ENGL 211C or ENGL 231C, and the writing intensive (W) course in the major with a grade of C or better, completion of the Senior Assessment, completion of the Physics Exit Exam with a minimum score of 20th percentile, a minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA, in the major area, and in the professional education core, with no grade less than a C- in the major and the professional education core; successful completion of the Teacher Candidate Internship and a minimum of 120 credit hours, which must include both a minimum of 30 credit hours overall and 12 credit hours in upper-level courses in the major program from Old Dominion University.
Licensure requirements also include certificate of completion in First Aid/AED/CPR, Dyslexia Awareness Training, Child Abuse and Neglect Recognition and Intervention Training, and Regulations Governing the Use of Restraint and Seclusion in Elementary and Secondary Schools, and Cultural Competence Training.
Professional Education Core
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
STEM 101 | Step 1 – Inquiry Approaches to Teaching STEM | 1 |
STEM 102 | Step 2 - Inquiry Based STEM Lesson Design | 1 |
STEM 201 | Knowing and Learning in STEM Education | 3 |
STEM 202 | Classroom Interactions in STEM Education | 3 |
STEM 401 | Project Based Instruction in STEM Education | 3 |
STEM 485 | Apprentice Teaching | 9 |
STEM 402 | Perspectives on STEM | 3 |
PHYS 468W | Research Methods in Mathematics and Sciences | 3 |
Total Credit Hours | 26 |
Secondary Physics Education Major
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
| 30-36 |
| |
| 26 |
MATH 211 | Calculus I | 4 |
MATH 212 | Calculus II | 4 |
MATH 307 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
or MATH 280 | Transfer Credit for Ordinary Differential Equations |
MATH 312 | Calculus III | 4 |
or MATH 285 | Transfer Credit for Calculus III |
CHEM 121N & CHEM 122N | Foundations of Chemistry I Lecture and Foundations of Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
CHEM 123N & CHEM 124N | Foundations of Chemistry II Lecture and Foundations of Chemistry II Laboratory | 4 |
PHYS 103N | Introductory Astronomy of the Solar System | 4 |
or PHYS 104N | Introductory Astronomy of Galaxies and Cosmology |
CS 151 | Introduction to Programming with Java | 4 |
or CS 153 | Introduction to Programming with Python |
PHYS 261N | Advanced University Physics I | 4 |
or PHYS 231N | University Physics I |
or PHYS 226N | Honors: University Physics I |
PHYS 262N | Advanced University Physics II | 4 |
or PHYS 232N | University Physics II |
or PHYS 227N | Honors: University Physics II |
PHYS 323 | Modern Physics | 3 |
PHYS 319 | Analytical Mechanics | 3 |
PHYS 303 | Intermediate Experimental Physics | 3 |
PHYS 120 | Physics in the 21st Century | 1 |
or PHYS 309 | Physics on the Back of an Envelope |
PHYS 355 | Mathematical Methods of Physics | 3 |
PHYS 413 | Methods of Experimental Physics | 3 |
PHYS 425 | Electromagnetism I | 3 |
PHYS 499W | Senior Thesis * | 3 |
or PHYS 489W & PHYS 490W | Senior Thesis I and Senior Thesis II |
Total Credit Hours | 117-123 |
Elective Credit
Elective credit may be needed to meet the minimum requirement of 120 credit hours.
BS Degree with Honors
Qualified students may receive the BS degree with honors (to be noted on their diplomas) by completing specified additional requirements. At the time of application for this designation, a student must have a GPA of 3.50 or higher in physics, a GPA of 3.25 or higher overall, must have completed two contract honors courses, and must have completed 60 credit hours (of which at least 54 must be in grade-point graded courses) at Old Dominion University. (Contract honors courses are specialized courses of individual study under the direct supervision of a professor. Permission to take these courses is granted jointly by the Department of Physics and the Honors College.)
Degree Program Guide
The Degree Program Guide is a suggested curriculum to complete this degree program in four years. It is just one of several plans that will work and is presented only as broad guidance to students. Each student is strongly encouraged to develop a customized plan in consultation with their academic advisor. Additional information can also be found in Degree Works.
Plan of Study Grid
Freshman |
Fall |
ENGL 110C |
English Composition () |
3 |
MATH 211 |
Calculus I |
4 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
STEM 101 |
Step 1 – Inquiry Approaches to Teaching STEM |
1 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
Spring |
|
3 |
MATH 212 |
Calculus II |
4 |
CS 151
|
Introduction to Programming with Java
or Introduction to Programming with Python |
4 |
|
3 |
STEM 102 |
Step 2 - Inquiry Based STEM Lesson Design |
1 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Sophomore |
Fall |
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
Advanced University Physics I |
|
|
University Physics I |
|
|
Honors: University Physics I |
|
|
3 |
|
Introduction to Information Literacy and Research |
|
|
Introduction to Information Literacy and Research for Scientists |
|
|
Research Skills and Information Literacy for the Natural Sciences |
|
STEM 201 |
Knowing and Learning in STEM Education |
3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
Spring |
|
4 |
|
4 |
|
Advanced University Physics II |
|
|
University Physics II |
|
|
Honors: University Physics II |
|
|
3 |
STEM 202 |
Classroom Interactions in STEM Education |
3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
Junior |
Fall |
|
4 |
PHYS 303 |
Intermediate Experimental Physics |
3 |
PHYS 323 |
Modern Physics |
3 |
PHYS 355 |
Mathematical Methods of Physics |
3 |
|
3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Spring |
|
3 |
PHYS 319 |
Analytical Mechanics |
3 |
|
4 |
PHYS 468W |
Research Methods in Mathematics and Sciences |
3 |
|
3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Senior |
Fall |
PHYS 425 |
Electromagnetism I |
3 |
PHYS 413 |
Methods of Experimental Physics |
3 |
|
3 |
|
Senior Thesis |
|
|
Senior Thesis I |
|
|
Senior Thesis II |
|
* |
1 |
|
3 |
STEM 401 |
Project Based Instruction in STEM Education |
3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Spring |
STEM 485 |
Apprentice Teaching |
9 |
STEM 402 |
Perspectives on STEM |
3 |
|
3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 |
Language and Culture I & II may be met in HS and are not included in this 4-year plan. Please see requirement details.
*PHYS 120 is offered fall semester only. PHYS 309 is offered spring semester only.
BA or BS to MBA (Master of Business Administration) Linked Program
The linked BA/MBA or BS/MBA program is an early entry to the MBA program of study. The early-entry program is designed for well qualified non-business undergraduate ODU students to start their MBA program prior to completing their undergraduate degree. Well qualified non-business undergraduate students may take MBA-level courses as early as three semesters prior to graduation and count up to 12 graduate credits toward their undergraduate degree. Students participating in the early-entry program must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours (120 discrete credit hours for the undergraduate degree and 30 discrete credit hours for the graduate degree). Early-entry program students should carefully consider their undergraduate degree program requirements when planning their course of study. Students in the early-entry program work in close consultation with the MBA Program Office and should refer to information in the Strome College of Business section in the graduate catalog to develop an individualized plan of study based on the required coursework.
BA or BS to MPA (Master of Public Administration) Linked Program
The linked BA/MPA or BS/MPA program provides qualified Old Dominion University undergraduate students with the opportunity to earn a master's degree in public administration while taking credits in the MPA program as an undergraduate student. The program is designed for highly motivated students with the desire to immediately continue their education after the bachelor's degree. The program is especially relevant to individuals seeking to work (or currently working) in the public or non-profit sectors, but is suitable for students from any undergraduate major. Graduate courses may be taken during the fall and spring semester of the student's senior undergraduate year. Up to 12 graduate credits can count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree and can meet upper-level General Education requirements. After receiving the undergraduate degree, a student will continue with the MPA program, taking MPA courses until completing the required 39 credit hours. Students in the linked program must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours (120 discrete credit hours for the undergraduate degree and 30 discrete credit hours for the graduate degree).
Requirements for admission to the graduate program can be found in the School of Public Service section of the Graduate Catalog. For additional information, please contact the School of Public Service in the Strome College of Business.